Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the NBG registration, including banking and payment rails.
Get a payment license in Georgia.
The bridge jurisdiction moving toward Europe: the National Bank of Georgia registers payment service providers under its updated 2023 rule - e-money in scope, a PSD2-modelled framework - with 0% tax on retained profit underneath. We build the file end to end.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Georgia in brief
Registration-speed entry on a European trajectory.
Georgia regulates payments through the National Bank of Georgia under its Law on Payment System and Payment Services: non-bank payment service providers - e-money issuers included - enter the market by registration with the NBG, with the process, documents and ongoing obligations consolidated in the updated Rule of Registration and Regulation of Payment Service Providers (Governor's Decree 77/04 of May 2023). Commercial banks and microfinance organisations provide payment services under their own authorisations; everyone else registers. The framework's direction of travel is explicit - the NBG publishes its PSD2 alignment agenda, modelling Georgian rules on the European architecture the country's EU-candidate path requires.
The commercial case is the combination: registration-grade entry measured in months, a genuinely strategic position on the Europe-Asia bridge - Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East corridors run through Tbilisi, and the Estonian-model tax system: 0% on retained profit, 15% only on distribution, 5% on dividends, with international-company regimes below that for qualifying groups. Banking infrastructure is modern, the lari stable, and the NBG accessible in ways large-jurisdiction regulators are not. Realistic end-to-end: 4-8 months; we run the file from our Tbilisi office.
NBG registration under the Law on Payment Services + Decree 77/04 (May 2023): non-bank PSPs - e-money included - register in months, on a framework converging toward PSD2.
Underneath: 0% retained / 15% distributed / 5% dividends, bridge corridors into the Caucasus and Central Asia, and a regulator that answers with people.
The two routes
PSP registration - with e-money in scope.
One rule covers the family: registration as a payment service provider with the NBG, with e-money issuance among the registrable services. We fix the scope first, then build once.
PSP registration with e-money in scope. Corridor configurations above.
01 - PSP REGISTRATION
Payment service provider
The core NBG registration under Decree 77/04: payment services from transfers and acquiring to e-money issuance, with the documents, capital and governance the rule prescribes. Registration-speed entry to a PSD2-modelled regime.
The core NBG registration under Decree 77/04: payment services from transfers and acquiring to e-money issuance, with the documents, capital and governance the rule prescribes. Registration-speed entry to a PSD2-modelled regime.
- ✓Registration under Decree 77/04
- ✓Transfers, acquiring, processing
- ✓E-money issuance in scope
- ✓Capital per the NBG's rule
- ✓Fit & proper to UBO level
- ✓4-8 months realistic
02 - CORRIDOR · BRIDGE ROUTES
Europe-Asia corridorsThe bridge configurations
Tbilisi-seated models running Caucasus, Central Asian and Middle Eastern corridors. Remittance, settlement and card programmes structured on Georgia's bridge position, often paired with an EU or UAE licence.
Caucasus/Central Asia corridors; card programmes; EU/UAE pairings; international-company regimes.
- ✓Caucasus and Central Asia corridors
- ✓Remittance and settlement models
- ✓Card-programme structures
- ✓International-company tax regimes
- ✓EU / UAE licence pairings
- ✓Same NBG registration base
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. NBG requirements follow Decree 77/04 and its annexes; capital, safeguarding and substance costs are itemised in your quote.
Why Georgia
Months to market, Europe on the horizon.
A registration regime converging on PSD2. With bridge-position corridors and the Estonian tax model underneath.
✓
Registration speed
The NBG registers rather than licenses non-bank PSPs. Months to market instead of the year-plus of licence regimes, with the 2023 rule consolidating exactly what is required.Months, not a year-plus.
✓
The European trajectory
Georgia's EU-candidate path runs through regulatory convergence. The NBG publishes its PSD2 alignment agenda, and files built to European standards today will age well.PSD2 convergence, published.
✓
The bridge position
Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East. Tbilisi sits on corridors the big licensing hubs barely serve, with banking rails that actually work.Corridors hubs barely serve.
✓
0% on retained profit
The Estonian model: corporate tax falls due only on distribution. An operator reinvesting in growth compounds untaxed.Compound untaxed, distribute later.
✓
An accessible regulator
The NBG engages directly with applicants. Questions get answered by people, not portals, and novel models get read rather than queued.People answer, models get read.
✓
Cost base that matches
Tbilisi engineering and compliance talent prices below every European alternative. The operating burn matches the registration-stage business.Tbilisi prices below Europe.
How it compares
How Georgia differs from other routes.
Georgia trades passport reach for speed, corridors and tax. The comparison is below.
Georgia vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Georgia | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | NBG registration - months | Licences - a year plus |
| Direction | PSD2 convergence | Established regimes |
| Corridors | Caucasus · Central Asia | Saturated markets |
| Tax | 0% retained · 15% distributed | Accrual-based CIT |
Entry
GeorgiaNBG registration - months
Other jurisdictionsLicences - a year plus
Direction
GeorgiaPSD2 convergence
Other jurisdictionsEstablished regimes
Corridors
GeorgiaCaucasus · Central Asia
Other jurisdictionsSaturated markets
Tax
Georgia0% retained · 15% distributed
Other jurisdictionsAccrual-based CIT
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | PSP registration (NBG) | 0% / 15% distributed | Decree 77/04, months |
 Lithuania | EMI (Bank of Lithuania) | 17% CIT (2026) | CENTROlink, EU passport |
 UAE | Licensed routes (CB/ADGM) | 9% CIT | Free-zone architectures |
 United Kingdom | EMI/PI (FCA) | 25% CIT · 19% small | PSRs/EMRs regime |
GeorgiaLicense typePSP registration (NBG)
Taxation0% / 15% distributed
RequirementsDecree 77/04, months
LithuaniaLicense typeEMI (Bank of Lithuania)
Taxation17% CIT (2026)
RequirementsCENTROlink, EU passport
UAELicense typeLicensed routes (CB/ADGM)
Taxation9% CIT
RequirementsFree-zone architectures
United KingdomLicense typeEMI/PI (FCA)
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsPSRs/EMRs regime
Before you apply
Requirements for the NBG registration.Requirements for the registration.
Decree 77/04 and its annexes define the file. The craft is completeness the NBG can verify quickly. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
Georgian entity. An LLC or JSC with its registered office and management in Georgia.
02
Capital - per the NBG's registration rule for the services in scope, evidenced and paid in.
03
Fit and proper management and holders. Competence, clean records and ownership transparent to UBOs.
04
Programme of operations. Services, corridors and three-year financials the NBG can interrogate.
05
Safeguarding. Client-fund segregation arrangements for the services requiring them.
06
AML/CFT framework. KYC, monitoring and FMS reporting with a resident compliance officer.
07
IT and security documentation. Architecture, resilience and incident procedures.
08
Internal governance. Control functions and conflicts procedures per the rule.
09
Annex discipline. The Decree 77/04 document set complete at filing.
10
European-standard drafting. The file built to PSD2 logic, ready for the convergence ahead.
01
Georgian LLC/JSC, managed locally.
02
Capital per the NBG's rule.
03
Fit & proper holders to UBOs.
04
Interrogable programme of operations.
05
Safeguarding where required.
06
AML with resident officer (FMS).
07
IT and security documentation.
08
Governance per the rule.
09
Complete Decree 77/04 annex set.
10
PSD2-logic drafting throughout.
Reflects the Law on Payment System and Payment Services and NBG Decree 77/04 as of 2026.Law on Payment Services + Decree 77/04, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the NBG register.
01
Scope and strategy
Services, corridors and pairings. We fix the scope, capital and timeline in writing.Services, corridors, pairings.
02
Georgian company and people
LLC formation, capital evidence and the resident officers the NBG vets.LLC, capital, resident officers.
03
The registration file
Programme, safeguarding, AML and the annex set per Decree 77/04. Complete before filing.Decree 77/04 set, complete.
04
NBG review
Direct question rounds answered - 4-8 months realistic end to end.4-8 months, direct rounds.
05
Registered and live
The register entry, banking live, corridors running. With the European convergence built into the file.Corridors running, Europe ahead.
Quick facts
RegulatorNBG
EntryRegistration - Decree 77/04
E-moneyIn scope
DirectionPSD2 convergence
Realistic timeline4-8 months
Corporate tax0% retained · 15% distributed
Dividends5%
PositionEurope-Asia bridge
The NBG reads files directly and answers questions with people. A complete Decree 77/04 set is the entire game, and our job.
On the ground in Georgia
Run from our Tbilisi office.
Prifinance - Georgia
Tbilisi · Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
01
Georgian company formation
LLC incorporation, capital placement and the corporate layer the NBG expects. Structured for the registration from day one.LLC + capital, structured for the file.
02
The NBG file
Programme of operations, safeguarding design, AML pack and the Decree 77/04 annex set. Drafted by us and walked through the regulator's questions directly.Annex set complete, walked directly.
03
Corridor structuring
Caucasus, Central Asian and Middle Eastern flows mapped onto Georgian rails. With EU or UAE licence pairings where the model needs them.Bridge flows, paired licences.
04
Substance and staffing
Resident director, compliance officer and MLRO from Tbilisi's growing fintech pool. Real substance at bridge-market cost.Tbilisi talent, real ops.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Good to know
Taxation of payment companies in Georgia.
The Estonian model on the Europe-Asia bridge: 0% while profit compounds inside the business, 15% only on distribution. With 5% dividends above.
0% on retained profit
No corporate tax while profit stays in the company. Growth, capital and product funded from earnings compound untaxed.The Estonian model.
15% on distribution
Tax falls due when profit is distributed. A planned event, not an annual bleed, with the timing in your control.A planned event.
Dividends 5%
A flat 5% on dividends above the corporate layer. The full founder stack stays among the lightest anywhere.Lightest founder stacks.
International-company regimes
Qualifying international companies and free-zone structures access reduced rates. Corridor groups model them routinely.Reduced rates for qualifiers.
VAT 18% - exempt finance
Financial services are VAT-exempt; the 18% standard rate touches only ordinary supplies.18% only on ordinary supplies.
Treaty network 55+
A solid treaty network across Europe, the CIS and Asia. Group structures above the Georgian entity model cleanly.Europe + CIS + Asia.
Tax summary
Corporate tax - retained0%
Corporate tax - distributed15%
Dividends5%
VAT on payment servicesExempt · standard 18%
International regimesReduced rates available
Tax treaties55+
*Figures as of 2026 per the Revenue Service of Georgia. International-company eligibility is modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Georgian LLC, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, registered provider.
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Georgia · NBG
Launch your payment project in Georgia with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from LLC registration to the NBG registration, corridor structuring and ongoing compliance.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Georgia the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Georgian payment registration - what clients ask.
What does a payment business need in Georgia?+
Registration with the National Bank of Georgia as a payment service provider under the Law on Payment Services and the updated registration rule (Decree 77/04 of May 2023) - with e-money issuance among the registrable services. Banks and MFOs operate under their own authorisations; everyone else registers.
How long does registration take?+
Realistically 4-8 months end to end - registration-grade, not licence-grade, with the NBG answering questions directly. A complete Decree 77/04 annex set is the speed lever.
Is Georgia really converging on EU rules?+
The NBG publishes its PSD2 alignment agenda and Georgia's EU-candidate path runs through regulatory convergence - the direction is explicit. We draft files to European logic now so they age into the convergence rather than against it.
What substance is expected?+
A Georgian LLC managed locally, resident fit-and-proper officers, AML reporting to the Financial Monitoring Service, safeguarding arrangements for the relevant services and documentation the NBG can verify.
How are payment companies taxed?+
The Estonian model: 0% on retained profit, 15% only on distribution, 5% dividends above - with international-company regimes reducing rates for qualifying corridor groups, and VAT-exempt financial services.
Which corridors make Georgia interesting?+
Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East flows run naturally through Tbilisi - remittance, settlement and card programmes serve markets the big hubs barely touch, on modern banking rails.
Does a Georgian registration passport anywhere?+
No - Georgia is pre-accession. EU-facing models pair the Georgian base with an EU EMI; corridor models often pair with the UAE. We build the pairs as one project.
Is e-money issuance really in scope?+
Yes - e-money is among the services non-bank providers register for under the NBG's rule, with capital and safeguarding calibrated to it. The scope question is answered in the registration itself.
How accessible is the NBG in practice?+
Unusually - questions are answered by named people, meetings happen, and novel models get read on their merits. It is a working advantage smaller jurisdictions genuinely hold.
Why Georgia rather than the UAE or Lithuania?+
Lithuania sells the EU passport; the UAE sells the Gulf. Georgia sells months-to-market, the Caucasus-Central Asia corridors and the 0%-retained tax model - usually as the operating base inside a two-jurisdiction structure. We sequence it.
What's needed?+
NBG PSP registration - Decree 77/04.
E-money?+
In scope for registered providers.
How long?+
4-8 months realistic.
EU convergence?+
PSD2 agenda published - real.
Substance?+
Resident officers, real Georgian ops.
Taxes?+
0% retained; 15% distributed; 5% div.
Passport?+
None - pair with EU/UAE.
Corridors?+
Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East.
The NBG?+
Accessible - people, not portals.
Vs Lithuania?+
Their passport; Georgia's speed and tax.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Georgian route fits your project and what it will cost.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.