How to Set Up a Company in Georgia as a Foreigner (2026)

Why Georgia is underrated

Georgia punches significantly above its weight as a business jurisdiction. A country of 3.7 million people with a GDP of approximately USD 30 billion has built one of the world's most competitive business formation environments:

• Fastest setup: 1 day at the House of Justice (in person); 3–5 days online
• Cheapest formation: ~USD 75 total government fee
• GEL 1 minimum capital: No capital lock-up
• 15% CT on distribution (0% on retained profits — identical mechanism to Estonia)
• Virtual Zone: Qualifying IT companies pay 0% CT on foreign-source income
• 0% withholding on dividends for non-resident recipients (verify current position)
• No CFC rules: Georgia does not have controlled foreign corporation rules. A Georgian resident owning a foreign company is not taxed by Georgia on that company's undistributed profits.
• 0% personal income tax on foreign-source income for Georgian tax residents (under the territorial/remittance-based aspects of Georgian PIT law — verify with Georgian tax advisor for current rules)
• Visa-free access: Citizens of 90+ countries can enter and stay for up to 1 year without a visa
• Ease of banking: TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia are reliable and internationally capable

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The Virtual Zone programme

• Georgia's Virtual Zone (VZ) is a registered status for IT companies that provides:
• 0% CT on income earned from providing IT services to non-Georgian clients
• Services must be IT in nature: software development, IT consulting, web development, app development, design services (broadly interpreted)
• Income must be from foreign (non-Georgian) sources
• Standard 15% CT applies on income from Georgian clients

How to become a Virtual Zone company: 1. Register as a Georgian LLC 2. Apply to the Revenue Service of Georgia for Virtual Zone status 3. Submit application with description of IT services and client contracts 4. Virtual Zone certificate issued within a few weeks

Cost of VZ registration: ~GEL 50–100 (minimal)

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Step 1: Form the LLC at the House of Justice

Georgia's company registry is managed by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR), with registration available at the Houses of Justice (საქართველოს იუსტიციის სახლი) across Georgia.

• Required:
• Passport (original)
• Company name (check availability at napr.gov.ge)
• Registered address in Georgia (can be your place of residence)
• Share structure
• Managing director details

• In-person process (fastest):
• Walk into any House of Justice
• Submit documents at company registration window
• Pay fee (approximately GEL 50–200 for same-day or standard registration)
• Company is registered within 1 day (same-day registration available for premium fee)

Online alternative (via the NAPR portal): Remote registration is possible for those with Georgian digital identity (eID); otherwise, use a Georgian representative with a notarised power of attorney.

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Step 2: Open a bank account

Georgian banking is reliable and internationally capable:

• TBC Bank: Georgia's largest bank. Excellent digital banking infrastructure, English-language service, international wire capability (SWIFT). Account opening requires:
• LLC registration documents
• Passport
• Physical visit to a TBC Bank branch in Georgia

Bank of Georgia: Second major bank. Similar capabilities to TBC.

Account opening timeline: Same-day or next-day for straightforward applications with a physical visit.

Digital options: Wise Business works as a secondary account for international invoicing.

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Step 3: Tax registration

• Register at the Georgian Revenue Service (rs.ge):
• Tax identification number (TIN) is assigned automatically upon company registration
• VAT: Register if Georgian-source turnover exceeds GEL 100,000/year; voluntary registration available
• Monthly income tax declarations for salary payments

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The 15%/0% tax system explained

Georgia uses a distribution-based CT system (identical in principle to Estonia):

Retained profits: 0% CT. You can accumulate profits in the Georgian LLC indefinitely without paying CT.

Distributed profits (dividends): 15% CT paid by the company at distribution. Shareholders receive net amount.

For Virtual Zone companies: Income from qualifying foreign-source IT services → 0% CT (even on distribution from VZ income).

For non-VZ companies: Retained → 0%; Distributed → 15%.

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Real cost (Year 1)

The cheapest legitimate serious company on this list.