Personal Bank Account in Georgia: How to Open One, Which Banks, What Documents

A foreigner can open a personal account at a Georgian bank without a residence permit or a registered business, and sometimes without setting foot in the country, by sending a representative with a power of attorney. In 2026, though, banks want to know much more about where your money comes from and why you need the account.

Bank of Georgia and TBC Dominate the Market

Georgia has 17 licensed commercial banks, but most foreigners end up choosing between just two. Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank together hold about 75% of the country's banking assets and have the most experience serving non-residents.

Liberty Bank, Basisbank, and Credo also accept foreigners. They are easier to get into and more relaxed about clients without a registered address in Georgia, although they offer fewer currencies and online services than the big two.

The Documents You'll Need

Officially, a passport is all you need for a personal account: most banks don't ask for a residence permit, a registered business, or proof of a Georgian address. In 2026, though, walking in with nothing but a passport will most likely get you turned away.

Expect a questionnaire about your occupation, the source of your funds, and how much money you plan to move through the account. Banks often want proof of income as well, such as a payslip or an English-language statement from your home bank covering the last 6 to 12 months. A second ID like a driver's license and anything that shows your address, such as a utility bill or a lease, will improve your chances.

Nearly every bank insists on a Georgian phone number for the SMS code you receive when the account is opened, and most won't accept a foreign one. You can buy a SIM card in Georgia with just your passport, so get one before you head to the bank.

Can You Open an Account Without Visiting Georgia?

Bank of Georgia requires every non-resident to come to a branch in person and offers no remote option for personal accounts. At TBC, non-residents sign a statement at the branch describing the purpose of the account and the transactions they expect to make.

To avoid the trip, you can have a representative act for you under a notarized power of attorney in Georgia. A power of attorney signed abroad needs an apostille and a notarized Georgian translation, and the whole process, from paperwork to account details, takes 2 to 4 weeks. Since Bank of Georgia and TBC expect non-residents to show up in person, check with your chosen bank first that it will open an account this way.

Once you're a TBC customer, you can add accounts in other currencies through online or mobile banking without going back to a branch.

Does a Residence Permit Make It Easier?

A residence permit won't get you out of the source-of-funds check, but it does make the process noticeably smoother. The bank can already see a legal basis for your stay in Georgia, so it asks for fewer documents beyond the standard set.

Permit holders are also less likely to be flagged as high-risk, because unlike tourists they have a clear tie to the country. The bank cares far less about how you got your residence permit in Georgia than about the fact that you have one.

What It Costs to Open and Keep an Account

Non-residents pay one fee for the bank to review their application and another for the account itself, and banks usually keep the review fee if they turn you down. TBC requires no opening deposit and no minimum balance on its current account.

Package prices are taken from the National Bank of Georgia's tariff comparison as of October 2026. Bank of Georgia and Liberty Bank don't publish their review fees, so those figures come from client reviews in September 2026. Confirm them with the branch before you go.

Almost every bank opens a multi-currency account in lari, US dollars, and euros right away, which is handy if some of your income comes in foreign currency. It's also the easiest way to receive money transfers to Georgia from abroad, since Wise can pay out lari directly to the account's IBAN.

After that, you'll do nearly everything in the bank's app. Bank of Georgia and TBC have some of the best mobile banking apps in the region, with domestic transfers by phone number, payment of utility bills in Georgia, and push notifications for every transaction in Georgian, Russian, or English.

Why a Bank Might Turn You Down

Georgian banks have tightened their compliance checks considerably in recent years and now vet clients against standards close to the international FATF anti-money-laundering requirements. Georgia itself is on neither the FATF grey list nor its blacklist.

This means a bank can ask for more documents or reject an application without explanation, especially if your nationality is considered higher-risk or the purpose of the account seems unclear.

Companies trying to open a business bank account in Georgia face the same problem: a bank can sit on the application for weeks and then reject it without saying why, even when all the paperwork is in order.

Your chances are better at a branch that regularly deals with foreigners. Large branches in central Tbilisi are more likely to have staff who speak Russian and English, and they are more comfortable with clients whose circumstances are out of the ordinary.

Georgia has 17 commercial banks licensed by the National Bank, and Bank of Georgia, TBC, Liberty, Basisbank, and Credo are just five of them. Each bank sets its own terms, fees, and requirements for non-residents, and these change over time.

Compare what several banks are currently offering before you make your choice. Bebgur can also share first-hand information and advice on opening an account.