Registering a Business in Georgia
What Steps Are Needed
Starting a business in Georgia legally begins with registering the entity in the register of entrepreneurs and non-commercial (non-profit) legal entities. The procedure is relatively simple and fast, though a few choices — legal form, registration speed, and tax status — affect the obligations that follow.
Which legal form to choose
The two most commonly used forms are the individual entrepreneur and the limited liability company (LLC). An individual entrepreneur suits a one-person, simple-structure activity — registration and administration are simpler, but the person is liable for the business's obligations with their entire personal property.
An LLC, in turn, suits several partners or a larger-scale activity — partners' liability is limited to the company's capital, though registration and management require relatively more formality (a charter, a partners' agreement).
Where and how registration happens
Under Article 4 of the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs, registration of an entrepreneurial subject is carried out by the National Agency of the Public Registry (a public legal entity under the Ministry of Justice) — the application can be filed at any House of Justice branch or online.
For an LLC, Article 5 requires a registration statement signed by all partners, stating the company's name and legal form, its legal address, the partners' details and shares (totaling 100%), the management structure, and the representative's details. For an individual entrepreneur, Article 54 requires only an application, an identity document, and the address of the activity.
In both cases, a legally defined address must be stated (Article 4(4)) — correspondence sent there is deemed delivered, so it matters that the address is one you actually have access to.
Timeframes and fees
According to the fee schedule set by the National Agency of the Public Registry, standard registration is completed within 1 business day — the fee is 200 GEL for an LLC and 26 GEL for an individual entrepreneur. Expedited (same-day) registration costs 400 GEL and 75 GEL respectively.
Registering changes (for example, updating director or shareholding data) follows the same fee structure. Exact fee amounts and timeframes change from time to time, so it's worth checking the National Agency of the Public Registry's official page before paying.
Tax registration after incorporation
After registration with the Public Registry, the data is automatically forwarded to the Revenue Service (RS.GE) — no separate application is needed for that. A separate application is required only to obtain special statuses.
For a physical person, "small business status" is often relevant — a 1% income tax rate on annual turnover up to 500,000 GEL (Tax Code, Articles 82 and 90); obtaining the status requires a separate electronic application on RS.GE.
Registering as a VAT payer is mandatory if the total amount of VAT-taxable operations exceeds 100,000 GEL in any rolling 12 calendar months — in that case, under Article 157(1)(a) of the Tax Code, the person must apply to the tax authority no later than 2 business days after exceeding the threshold.
What happens after registration
A registered entity can open a bank account at any Georgian bank — this is normally needed for contracts, invoices, and tax settlements.
The register of entrepreneurs and non-commercial legal entities is public — anyone can verify a company's status, the identity of its director, and its ownership structure. This transparency matters when dealing with partners and counterparties.