The Legal Nature of a Representative Office
For a business registered abroad, opening a presence in Georgia most often begins with the registration of a branch of the entrepreneur. Under article 15 of the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs, an entrepreneur may establish a branch, but the branch is not a legal entity: it is a subdivision of the entrepreneur, and its legal fate depends entirely on the founding entrepreneur. The same principle yields the rule that a branch of an entrepreneur registered in Georgia is not registered, whereas a branch of an entrepreneur registered abroad requires registration in Georgia. The law separately regulates the situations connected with free industrial zones: an entrepreneur registered in a free industrial zone may establish a branch outside the zone in the manner established by the law, and, conversely, an entrepreneur registered outside the zone may establish a branch within a free industrial zone.