A Georgian importer and a Georgian subsidiary do different jobs
When an independent Georgian importer purchases goods from a foreign supplier and sells them locally, the importer can be the customs declarant, stock owner and seller to Georgian customers. A local subsidiary puts those functions within the foreign group. The difference affects who funds inventory, issues customer invoices, carries debts and appears in the import documents. A distributor introduction is therefore a commercial decision with consequences for the paperwork, rather than simply another way to register a company.
A separate company is useful when the group needs its own Georgian contracts, employees or stock. It also brings continuing accounting and reporting obligations. Business registration establishes the entity; an import declaration, a bank’s customer review and a regulated-sector authorisation each serve a separate purpose. Our market-entry services cover the local research and introductions associated with these choices.
Published registration fees and the documents behind an LLC
The National Agency of Public Registry publishes the following registration charges. These are official registration fees, excluding translation, document certification and professional services. The stated service period applies to the agency’s registration service and does not promise that a bank account or operating approval will be available in the same period. [1]
| Service | One working day | Day of application |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial legal entity, including an LLC | GEL 200 | GEL 400 |
| Individual entrepreneur | GEL 26 | GEL 75 |
| English-language extract with a service | Additional GEL 26 | |
NAPR’s registration guidance calls for a founding agreement incorporating the statute, signed by the founders and properly certified. A standard statute is available. The consent of a person authorised to manage and represent the company is also required unless already expressed in the founding agreement. An individual entrepreneur is different: it is the natural person conducting business in their own name, rather than a separate legal entity. [2]
The legal address and electronic registry correspondence
The Georgian legal address identifies a physical address in Georgia. Where the registrant does not own the premises, the supporting documentation generally includes the owner’s properly certified consent or a document establishing a lawful right to use the property. NAPR’s guidance also explains its electronic portal, where registration decisions and related company documents are made available and the company has an authorised-user page. [2]
A registered address is consequently more than a line to copy onto a letterhead. The address, company name, identification number and person signing a contract need to agree across registry information, invoices and bank records. Where an overseas parent signs through a representative, the document trail must establish that representative’s authority. Foreign-language documents may require translation and appropriate certification; the exact treatment depends on the document and its issuing country.
VAT registration and import VAT are separate questions
Georgia’s standard VAT rate is 18%. Under Article 165 of the Tax Code, the general compulsory-registration rule applies when VAT-taxable supplies exceed GEL 100,000 during any twelve consecutive calendar months. The application is due within two business days, and the transaction crossing the threshold is included. The Code has additional rules and exceptions; it is not simply a test of calendar-year revenue. [3]
Import VAT can arise without the importer being registered for ordinary domestic VAT. That distinction is stated separately in Article 165². An importer below the domestic turnover threshold therefore cannot assume its shipment is free of VAT. Whether import VAT can subsequently be deducted depends on the taxpayer’s position, the transaction and supporting documents. [3]
For an elementary domestic pricing example, GEL 118 inclusive of standard VAT contains GEL 100 of price and GEL 18 of VAT. Multiplying the inclusive amount by 18% would give the wrong VAT component. Import calculations have their own taxable base and cannot be replaced by that retail illustration.
Commodity classification, origin and the shipment file
The Revenue Service’s commodity-code tool brings together product classification and the taxes, exemptions and documents associated with a code. A product’s trade name alone is not enough: material, composition and use can affect its classification. A food preparation, a cosmetic and a medical product can also have different sector requirements even when their packaging looks similar. [4]
A shipment file normally connects the commercial invoice and packing information with transport records and any product-specific certificates. The invoice identifies the parties, goods and price; packing information explains how the goods are presented; the transport record connects them to the actual movement. The required documents depend on the product and customs procedure, which is why the Revenue Service’s product-level information is more useful than a universal list copied from another country.
Preferential origin is another distinct issue. The EU–Georgia free-trade agreement provides preferential treatment for qualifying originating goods, subject to the applicable origin rules and evidence. Buying a product from an EU warehouse does not itself establish EU origin. Conversely, a Georgian producer using foreign inputs needs to satisfy the relevant product rule before presenting the finished item as eligible Georgian-origin goods. The European Commission’s Access2Markets guide explains these requirements. [5]
Why a bank asks about the owners and expected payments
Georgia’s anti-money-laundering law requires financial institutions to identify customers and beneficial owners, understand ownership and control, establish the purpose of the relationship and monitor it. Article 10 also addresses the nature, volume and frequency of expected transactions. These duties explain why the company extract alone may be insufficient for a new business account. [6]
For a trading company, the commercial explanation can be supported by supplier agreements, expected customer countries and documents showing the source of the company’s funding. A group structure may require a chain of corporate records before the individuals ultimately controlling it are clear. These are examples of useful supporting evidence, not a promise that every bank has one identical application list. The bank makes its own decision on the relationship and available services.
The 2026 work-authorisation rules affect some founders too
The labour-migration regime introduced from 1 March 2026 separates business registration from permission to perform covered work. The Labour Migration Law addresses foreign employees and self-employed foreigners without permanent residence, with the detailed right-to-work process governed by government rules. Registering an individual entrepreneur or an LLC does not, by itself, settle an individual’s work and immigration position. [7]
The current law contains express exclusions. These include work or services for a non-resident connected with that non-resident’s activities outside Georgia, holders of a valid investment residence permit, and management or governing functions in accounting-law category I, II or III enterprises. A foreign founder working in a Georgian business and a person serving an overseas business are therefore not automatically the same case. The specific activity, enterprise category and residence status determine the position under the current law. [7]
Our Georgian market data provides the economic background. Our market research team can identify buyers, distributors and competitors, while the appropriate legal and accounting work addresses the entity and transactions. Contact us with the product or service and the proposed Georgian activity.