Opening a business bank account in Georgia as a non-resident

Georgian banks welcome foreign-owned companies, but every account is opened only after the bank's own compliance review under anti-money-laundering rules. No lawyer or agent can guarantee the result; what an adviser can do is present a complete, consistent file to a bank that suits the profile.

The bank needs to understand who owns and controls the company, where its money comes from and how the business earns. It will ask how the business is connected to Georgia, who its main clients and suppliers are and which countries the payments will come from and go to.

Expect to provide the registry extract and charter of the company, the passports of the director and the shareholders, information on the ultimate beneficial owners, a description of the business with its expected turnover, and evidence of the source of funds. For a corporate shareholder, the bank will ask for its documents too, apostilled and translated.

Practice differs between banks and changes over time. Some open company accounts remotely after a video identification; others require the director to visit a branch. Personal accounts for non-residents usually require a visit. We tell you in advance which route applies to your profile.

A complete file is usually decided within one to ten working days. Delays come from unclear ownership chains, payments connected with higher-risk jurisdictions, a business description that does not match the documents, and missing evidence of the source of funds. Each of these is easier to address before the application than after a refusal.