Business Licensing in Georgia: What Needs a License and What Doesn't

Before registering an IE or an LLC in Georgia around a particular business idea, find out whether the activity requires a license. Georgia keeps the list short, and most ordinary businesses aren't on it.

You only need a license or permit if the law specifically names your activity. A cafe or bar serving alcohol, for instance, opens with ordinary business registration and no license whatsoever.

A Closed List: If It's Not Named, No License Required

The Law on Licenses and Permits contains the complete list of activities that need a license or permit. It also bars any other law or regulation from introducing licensing for activities outside that list.

Most ordinary businesses fall outside it and need nothing beyond standard registration as an IE in Georgia or an LLC:

• cafes and restaurants
• shops and online stores
• consulting and marketing
• software development and IT services
• freelancing
• tourism services other than guiding

Financial Services: The Toughest Requirements

Banks get their licenses from the National Bank of Georgia, which sets the bar high on purpose. The main conditions for a commercial bank license are:

• Minimum regulatory capital: 50 million lari
• License fee: 200,000 lari
• Review period: up to 6 months, including fit-and-proper checks on every significant shareholder and manager
• Microbanks, a lighter category of bank: capital starting at 10 million lari

The National Bank also licenses microfinance organizations, insurance companies, securities brokers and currency exchange offices. None of this applies to someone opening a cafe or a consulting firm.

Alcohol and Tobacco: Fewer Rules Than You Might Expect

Many newcomers are surprised to learn that selling alcohol in Georgia requires no license. A bar, restaurant or shop stocking wine and spirits opens with standard business registration, and producing wine or spirits isn't on the licensing list either.

Tobacco is a different story. Tobacco production requires a license and a cigar bar needs a separate permit, but selling cigarettes and drinks at retail needs neither.

Gambling: Costly Permits and a Fee for Every Table

Gambling has its own permit regime, and it doesn't come cheap. State fees are fixed by law in lari and vary widely depending on where the casino is located:

Taxis, Security and Medicine: Activity-Specific Licenses

Running a taxi service in the capital and other large cities requires a separate permit in addition to business registration. It's issued by City Hall, not the tax service.

Since March 1, 2026, foreigners without permanent residence have been barred from working in Georgia as couriers, taxi drivers or tour guides, because the quota for these jobs is set at zero. For those who were already doing this work, the ban has applied since May 1, 2026. The fines are 2,000 lari, then 4,000 lari for a second offense and 12,000 lari for any further one.

Holders of an investment residence permit are exempt. March 1, 2026 also brought a general work permit requirement for all other jobs, which applies to anyone who wants to work as a foreigner in Georgia.

Licenses are also required for:

• private security companies
• pharmacies
• emergency medical services
• work with donor blood and human tissue
• several narrow medical specialties

Education and Tourism: Often Just a Registration

A school only needs general education institution status if it issues state-recognized documents, such as an official diploma or school certificate. Language courses, tutoring centers and other programs that don't issue such documents are exempt.

Tour guides, travel agencies and tour operators work on a similar principle. They register with the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) free of charge, and no license is needed.

The deadline is January 1, 2027. After that, operating without registration carries a fine of 500 lari, rising to 1,000 lari for a repeat offense. Companies offering high-risk tourism activities must also carry liability insurance.

What Happens If You Operate Without a License

Georgia has no single penalty scale, so the consequences depend on the activity. They range from fines to forced closure and confiscation of equipment, and unlicensed gambling can bring criminal liability, not merely an administrative fine.

Before starting a licensed activity, check the exact penalties and procedure with a lawyer. Don't assume a fine is the worst that can happen.

Everything Else: No License Required

If an activity isn't on the law's list, it doesn't need a license. When your idea has nothing obvious to do with finance, tobacco production, gambling, medicine, security or official education documents, standard registration as an IE or an LLC in Georgia is usually all you need.

In borderline cases, consult the Law on Licenses and Permits on matsne.gov.ge, Georgia's official legal database, which lists every type of license and permit. The authority that would issue the license, such as the National Bank or City Hall, can confirm whether your activity requires one.