Set up a company in Georgia (country): 2026 guide

To set up a company in Georgia, the country in the South Caucasus with its capital in Tbilisi (not the US state), most foreign owners register a limited liability company (LLC) with the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR). They usually file at a Public Service Hall, also called the House of Justice. The official fee is GEL 200 (about US$77) for registration in 1 working day, or GEL 400 (about US$154) for registration on the day of filing.

The law sets no minimum capital for an LLC, and one person can own it. Profit is taxed at 15%, but only when it is distributed. All figures were checked on 10 November 2026. US dollar amounts are approximate, using the National Bank of Georgia official rate of GEL 2.5943 per US$1.

What it takes to set up a company in Georgia

NAPR registers companies and sits under the Ministry of Justice. You can file in any of these ways:

• At any Public Service Hall
• At any NAPR territorial office
• Through an authorised person
• Electronically through my.gov.ge

The LLC is the usual choice for three reasons. First, partners' liability is limited. Second, a joint-stock company needs GEL 100,000 of subscribed capital. Third, an individual entrepreneur is not a legal entity at all.

One person can form an LLC. That partner can be a foreign individual or a foreign company, so a Georgian LLC works well for foreigners who want full ownership. The manager (director) can be an individual or a legal person. The legal address must be an actual address in Georgia.

Registration at NAPR covers both state registration and tax registration in one step. NAPR sends the company's data to the Revenue Service electronically. If you are deciding whether Georgia should host a branch or a full subsidiary, see our guide on how to structure your first overseas entity.

How to register a Georgian LLC, step by step

Company registration in Georgia follows a fixed sequence. Here is who does what:

1. Choose the name. It must be in Georgian, include "Limited Liability Company" or "LLC", and differ from names already registered. You can record an English version so the registry can issue an English extract.
2. Secure a legal address in Georgia. You need the owner's consent or a use agreement, unless the applicant owns or uses the property.
3. Prepare the instrument of incorporation. This founding agreement contains the statute. You can write your own or adopt the standard statute approved by the Minister of Justice. It states the name, legal address, each partner's identification data, the managers and each partner's percentage share (totalling 100%). It also gives the manager's mobile number and email, which NAPR uses for the company's page on its electronic portal.
4. Certify the signatures. A notary, an authorised official at NAPR or the Public Service Hall, or a qualifying electronic signature can do this.
5. Add each manager's consent to act, unless the founding agreement already includes it.
6. File the application with identity documents and proof of payment. A representative can file for you under a power of attorney with a notarised signature.
7. Receive the decision. NAPR publishes it on its electronic platform. The company exists from the moment of registration, and an extract is prepared with the decision.

NAPR can ask for further documents at any stage. If any papers are signed abroad, ask NAPR or your adviser how they must be certified before you send them.

Official registration fees and timing in 2026

The table below shows NAPR's official fees.

Two small add-ons are common. The registry charges GEL 7 to certify the parties' signatures, added to the registration fee. An English-language extract costs GEL 26, added to the fee of the service it is ordered with. A standalone registry extract costs GEL 20 in 1 working day or GEL 75 same day, or GEL 13 or GEL 52 if ordered online.

The table below adds up the official fees for year one and later years. It is a sum of state fees, not a quote. For example, standard registration with registry signature certification and an English extract comes to GEL 233 (about US$90).

NAPR's fee schedule lists no annual renewal or annual return fee for an LLC. Each later change to registered data, such as a new director or address, costs the same GEL 200 or GEL 400. Registering in the Registry of Economic Activities is voluntary unless a law requires it. It costs GEL 39 in 2 working days or GEL 78 same day, and lasts one year.

You may see GEL 100 quoted online. That came from a half-price offer that ran from 9 to 20 March 2026 for older companies re-registering under the new Law on Entrepreneurs. It is not the fee for a new company. Provider fees vary, so ask for a fixed quote in writing.

Georgia company tax: profit tax, VAT and payroll

Georgia taxes distributed profit, not earned profit. The 15% profit tax applies to dividends and to payments treated like distributions: non-business expenses, free supplies of goods, services or funds, and entertainment costs over the limit. Profit you retain and reinvest is not taxed. The taxable amount is the payment divided by 0.85. The profit tax return is monthly, due by the 15th of the following month.

Dividends paid to individuals and non-resident companies bear 5% withholding. Dividends to Georgian companies bear none.

As an illustration, take GEL 100 of profit paid out in full. The company pays GEL 15 profit tax and declares a GEL 85 dividend. It withholds GEL 4.25, so an individual shareholder receives GEL 80.75. Tax treaties and your home-country tax are separate questions. Home rules on controlled foreign companies can still bite, as our piece on when your offshore company still owes home-country tax explains.

VAT is 18%. Registration becomes compulsory once taxable supplies exceed GEL 100,000 (about US$38,500) in any 12 consecutive calendar months. You must apply within 2 working days, and voluntary registration is allowed. The VAT period is the calendar month, with return and payment due by the 15th of the next month. For services to a business customer, the place of supply is where the customer is established. Our SaaS guide to place of supply covers this in more depth.

Employers withhold 20% income tax on salaries and file a monthly return by the 15th. The 1% small business rate is for individual entrepreneurs, not LLCs.

Virtual Zone and International Company status for IT

Tech businesses have two special regimes. The table below compares them.

Georgia's Virtual Zone status is for a legal person that creates software in Georgia. Profit from supplying that IT outside Georgia is exempt from profit tax, and no VAT is levied on that supply. Dividends still bear 5% withholding, and income from Georgian customers is taxed normally. You apply online at newzone.mof.ge. The Ministry of Finance's Financial-Analytical Service decides within 10 working days, and an e-certificate follows within 2 working days. The status does not expire.

International Company status is granted by the Government of Georgia after an application through the Revenue Service. You need at least 2 years' experience in a permitted IT or maritime activity. Your main income-generating work and qualified staff must be in Georgia. The benefits are 5% profit tax on distribution, no dividend withholding, 5% income tax on employees' salaries and a property tax exemption except for land. Other income must not exceed 2% of permitted-activity revenue in a year. If you breach the conditions, the status is revoked back to the grant date.

Both regimes give about 5% on profit paid out to the owner. The Virtual Zone is open to a new company, but it only covers software the company creates and sells abroad. International Company status also cuts payroll tax to 5%, but it needs the 2-year track record and a Government decision. Owners running a UAE company alongside a Georgian one should read why UAE tech businesses pair with Georgia.

Bank account and yearly obligations

The National Bank of Georgia licenses and supervises banks. On 10 November 2026 it listed 18 licensed commercial banks. There is no official fee or timescale for opening a company account, because each bank runs its own customer checks. Have these ready:

• The registry extract (the English extract helps)
• The founding agreement
• Each owner's identity documents

After registration, the yearly rhythm looks like this:

• Monthly tax returns by the 15th: profit tax, payroll, and VAT if registered
• Annual financial statements filed with the accounting supervisor (SARAS) by 1 October of the following year
• No audit for category III and IV companies, unless another law requires one
• Current registry data, including appointing a replacement manager within one month if the manager leaves

Cosmos is an AI-native platform with named specialists. In Georgia we arrange registration, the legal address and regulated filings through licensed local partners. Our own team keeps the books and prepares the monthly tax returns, and every filing date sits in one place alongside your companies in other countries.

Book a demo to see how Cosmos keeps your Georgian company compliant.

FAQ

Can a foreigner own 100% of a Georgian LLC?

Yes. One person can form an LLC, and the sole partner can be a foreign individual or a foreign company. The manager can also be an individual or a legal person. You still need an actual legal address in Georgia.

How long does company registration in Georgia take?

NAPR registers an LLC within 1 working day for GEL 200, or on the day of filing for GEL 400. The company exists from the moment of registration. NAPR can ask for further documents.

What is the minimum share capital for a Georgian LLC?

There is none. The Law on Entrepreneurs sets a minimum subscribed capital only for joint-stock companies, at GEL 100,000. An LLC can be formed without any statutory capital requirement.

Do I need to travel to Georgia to register a company?

Not necessarily. A representative can file for you under a power of attorney with a notarised signature. Ask NAPR how documents signed abroad must be certified before you send them.

Does a Georgian company pay tax on profits it keeps?

No. Retained and reinvested profit is not taxed. The 15% profit tax applies when profit is distributed or paid out in ways treated like a distribution, such as non-business expenses or free supplies.

Can an LLC use Georgia's 1% small business tax?

No. The 1% small business rate is for individual entrepreneurs only. An LLC pays profit tax under the distributed-profits model.

When must a Georgian company register for VAT?

Once taxable supplies exceed GEL 100,000 (about US$38,500) in any 12 consecutive calendar months. You must apply within 2 working days. Returns and payment are monthly, due by the 15th of the next month.