Pakistan
Georgia
Georgian company law treats a Pakistani founder like any other: one shareholder, one director, no capital, registration in a day. The constraint sits on the Pakistani side. Sending money abroad to own a private foreign company is not something a Pakistani resident can do freely, and there is no tax treaty between the two countries.
This guide sets out what Pakistan's foreign exchange rules allow, what the absence of a treaty means, and the route that suits many Pakistani founders best: moving to Georgia as a freelancer.
What Georgia asks of a Pakistani founder
- One shareholder and one director, who can both be Pakistani.
- No minimum capital for a limited liability company.
- A representative with a notarised power of attorney, apostilled. Pakistan has applied the Apostille Convention since 2023; check that your documents carry it.
- A legal address in Georgia.
The registration steps are in how to register a company in Georgia. The question is not whether Georgia will register the company. It is whether Pakistan lets you fund and own it.
3 questions
Which jurisdiction fits you?Answer three questions and get the three jurisdictions that match your situation.
What Pakistan's foreign exchange rules allow
In February 2021, after approval by the Federal Government, the State Bank of Pakistan revised Chapter 20 of its Foreign Exchange Manual and opened specific routes for investment abroad.
| Route | Who | What is allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Holding company abroad | Startups and fintechs raising capital | Remittance of up to USD 10,000, with a share swap mirroring the Pakistani company |
| Subsidiary or branch abroad | Export-oriented companies and firms | The higher of 10% of average annual export earnings over three years, or USD 100,000 |
| Resident individuals | Individuals | Listed foreign securities and employee share plans, within an annual ceiling reported at USD 25,000 |
| Sweat equity | Individuals | Up to 20% of a foreign company, against services rather than cash |
Read the table for what it does not include: a general permission for an individual to fund an unlisted private company abroad. Outside these routes, an investment needs the State Bank's approval through your bank. These are the 2021 rules; we found no later amendment, but check with your bank before remitting.
- 1Are you an exporter with three years of export earnings?Subsidiary route, up to 10% of average earnings or USD 100,000
- 2Are you a startup raising foreign capital?Holding route, up to USD 10,000
- 3Will you take a minority stake for services?Sweat equity, up to 20%
- 4OtherwiseAsk your bank about State Bank approval, or relocate first
No tax treaty: what it means
Georgia's Ministry of Finance lists 58 tax treaties in force. Pakistan is not among them.
- Georgian withholding applies in full: 5% on dividends, interest and royalties, 10% on other Georgian-source payments, under the Tax Code.
- The Georgian distribution tax applies first: 15% on the grossed-up distribution, as explained in the corporate tax guide.
- Relief at home is unilateral. Whether and how Pakistan credits Georgian tax on a resident's foreign income is a question for your adviser.
- No treaty tie-breaker decides residence if both countries consider you resident.
| Payment from Georgia to a Pakistani resident | Georgian withholding | Treaty reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend | 5% | None available |
| Interest | 5% | None available |
| Royalty | 5% | None available |
| Fee for services rendered in Georgia | 10% | None available |
The route that often fits better: relocating as a freelancer
Many Pakistani founders start as freelancers in software and design. For a freelancer who is willing to move, Georgia offers something more useful than a company.
- Register as an individual entrepreneur in Georgia and apply for small business status.
- Pay 1% of turnover up to GEL 500,000 a year, if your activity is not on the excluded list.
- Understand the source rule: once you live and work in Georgia, your services are Georgian-source income, even for clients abroad (Tax Code, Article 104). That is precisely why the 1% applies.
- Plan the right to work and residence: services to non-resident clients for their business abroad are outside Georgia's labour migration law, but residence is a separate step, explained in the non-resident guide.
Once you are no longer resident in Pakistan, its outward investment rules for residents stop being the constraint. Check your Pakistani residence status and filing obligations with an adviser before you move.
Travelling to Georgia on a Pakistani passport
Pakistani citizens need a visa for Georgia. What aggregators report, and where they disagree:
- Exemption: holders of a valid visa or residence permit from listed countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom or the Schengen area.
- E-visa: some say it is open to Pakistani applicants, others that it is not.
- Consulate: the fallback when neither applies.
- At the border: carry your company and accommodation documents.
Check the official e-visa portal or the Georgian embassy before booking.
The bottom line
Georgia will register a Pakistani-owned company without difficulty. Pakistan decides whether you can fund it: exporters, startups and minority sweat equity have routes, a private individual funding a foreign company generally needs approval. There is no tax treaty, so Georgian withholding applies in full. For many Pakistani founders, especially freelancers, the stronger plan is to move to Georgia and use the 1% individual entrepreneur regime.
corpsec registers Georgian companies and provides the registered office; your Pakistani bank handles the State Bank side. See the Georgia formation service, or compare company and individual entrepreneur.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Pakistani citizen open a company in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia allows a single foreign shareholder and director, with no minimum capital. Registration can be handled by a representative with a notarised, apostilled power of attorney.
Can a Pakistani resident send money to fund a Georgian company?
Only within the State Bank's routes: exporters setting up a subsidiary, startups setting up a holding company, listed securities and share plans for individuals, and sweat equity up to 20%. Other investments abroad need State Bank approval through your bank.
Is there a tax treaty between Georgia and Pakistan?
No. Pakistan is not on the Georgian Ministry of Finance's list of 58 treaties in force, so Georgian withholding applies at its full domestic rates.
Can a Pakistani freelancer pay 1% tax in Georgia?
Yes, if he or she lives in Georgia, registers as an individual entrepreneur with small business status, earns under GEL 500,000 a year and works in an eligible activity. The 1% applies because services rendered in Georgia are Georgian-source income.
Do Pakistanis need a visa for Georgia?
Yes, as a rule. Holders of a valid visa or residence permit from certain countries are reported to be exempt. Check the official Georgian portal for the current rules and e-visa eligibility.
Sources
- Ministry of Finance of Georgia, Double Taxation Avoidance Treaties: list of the 58 treaties in force, which does not include Pakistan
- Business Recorder, 11 February 2021: State Bank of Pakistan revises Chapter 20 of the Foreign Exchange Manual, with routes for startup holding companies (up to USD 10,000), exporters (10% of average export earnings or USD 100,000) and resident individuals, and sweat equity up to 20%
- Tax Code of Georgia, Articles 88 to 90, 104 and 130 (consolidated 15 October 2026): small business status, Georgian source of services rendered in Georgia, 5% dividend withholding
- Visa requirements for Pakistani citizens travelling to Georgia, as summarised by evisas.io
Official, read on 26 October 2026: the treaty list of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, and the Georgian Tax Code and company law used across this series. Secondary: the State Bank of Pakistan's 2021 revision of Chapter 20 of the Foreign Exchange Manual, read through Business Recorder because the State Bank's own release redirected to its homepage; amendments after 2021 were not found and may exist. The USD 25,000 annual ceiling for individuals' purchases of listed foreign securities is reported by secondary summaries only. Visa rules for Pakistani citizens differ between aggregators; check the official Georgian portal. How Pakistan credits Georgian tax without a treaty is a question for your adviser. This is not legal or tax advice.