Registering a company in a Georgian free industrial zone
Kutaisi Free Zone and other FIZs: exemption from corporate tax, import/export duties and VAT.
A free industrial zone is a tax regime of its own: PwC states directly that international company status cannot be obtained inside a FIZ. For the virtual IT zone no explicit official prohibition on combining them was found — by analogy, we recommend checking with the partner case by case. Certain activities are also banned in the zone — producing and importing weapons, nuclear materials, narcotics and tobacco products.
Registering a company in a FIZ usually takes 1-2 working days, but the full cycle — choosing the zone, agreeing the lease or residency terms with the administration — can take the whole stated period.
What the service includes
| A consultation on choosing the right free zone | |
| Preparing and filing the company registration documents | |
| Arranging the lease or residency agreement with the zone administration | |
| Opening a bank account | |
| Renting premises in the zone — paid separately at the administration's rates— billed separately | |
| Warehousing and logistics costs on importing and exporting goods— billed separately |
What we need from you
- 1The founder's passport
- 2Choosing the specific zone — Kutaisi, Poti or Tbilisi
- 3A lease or residency agreement with the zone administration
- 4A power of attorney for a representative — for remote registration
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a local partner or Georgian citizenship?
Does FIZ status exempt you from every tax?
Is a separate licence needed to operate in the zone?
How do the free zones differ?
Company formation in Georgia: comparison
The difference is not the price — it is who each option suits. The “Best for” column is the business profile the option is built around.
| Option | Best for | Timeline | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sole trader in Georgia with small business status | IT specialists and developers working on outsourcing or outstaffing, freelancers, marketers and consultants with foreign clients, digital nomads legalising income through a sole trader without moving to Georgia, B2B services and online trade with turnover up to GEL 500,000 a year | 1–3 days | $170 |
| A Georgian LLC, set up end to end | A business with two or more founding partners, companies planning to hire staff on employment contracts, owners who want personal assets separated from business debts (unlike a sole trader) | 3–7 days | $285 |
| Virtual IT zone status in Georgia | An outsourcing developer or freelance programmer setting up an entity for foreign clients, a SaaS startup with no Georgian clients, selling subscriptions abroad, an IT outstaffing team serving foreign partners remotely | 1–4 weeks | ≈ $1,460 |
| International IT company status in Georgia | An IT company with a finished product moving its jurisdiction to Georgia, an existing Georgian IT company of 2+ years moving onto the reduced regime, a foreign software company opening a Georgian branch with a real office and team | 2–6 weeks | ≈ $3,740 |
| Registering a company in a Georgian free industrial zoneyou are here | A manufacturer placing production in Georgia for export, an importer or exporter who needs the VAT and duty relief on goods moving in and out, an owner who can't be in Georgia in person and wants it all done under a power of attorney | 2–6 weeks | on request |
Ready to start?
Send an enquiry — we will check your case and help you arrange “Registering a company in a Georgian free industrial zone” in Georgia. No markup on top.