---
title: "Defense Consulting Agreements"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/military-and-national-security-law-en/defense-consulting-agreements-en"
field: "Military & National Security Law"
description: "Defense consulting in Georgia: technical assistance and brokering permits under export-control law. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-11-07"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Defense Consulting Agreements

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/military-and-national-security-law-en/defense-consulting-agreements-en

## The Permit Dimension of Defence-Sector Consulting

Consulting in the defence sector differs from most service contracts in one respect that is easy to miss: Georgian export-control legislation separately regulates technical assistance and brokering services connected with military and dual-use products, and those activities are unlawful without their own permit — regardless of whether any physical product moves. The consulting contract as such — its formation, fees, intellectual property and liability — is governed by the general rules of civil legislation; what this page addresses is specifically when advice about military or dual-use products requires a permit. It should also be noted that the foreign-agent registration regimes known in some other countries have no counterpart in Georgia, and that concept is simply not part of the applicable framework here: the question stands exclusively on export-control permits.

## Technical Assistance — When a Permit Is Required

Under the law, technical assistance means assistance connected with the repair, development, manufacture, assembly or testing of products, or other technical services, which may include instruction, training, the sharing of working experience and skills, and consulting services in connection with products — and it also covers assistance in any oral form. A resident's provision of technical assistance outside the customs territory of Georgia takes place on the basis of a technical-assistance permit where the permit issuer has informed the provider, on the basis of a reasonable supposition, that the assistance will be used wholly or partly for purposes connected with weapons of mass destruction, or where that is known to the provider or the provider has a reasonable supposition of it. The law draws two carve-outs: no permit is required for assistance that is open information or part of fundamental scientific research, and for oral assistance not connected with technology defined by the control lists. These boundaries decide which consulting package falls under the permit regime, and they must be assessed before the engagement letter is signed, not after the work has begun.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/military-and-national-security-law-en/defense-consulting-agreements-en

### Does defence consulting need a permit?

Technical assistance abroad does where prohibited use is known or reasonably suspected; brokering on military products always does.

### What is technical assistance?

Repair, development, manufacture, assembly, testing and other technical services, including training and consulting — oral form included.

### Is auxiliary services brokering?

No — transport, financing, insurance and general advertising are excluded.