Company incorporation, bank accounts, team and permits from one firm, whether you start from scratch, buy a company or employ through our Employer of Record.
foreign employees already registered must hold the right to work and a residence permit
annual turnover per foreign employee (GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions)
calendar days: the legal maximum to review a right-to-work application
business days for us to incorporate once all documents are in
There are four main routes: incorporate a Georgian company, acquire an existing one, employ through an Employer of Record, or hire locally. KNM Advisory handles each end to end from Tbilisi, including a virtual address, bank accounts at Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank, the right to work that most foreign employees have needed since 1 March 2026, and the residence permit that follows.
Company incorporation and business accounts, end to end.
A clean, solvent LLC with the turnover to bring your staff across now, not in several years.
Our established Georgian entity employs your people, so there is no company for you to buy or maintain.
Skilled Georgian professionals, through your own company or our Employer of Record. No visa or permit is needed.
| Incorporate | Acquire | Employer of Record | Hire locally | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your own Georgian company | Yes, new | Yes, existing | No | Your own, or through our EoR |
| Turnover test for foreign staff | Must be built, with a narrow start-up exception | Comes with the target's turnover | Handled through our entity | Not applicable |
| Visa and permits | Needed for foreign staff | Needed for foreign staff | Arranged for each employee | Not needed |
| Legal employer | Your company | Your company | KNM's Georgian entity | Your company or KNM's entity |
| Typical timing | Incorporation within 10 business days of complete documents; bank accounts within 30 business days of applying | About 2 months, depending on the target | Onboarding starts straight away; permits run in parallel | As soon as contracts are signed |
| Best when | You plan a long-term presence and start small | A larger team has to move soon | You want people on the ground without an entity | You do not need to relocate anyone |
Since 1 March 2026, a foreign national without permanent residence generally needs the right to work and a matching residence permit or D1 visa to be employed or self-employed in Georgia. Foreign employees registered in the labour migration database on that date have until 1 January 2027 to comply.
A fixed-term written agreement, in Georgian and in a language the employee understands.
The local employer applies on behalf of the employee. A self-employed foreigner applies personally.
Up to 30 calendar days once the file is complete. An expedited route is available for a higher fee.
If abroad: apply for a D1 visa within 30 calendar days. If in Georgia: apply for a work or IT residence permit within 10 calendar days.
Apply 30 calendar days before expiry. If the contract ends early, the authority must be notified.
GEL 50,000 of annual turnover per foreign national, or GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions.
The test does not apply within 3 months of registration if the employer has no more than 3 foreign nationals.
Needed if you plan more than five foreign nationals in a calendar year, or more than 5% of staff. Some employers, including International Companies, are exempt.
Up to four months per calendar year for a specific project, event or service, if registered before it starts.
Permanent and investment residence permit holders, some remote workers, and others listed in the law. We check the facts for each person.
GEL 2,000 for the foreign national and GEL 2,000 per person for the employer, doubling and then tripling for repeat offences.
Choosing the wrong status costs time you cannot get back. We look at every lawful route, not just the most familiar one.
For foreign nationals with the right to work, usually following a D1 visa.
For IT employees and small-business IT entrepreneurs with the right to work, and for those who manage and represent International Companies.
A 5-year permit for investments of at least USD 300,000, with a route to an unlimited permit where the conditions are met.
A short-term permit based on ownership of immovable property, other than agricultural land, on the conditions set by law.
Education and family reunification grounds, and special or humanitarian grounds where they apply.
The long-term route, including conversion from a temporary status and the compliance needed to keep it.
One written document covering all the options open to you, a side-by-side comparison, eligibility requirements, realistic timing and cost, ongoing compliance, and our recommendation with the reasoning behind it.
You do not need to stay in Georgia for this. We work under power of attorney and deal with the registry and the banks directly.
We collect and prepare all documents, for an individual or a corporate shareholder.
We draft the powers of attorney and arrange the notary appointment.
A charter written for your company, not a template, and ready for registration.
We provide your company with a virtual address in Georgia, if you do not have an office here.
We file the application with the Registry, within 10 business days of having all documents.
Documents issued abroad are translated into Georgian.
Accounts at Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank, with direct communication and representation throughout. Other banks are available on request.
Managing Partner
Leads the firm's Corporate, Tax, Litigation, Start-up and IP work. Member of the Georgian Bar Association, with a Master of Law and Business from Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and a Master of Business Law concentrating in Tax Law.
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Senior Partner
Leads the Corporate, Litigation and Regulatory practices. Represents clients in complex disputes before courts and arbitral tribunals, and guides businesses through licensing and regulatory authorisation.
View profileYes. Foreign individuals and companies can own a Georgian company outright. Separate restrictions apply to agricultural land.
No. We can act under a power of attorney, which you sign before a notary and legalise where required. We then handle the registry filing and the bank accounts on your behalf.
Yes. As part of market entry, we can provide your company with a virtual address in Georgia.
We incorporate within 10 business days of receiving all required documents, and open accounts at Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank within 30 business days of the initial application. Delays caused by the authorities or banks, such as follow-up requests, can extend this.
A Georgian entity that legally employs your staff while they work for you day to day. It handles visas, permits, employment contracts and compliance. You pay a service fee and the salaries, with no Georgian company of your own to buy or maintain.
In most cases, yes. Since 1 March 2026, foreign nationals without permanent residence need the right to work, obtained through the employer, plus a residence permit or D1 visa. Foreign employees already registered on that date have until 1 January 2027. There are exceptions, for example for permanent and investment residence permit holders.
An employer generally has to show annual turnover of GEL 50,000 for each foreign national it employs, or GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions. It does not apply within three months of registration if the employer has no more than three foreign nationals. This is why many companies buy an existing LLC or use an Employer of Record.
The employer faces a fine of GEL 2,000 per foreign national, and the employee faces a GEL 2,000 fine. Fines double and then triple for repeat offences.
· Reviewed by: Nika Magedani, Managing Partner. This page is general information, not legal advice. Rates, deadlines and procedures change: please speak to us before relying on them for a decision.
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