Forming a Georgian Company Remotely: Power of Attorney, Apostille & Notarization
How non-residents incorporate in Georgia without traveling — the role of the Power of Attorney, the difference between apostille and consular legalization, certified translation, and what to expect on timelines.
One of Georgia's practical advantages is that you can incorporate without being physically present. A non-resident founder appoints a local representative to act on their behalf — the mechanism that makes this possible is the Power of Attorney.
The Power of Attorney (POA)
A POA authorizes a named representative to perform specific acts: representing the founder before the Public Registry, signing the Charter and incorporation documents, dealing with the Revenue Service, and collecting original documents. A well-drafted POA is purpose-bound, lists the exact powers granted, and does not permit sub-delegation unless expressly stated.
Apostille vs. consular legalization
Documents issued abroad usually need to be authenticated before Georgian authorities will accept them. Which route applies depends on the issuing country:
- Apostille: if the document originates in a country that is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, a single apostille certificate is sufficient.
- Consular legalization: if the country is not a Hague member, the document goes through the longer chain of legalization via the foreign ministry and the Georgian consulate.
Country alone never determines the requirement — the document type, the issuing authority and the intended use all matter, and rules change as countries accede to the Convention.
Translation and notarization
Foreign-language documents generally require a certified Georgian translation, and signatures on the POA must be notarized. The original, authenticated documents are then couriered to Georgia, because certain filings require originals rather than copies.
Realistic timeline
- Draft and finalize the POA and identity documents (1–3 days).
- Notarize, then apostille or legalize in the founder's country (varies widely by country).
- Certified Georgian translation (1–2 days).
- Courier originals to Georgia and file with the Registry (a few days).
For most non-residents, plan for roughly two to three weeks end-to-end, dominated by authentication and courier time rather than the registration itself.