International NGO Registration in Georgia — the Lawful Route
An international fund may exist in Georgia in two ways: either the foreign non-commercial legal entity registers a branch (representation) under the procedure established by Georgian legislation, or the founders create a new Georgian non-commercial legal entity in Georgia. 'Re-registration' — transforming a foreign fund into a Georgian fund — is not a lawful route; nor does any foreign-agent registration regime exist. This page explains in detail the three norms on which the branch route — the most frequently chosen — stands: Article 28 — the registration route, Article 32 — the decision-making framework, and Article 35 — the designation of local leadership.
Article 28 — the Registration Route
The registration of a branch (representation) of a foreign non-commercial legal entity takes place in the register of entrepreneurs and non-commercial legal entities, kept by the National Agency of the Public Registry — a public-law legal entity within the governance of the Ministry of Justice. The procedure is defined by this Code and by the rules established by Georgian legislation for the registration of a branch of a foreign entrepreneurial legal entity. For an international fund this means that its form reflected in Georgian law is precisely the branch entry — the legal entity itself remains foreign, while its authority to operate in Georgia arises from this register act.
Article 32 — the Decision-Making Framework
On matters within its competence the registering organ follows the rules established by the Georgian laws on the Public Register and on Entrepreneurs; the liquidation of the branch is likewise resolved through the Entrepreneurs-law route. The practical significance of this framework is that the registration process is built not on separately invented rules but on the general registry system: the formalization of applications, the grounds of refusal and the avenues of appeal derive from the general registration legislation. The applicant therefore knows the shape of the rules in advance — and this predictability is itself the system's value.