Georgia
Where Europe Meets Zero Tax

Georgia occupies a pocket of the South Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Greater Caucasus mountain range, bordered by Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the east. Its population is approximately 3.7 million; its capital, Tbilisi, contains roughly a third of that. The country is not a member of the EU or Schengen — it sits between Europe and Asia, literally and historically — but citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and all EU member states can enter visa-free for up to 365 days per year, one of the most generous visa policies in the world.

The tax system is territorial for individuals: Georgian residents pay income tax (20% flat) on Georgian-source income only. Foreign-source passive income — dividends from foreign companies, interest from foreign accounts, royalties from foreign sources, capital gains on foreign assets — is permanently and unconditionally exempt from Georgian personal income tax. There is no time limit on this exemption and no special application required.

Corporate tax operates on an Estonian-style distribution model: companies pay 15% only on profits that are distributed as dividends. Retained profits — profits left in the company and reinvested — attract zero corporate tax. This makes Georgia one of the most efficient jurisdictions in the world for accumulating business capital.

Virtual Zone Company (VZC) status is available for IT and digital services companies providing services exclusively to non-Georgian clients: 0% corporate tax on qualifying revenue, with 5% withholding on dividends distributed to Georgian-resident shareholders.

Georgia has been a CRS participant since 2023. Financial accounts are automatically reported to partner jurisdictions. Georgia is not a financial secrecy jurisdiction.

The Georgians say their country is where God was distributing land to the peoples of the world, and the Georgians arrived late because they had been feasting and drinking. God had already given everything away. But he had been keeping the best piece for himself — and he gave that to the Georgians instead.

• ›Tbilisi is the argument for Georgia that works on almost everyone who visits. The old city climbs a hillside above the Mtkvari River in a tangle of wooden-balconied houses, medieval churches, and the Metekhi cliff, where a church has stood since the 5th century. The Narikala fortress overlooks everything from above. The sulphur baths of Abanotubani have been operating continuously since the city's founding — the name Tbilisi means "warm location," after the thermal springs. Steam rises from the domed bathhouses in the early morning in a way that belongs in a fairy tale. Below, the Rustaveli Boulevard, the main avenue, is Soviet-era grandeur: wide, tree-lined, bookshops and theatres. The newer districts — Vake, Vera, the bar and restaurant quarter around Marjanishvili — are glass towers and coworking spaces, wine bars where the menus are in Georgian, Russian, and English.
• ›Kazbegi in the northeast has the Gergeti Trinity Church — a 14th-century monastery perched at 2,170 metres, with the 5,047-metre peak of Mount Kazbek behind it and a road that climbs from the Military Highway in a series of switchbacks that each reveal a more extraordinary view than the last. On a clear morning, with the monastery in the foreground and the glacier visible above it and the Caucasus stretching in both directions, it is one of the most photographed landscapes in the region for obvious reasons.
• ›Kakheti in the east is wine country: the Alazani Valley contains some of the oldest continuously cultivated vineyards on earth. Georgian wine — made in qvevri, large clay vessels buried underground, using techniques that predate Greek and Roman viticulture by thousands of years — is finally reaching international markets in quantity. The amber wines, the skin-contact whites, the rkatsiteli and saperavi are genuinely interesting and genuinely cheap.
• ›Batumi on the Black Sea coast is subtropical — palms, casino towers, a waterfront promenade, and a general sense of being in a different country from the Caucasian interior. From Tbilisi to Batumi: five hours by car, or 50 minutes by air.

“People who had never been there, and who possibly never could go there, spoke of Georgia with a kind of longing and a great admiration. They spoke of Georgians as supermen, as great drinkers, great dancers, great musicians, great workers and lovers. And they spoke of the country in the Caucasus and around the Black Sea as a kind of second heaven.”

— John Steinbeck, A Russian Journal, 1948

“We Georgians are really into food and drink. We would never have finger food at a party or a wedding — celebrations are always one long meal, on one long table, with endless toasts.”

— Katie Melua, singer-songwriter, born in Kutaisi, Georgia

“For a nation of only five million people, who speak one of the world’s smaller languages, Georgia has produced a startling legacy of world-class literature. Three published poets are inked onto the national currency.”

— Paul Salopek, National Geographic, Out of Eden Walk, 2015

Georgia (the country) operates one of the most favourable tax regimes for individual entrepreneurs in the world: a 1% turnover-based regime for qualifying small business activities, an Estonian-model 15% corporate tax that applies only to distributed profits, a territorial system that exempts most foreign-source income for individuals, and zero wealth, inheritance, or gift tax. The system is genuinely simple, but two important caveats apply: (1) the 1% rate covers only eligible business income — rental income, dividends, capital gains, and gifts are always taxed at the standard 20% personal income tax rate; and (2) Georgia joined the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) in 2023, so foreign tax authorities now receive automatic information on Georgian bank accounts. The "old" Georgia of opaque banking is no longer accurate.

• ›1% on small business turnover — Individual Entrepreneurs (IEs) with annual turnover up to GEL 500,000 (~$185,000 USD) pay 1% on gross revenue. From GEL 500K–1M turnover: 3%. Above GEL 1M: standard 20% PIT applies.
• ›Micro Business Status (turnover <GEL 30,000): 0% — full income tax exemption, VAT-exempt, but cannot hire employees.
• ›Territorial tax system for individuals — Georgian tax residents are taxed only on Georgian-source income. Foreign-source income (foreign employment, foreign dividends, foreign rental income, foreign capital gains) is generally exempt — but income classification must be done correctly, as services performed in Georgia for foreign clients can still be Georgian-source.
• ›Estonian-model corporate income tax — 15% applies ONLY to distributed profits (dividends, deemed distributions); retained earnings are tax-free, allowing companies to reinvest indefinitely without CIT exposure. Banks, credit unions, microfinance, and loan providers pay 20% CIT under a different regime.
• ›Capital gains generally exempt for individuals — listed securities and cryptocurrency gains are typically exempt for individual residents (not Individual Entrepreneurs trading as a business).
• ›0% wealth tax, 0% inheritance tax, 0% gift tax for direct family.
• ›18% VAT with GEL 100,000/year domestic turnover registration threshold; foreign exports excluded from the threshold count, supporting export-oriented businesses.
• ›50+ DTAs including comprehensive treaties with the EU and key Asian economies; treaty relief on dividend WHT requires advance documentation.
• ›Important 2026 update — foreign IE labour permit — as of February 2026, foreign nationals operating as Individual Entrepreneurs in Georgia must obtain a labour permit (GEL 200, with transition period until 1 January 2027). Operating as a foreign IE without this permit is now illegal and carries fines of GEL 2,000–6,000.
• ›CRS participation since 2023 — Georgia exchanges financial account information automatically with OECD partner jurisdictions. The historical bank secrecy advantage no longer applies; tax planning must assume full international transparency.

• ›Standard tax residency (183-day rule): Spending 183 or more days in Georgia in any 12-month period. Days of arrival and departure both counted. Once triggered, worldwide income is not taxed — only Georgian-source income. Foreign-source passive income remains exempt regardless.
• ›High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) special residency: Available to individuals who can demonstrate, WITHOUT the 183-day requirement, either:

• ›Net wealth of GEL 3,000,000 or more (approximately €1,000,000), OR
• ›Annual income of GEL 200,000 or more (~€67,000) in each of the three years preceding the application

Under HNWI residency, the individual becomes a Georgian tax resident without needing to spend 183 days per year in Georgia. This is particularly valuable for internationally mobile clients who travel extensively and cannot commit to six months in any one jurisdiction.

Tax residency certificate: The Georgia Revenue Service issues Tax Residency Certificates on application by residents who meet either test. The certificate is the document you present to your home-country tax authority to evidence your Georgian tax residency.

Georgia has approximately 60 active double tax agreements, including:

• ›Germany — in force; provides DTA protection for German nationals relocating to Georgia on German-source income
• ›United Kingdom — in force
• ›France — in force
• ›Netherlands — in force
• ›Luxembourg — in force
• ›UAE — in force
• ›China — in force
• ›Turkey — in force
• ›Ukraine — in force
• ›Most CIS states, several Eastern European countries, and selected Asian jurisdictions

Notable gaps: No DTA with Austria, Switzerland, Canada, or Australia. For Austrian and Swiss nationals, the absence of treaty protection means home-country domestic law applies in full to home-country-source income earned by Georgian residents.

The UK-Georgia DTA provides the standard OECD framework for residency tie-breakers and reduced withholding on UK-source income paid to Georgian residents.

Georgia’s appeal to internationally mobile professionals is genuine — but it only delivers its tax benefits if you have genuinely ceased to be tax resident in your home country. The Georgian territorial system exempts foreign income from Georgian tax; it cannot protect you from your home country’s tax on the same income if you remain tax resident there.

• ›United Kingdom. The SRT governs the date on which you cease to be UK-resident. UK CGT applies to gains realised while UK-resident. Temporary non-residence rules can claw back gains if you return to the UK within five years. To be genuinely UK non-resident: spend fewer days in the UK than the SRT permits for your tie count, retain no UK property for your personal use, and ensure your primary home is demonstrably in Georgia.
• ›Australia. ATO domicile and 183-day tests. CGT Event I1 at departure. Establishing genuine Georgian residency — property, physical presence, banking, social connections — supports a claim of ceased Australian tax residency.
• ›Canada. Canadian residential ties analysis: dwelling available for your return, spouse/partner in Canada, social and economic connections. Departure triggers deemed disposition of most property. Georgia’s HNWI residency option (no 183-day requirement) is theoretically available, but Canadian tax authorities look at the substance of your connection to Canada regardless of where you are formally registered.
• ›Physical presence in Georgia. Georgia’s 365-day visa-free access for most Western nationalities means there is no immigration barrier to spending significant time there. But genuine tax residency requires genuine physical presence — at least 183 days, or meeting the HNWI net worth/income test. A Georgian registration with minimal actual presence will not withstand challenge from a home-country tax authority.

Before you relocate to Georgia, you need to understand what tax consequences arise in your current country of residence at the point of departure. Georgia’s low-tax regimes only work if your home-country exit, company control, and income-source position have been reviewed first.

• ›United Kingdom. SRT exit. Temporary non-residence rules. No property retained for personal use. UK-Georgia DTA applies to ongoing UK-source income.
• ›Australia. CGT Event I1. ATO domicile test. No Australia-Georgia DTA; domestic Australian non-resident withholding rates (typically 10–30% depending on income type) apply to Australian-source income paid to Georgian residents.
• ›Canada. Departure tax. No Canada-Georgia DTA; domestic Canadian withholding rates apply.
• ›United States. Worldwide taxation regardless of Georgian residency. US-Georgia DTA: the old US-USSR treaty is NOT automatically applicable to Georgia (unlike Armenia, which the US has confirmed is covered). There is no confirmed US-Georgia comprehensive DTA as of 2026. Take specific US international tax advice.
• ›Germany. Exit tax under §6 AStG. Germany-Georgia DTA in force and operational.
• ›Scandinavia. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland each have DTAs with Georgia. Nordic-source income paid to Georgian residents benefits from treaty protection. Swedish ten-year look-back on emigrating shareholders should be reviewed before departure.

Georgia offers one of the most innovative and flexible corporate tax environments in the region:

• ›LLC (Shezguduleli Pasuxismgeblobis Saziogadoeba — SPS): Standard corporate structure. Corporate tax: 15% on distributed profits only — retained profits are untaxed. This Estonian-style model means that as long as profits remain in the company and are reinvested, zero corporate tax applies. Tax is triggered only on distribution.
• ›Individual Enterprise (IE): Sole trader structure. Can elect either the Small Business regime (1% turnover tax on revenue up to GEL 500,000 — approximately €180,000) or standard income tax at 20% on profit.
• ›Virtual Zone Company (VZC): Georgia's IT incentive — companies operating under Virtual Zone status pay 0% corporate tax on revenue from services provided to non-Georgian clients. On distribution as dividends to a Georgian-resident individual: 5% withholding. This is one of the most compelling structures in the world for internationally mobile software and digital services businesses.
• ›Free Industrial Zones (Kutaisi and Poti): 0% corporate tax, 0% VAT, 0% dividend tax for manufacturing and export-oriented businesses.

Is a local structure always the right answer?

For most entrepreneurs relocating to Georgia, a local Georgian company — particularly a Virtual Zone Company or an LLC using the retained-profit model — is genuinely competitive and often the right answer. The combination of 0% on retained profits (LLC) or 0% corporate tax on foreign-client services (VZC) with Georgia's territorial personal tax system creates a structure that is difficult to beat from a pure efficiency perspective.

However, for clients who need international banking access, regulatory credibility outside Georgia, or a structure that will be recognised by Western European counterparties without friction, it may be worth combining a Georgian operating entity with an internationally credible holding or billing structure. Popular complements include:

• ›US LLC (single-member, disregarded entity): Used as a billing entity for clients who prefer to contract with a US entity rather than a Georgian one. The US LLC is a pass-through; the economic substance and activity remains in Georgia. Provides US banking access and broad international acceptance.
• ›Singapore company: 17% headline rate with SME exemptions. Well-suited for clients whose business has Asian exposure or whose clients require a Singapore-regulated or Singapore-incorporated counterparty.
• ›UAE company (mainland or free zone): 0% on qualifying income. Can be used as a holding entity above a Georgian operating subsidiary, capturing profits at 0% UAE corporate tax and distributing to a Georgia-resident individual.

We help clients design the right structure for their specific situation. Learn more about our company setup services →

• ›Visa-free entry (365 days): Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, all EU member states, and many others can enter Georgia visa-free for up to 365 days per year. This is one of the most generous visa policies in the world — not 90 days in 180, not 90 days per visit, but 365 days per calendar year.
• ›Residence permits: For those wishing to establish formal immigration residency:

• ›Property ownership: Owning property in Georgia qualifies for a residence permit. No minimum value threshold.
• ›Entrepreneurial permit: Establishing a Georgian company and operating as a director or shareholder.
• ›Employment permit: For those employed by a Georgian entity.
• ›Investment permit: Investment of GEL 300,000+ in a Georgian business.

• ›Processing: The Public Service Hall in Tbilisi processes permit applications — typically 10–20 working days once documentation is complete.
• ›Permanent residency: After 6 years of legal temporary residence, permanent residency is available.

Georgian citizenship by naturalisation requires 10 years of legal residence (or 5 years as a permanent resident) plus Georgian language proficiency and a knowledge of Georgian history and law.

There is also a Presidential grant of citizenship for individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to Georgia — used occasionally for high-profile investors and public figures, but not a standard pathway.

Georgia does not prohibit dual citizenship for naturalised citizens but does not formally recognise it in many bilateral relationships. In practice, many foreign nationals hold Georgian citizenship alongside their original nationality without issue, but this should be verified with a Georgian immigration lawyer.

Georgian passport: access to approximately 65–70 countries visa-free, including Turkey, Israel, and many CIS states. Not visa-free for the US, UK, or Schengen without separate visa.

Georgia's banking sector is among the most accessible in the region for foreign nationals. The two dominant banks are TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia, both listed on the London Stock Exchange and both offering strong digital platforms, multi-currency accounts in GEL, USD, and EUR, and straightforward SWIFT transfer infrastructure. Liberty Bank is a third option for basic retail banking. Account opening for non-residents is genuinely simple — a passport is typically sufficient, with no residency permit required. This ease of access is one of Georgia's most practical advantages for internationally mobile clients.

Multi-currency accounts are available at all major banks. Digital banking is well-developed. TBC and Bank of Georgia both offer full-featured mobile apps and generally responsive customer service.

Where to hold your main accounts

Despite the practical advantages of Georgian banking, for internationally mobile individuals and entrepreneurs it is generally advisable to maintain your primary banking relationships outside Georgia, in a jurisdiction with a more established international banking infrastructure, deeper private banking services, and broader global acceptance. Georgian banks are excellent for local transactions and as an accessible, flexible secondary account — but they are not suited as the primary hub for clients managing significant investment portfolios or complex multi-currency international business flows.

Jurisdictions we frequently recommend for primary international banking include:

• ›Switzerland — private banking tradition, multi-currency accounts, strong asset protection, and extensive experience with internationally mobile clients. Switzerland pairs naturally with Georgian residency: Georgia provides the low-tax territorial base; Switzerland provides the investment management and private banking infrastructure.
• ›Singapore — Asia-Pacific hub, excellent international wire infrastructure, and strong regulatory framework. Particularly useful for clients with business or investment exposure to Asian markets.
• ›United States — US dollar accounts at major US banks are universally accepted. Useful for USD-denominated businesses and for clients maintaining US investment or business ties.
• ›Georgia itself (as secondary) — Georgian banks such as TBC and Bank of Georgia are genuinely recommended as a secondary account for locally mobile transactions in the South Caucasus region, particularly given the ease of opening and the competitive fee structure. It is one of the few jurisdictions we recommend as a secondary banking location by name.

We help clients identify the right banking structure for their specific situation. Learn more about our offshore banking services →

• ›The food and wine. Georgian cuisine is one of the great underrated culinary traditions — khinkali (soup dumplings the size of your fist), khachapuri (cheese bread with a river of melted butter), churchkhela (walnut strings dipped in grape juice), and the extraordinary regional diversity of dishes that most of the world has never encountered. The wine is made in qvevri — large clay vessels buried underground — using techniques that predate Greek and Roman viticulture by thousands of years. Kakheti produces wines of genuine quality that are finally reaching international markets.
• ›The cost. Tbilisi is among the cheapest European-adjacent cities for the quality of lifestyle available. A comfortable one-bedroom apartment in a good central neighbourhood: $500–800/month. A restaurant dinner for two with wine: $20–35. A taxi across the city: $3. The savings relative to Western European costs are significant and immediate.
• ›The people. Georgian hospitality — stumara — is famous. Guests are considered gifts from God in the traditional culture, and the warmth and generosity toward strangers is genuine rather than commercial. Tbilisi’s social life — the wine bars, the jazz clubs, the rooftop restaurants, the feasts — is genuinely excellent.
• ›The physical environment. Mountains within three hours of the capital. The Black Sea within five. Ancient monasteries carved into cliffs. A country that has been continuously inhabited for 10,000 years and shows it.

Georgia remains affordable, although Tbilisi and Batumi have become much more expensive since 2022. Good apartments, international restaurants and private services are still cheaper than in Western Europe.

Typical monthly costs for an internationally mobile professional or family in Georgia (2026 planning ranges):

• ›Comfortable single professional (no children): GEL 4,860–9,450/month (£1,400–2,750 / $1,800–3,500)
• ›Family of four with private schooling: GEL 12,150–22,950/month (£3,500–6,650 / $4,500–8,500)

These figures are planning ranges, not promises. The actual budget in Georgia depends heavily on housing quality, neighbourhood, school choice, healthcare needs, car ownership, travel frequency, and whether you are trying to live like a local or maintain a Western expatriate standard.

Buying real estate in Georgia can be useful for lifestyle, residence planning, and long-term anchoring, but it should not be treated as a simple shortcut to tax residence. Property is a factual tie; it can support a relocation story when used properly, but it can also create tax, inheritance, financing, and exit issues if bought before the wider plan is clear.

For internationally mobile buyers, the main points in Georgia are:

• ›Ownership rules: Foreigners can buy apartments, houses, and commercial property freely, but agricultural land ownership is restricted.
• ›Transaction costs: Transaction costs are low and registration is fast, which is one reason Tbilisi and Batumi attract foreign buyers.
• ›Market and rental profile: Tbilisi has the deepest rental market; Batumi offers resort exposure but also oversupply and seasonal volatility.
• ›Residence and tax angle: The main risks are construction quality, developer reliability, title encumbrances, building completion, and realistic rental assumptions.

The practical approach is to decide first whether the property is primarily for living, residence support, rental yield, asset protection, or lifestyle. Those are different purchases. A good real estate decision in Georgia begins with title due diligence, tax-residence planning, inheritance review, and a realistic exit strategy — not with glossy developer brochures.

Transaction cost table (Georgia):

Retiring in Georgia can make sense for the right profile, but it should not be reduced to a simple tax headline. The real question is whether the country gives you the right combination of residence security, pension treatment, healthcare access, cost of living, climate, and day-to-day comfort. A retirement move is harder to reverse than a business relocation, so practical quality of life matters as much as tax.

For retirees considering Georgia, the main points are:

• ›Residence route: The practical route is usually the visa-free stay and residence options are relatively flexible for many nationalities, but long-term retirees still need proper residence and tax documentation. This should be confirmed before making property commitments or moving assets, because a pleasant destination is not useful if the residence basis is weak.
• ›Pension income: Foreign pensions are generally not the main taxable base unless georgian-source or remitted/structured in a taxable way; specific advice is needed. The decisive point is often not only local tax, but whether the pension-paying country continues to tax the pension at source.
• ›Healthcare: Private healthcare in tbilisi is improving and inexpensive, but complex care may require turkey or europe. Retirees should arrange private insurance or a clear local healthcare pathway before arrival, especially where pre-existing conditions are involved.
• ›Cost of living and lifestyle: Low cost of living, strong food culture, mountains, wine regions, and a distinctive cultural environment. The country can work well where the retiree’s lifestyle expectations match the local rhythm rather than an imagined expatriate brochure.
• ›Climate and practical fit: Tbilisi has hot summers and cold winters; batumi is wetter and milder. Climate, language, bureaucracy, transport, and access to family often decide whether the move remains attractive after the first year.

Georgia should therefore be assessed as a full retirement platform, not merely as a tax jurisdiction. The best candidates are retirees who have stable foreign income, good health coverage, a realistic view of local bureaucracy, and a clear plan for where they will live, how they will receive care, and how their pension will be taxed both locally and at source.

US citizens and long-term green card holders are taxed by the United States on their worldwide income, regardless of where they live. Relocating to Georgia does not end US tax obligations — it changes the picture, but does not eliminate it.

Key considerations for US citizens in Georgia:

• ›Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE): US citizens who qualify as bona fide residents of Georgia or pass the physical presence test can exclude a significant amount of foreign earned income from US federal income tax. This applies to wages and self-employment income — not passive income such as dividends, interest, capital gains, pensions, or rental income.
• ›Foreign Tax Credit: Income tax paid in Georgia can generally be credited against US tax on the same income, reducing or eliminating double taxation. The credit is particularly important for income not covered by the FEIE and for taxpayers whose income exceeds the annual FEIE threshold.
• ›Treaty position: Treaty relief between the United States and Georgia is limited or fact-dependent. Before relying on any treaty position, US citizens should confirm the current treaty status and the exact income category with a qualified US international tax adviser. A treaty does not automatically remove US filing obligations, and most treaties contain savings-clause rules that preserve US taxation of citizens.
• ›FBAR: US persons with bank accounts in Georgia exceeding $10,000 in aggregate must file FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR) annually. Failure to file can carry severe penalties, even when no tax is due.
• ›FATCA: US citizens may also need to report foreign financial assets on Form 8938. Banks in Georgia may separately identify US account holders under FATCA procedures and report account information through the relevant channels.
• ›Social Security and self-employment tax: The FEIE reduces income tax but does not automatically eliminate US self-employment tax. Whether US Social Security tax applies depends on employment status, entity structure, and any applicable totalization agreement.

US citizens considering Georgia should work with a qualified US international tax adviser alongside local counsel. The interaction between US tax law and Georgia tax law is manageable, but it requires careful planning before the move, not after the first filing deadline arrives.

• ›What does the minimum viable Georgia setup look like? A property lease or purchase in Tbilisi, physical presence of 183+ days (or HNWI qualification), and a Georgian bank account. These three establish Georgian tax residency and provide the documentary basis for a Tax Residency Certificate from the Revenue Service.
• ›What business structure is most efficient? For IT professionals and digital service providers: a Virtual Zone Company (0% on foreign-client revenue) is the most efficient corporate structure, combined with selective dividend distribution to manage the 5% withholding. For sole traders below GEL 500,000: the Small Business 1% regime. For larger businesses: standard LLC with 15% on distribution.
• ›Must I learn Georgian? Georgian uses a unique script and is genuinely difficult for speakers of Western European languages. English is widely spoken in Tbilisi’s professional and tech community. For citizenship naturalisation, Georgian language is required. For daily life in Tbilisi, Russian is more useful than English in some contexts.

What is the recommended order of steps?

1. 1.Home-country departure tax analysis
2. 2.Visit Tbilisi for an extended stay to verify lifestyle
3. 3.Identify property lease or purchase
4. 4.Open Georgian bank account (passport only required)
5. 5.Establish Georgia LLC or VZC if needed for business
6. 6.Apply for residence permit (if desired — not required within 365 days)
7. 7.Build 183-day presence or document HNWI qualification
8. 8.Apply for Tax Residency Certificate from Revenue Service
9. 9.Notify home-country tax authority of departure

Georgia participates in the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS), the global framework for automatic exchange of financial account information between tax authorities. Georgia has been exchanging information with partner jurisdictions since 2024.

In practical terms, this means: if you hold bank accounts or financial assets in Georgia, the financial institution in Georgia will report your account details — balance, income, and identifying information — to the local tax authority, which will then automatically share this information with the tax authority of your country of tax residence.

The key point is that CRS follows tax residence, not nationality or citizenship. For example, a Swedish citizen who has genuinely become tax resident in Georgia is treated, for CRS purposes, as a tax resident of Georgia — not as a Swedish reportable person merely because of the passport. The same principle applies to any non-US nationality: the account should be reported to the country of tax residence, not automatically to the country of citizenship.

CRS does not create a tax liability — it creates transparency. If you are properly tax resident in Georgia and have correctly severed residency in your home country, CRS reporting simply confirms what should already be declared. The risk arises when individuals attempt to maintain dual residency, leave old tax-residence indicators unresolved, or claim Georgia residency without genuinely living there.

US citizens are different. The United States does not participate in CRS in the same way. Americans are affected by FATCA instead: banks outside the United States generally identify US persons and report their account information through FATCA channels to the US authorities, regardless of whether the person is tax resident in Georgia or anywhere else.

Upon establishing residence in Georgia, you will need to obtain a Georgian tax identification number from the competent local authority. This is required for most financial and legal transactions in Georgia, including opening bank accounts, signing contracts, registering with tax authorities, and dealing with public offices.

You will also need to obtain or complete the relevant Georgian residence card where applicable process once your residence status has been approved. This document or registration record becomes your practical proof of residence in Georgia and is usually required for banking, telecom contracts, utilities, leases, property transactions, and day-to-day administrative matters.

• ›Driving licences from most countries are accepted only for a limited period after arrival. Once you become resident in Georgia, you should verify whether your licence can be exchanged directly or whether a local medical certificate, translation, theory test, or practical test is required.
• ›Health insurance should be arranged before arrival unless you are immediately covered by a local public system. In many cases, private international cover is the safest bridge solution while residence, employment, or social-security registration is still being completed.
• ›Importing personal effects should be planned before shipping anything to Georgia. Household goods may qualify for relief when imported shortly after taking up residence, but customs paperwork, inventory lists, timing rules, and vehicle-import duties can make late or informal shipping expensive.
• ›Proof of address and banking are often linked. Banks, telecom providers, and government offices may require a lease, utility bill, local address certificate, or residence registration before they will open an account or complete onboarding.
• ›Ongoing local compliance should not be treated as an afterthought. Calendar reminders for residence renewals, tax registrations, local filings, health-insurance renewals, and address updates help prevent administrative problems that can later undermine the tax-residency position.

We offer comprehensive tax and legal support for your relocation to Georgia. We follow a proven process — and where Georgia requires specialist local input, we involve appropriately qualified local tax, legal, immigration, and banking advisers on the ground, while remaining responsible for overall coordination.

The results speak for themselves: we have helped over 100 entrepreneurs and business owners significantly reduce their tax burden through carefully planned relocations. Careful planning, thorough advice, and comprehensive support are our standard. Legally sound structuring within the framework of international tax law is our highest priority.

Our services typically include one or more of the following:

Our fees are generally billed on a time basis; fixed prices apply for certain services such as company formation.

As a first step, we recommend booking a consultation to discuss your plans — by phone, Zoom, or Signal. Together we find the best approach and establish contact with our local partner. As project coordinator, we keep all the threads in hand that are necessary for the successful implementation of your plans.