The status is granted by the tax authorities. It is not a registration action in the business registry, and it is not tied to any particular territory.
What STC is not
STC status is routinely confused with the Free Industrial Zone regime. These are two different regimes, and the distinction decides which one you should be looking at.
| STC | Free Industrial Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| What creates the entitlement | the nature of the activity | being located inside a zone |
| Presence in a zone required | no | yes, the company is registered in the zone |
| Core activity | resale and re-export of foreign goods | manufacturing, processing, trade for export |
| Who confirms the status | the tax authorities | the tax authorities, after registration in the zone |
Free Industrial Zones operate in Poti, Kutaisi, and Tbilisi, and carry a separate set of exemptions with their own conditions, including a 4% tax on transactions with Georgian counterparties. If your model involves manufacturing in Georgia, the regime to examine is FIZ, not STC.
How the arrangement works
The logic of the regime is that the goods never legally enter the Georgian market.
- The company buys goods from a foreign supplier.
- The goods are placed in a customs warehouse in Georgia and held there with the status of foreign goods.
- The goods are sold to a foreign buyer and shipped out of the country.
While the goods sit under the customs warehouse procedure and are destined for re-export, no import duties or VAT are charged on them. Goods bought abroad and sold abroad fall outside the scope of Georgian VAT.
The essential condition: the goods must not be released for free circulation within Georgia. A sale into the domestic market takes the transaction out of the preferential regime and is taxed under the standard rules.
What the status gives you
- Distribution of the profit earned from the permitted activity is exempt from profit tax.
- VAT does not apply to goods purchased outside Georgia and sold outside Georgia.
- Goods held in a customs warehouse for re-export are not subject to import duties or VAT.
Dividends paid to foreign shareholders fall under the standard withholding rules. A double taxation treaty with your jurisdiction may reduce the rate, which is assessed case by case.
Who it suits
The regime makes sense when there is a real flow of goods between two countries and Georgia is convenient logistically. Typical cases: buying in Asia and supplying the CIS, consolidating shipments from several suppliers, transshipment with repackaging.
If the business sells services or software, there is no flow of goods and STC does not apply. IT companies have the Virtual Zone status and the International Company status, which work on different principles.
The process
First a legal entity is incorporated in Georgia, usually an LLC. That procedure is covered on the LLC incorporation page. An application for the status is then filed with the tax authorities, setting out the planned activity.
We handle both parts: incorporating the company, preparing the application and seeing it through to the granted status, then setting up the working arrangement with the customs warehouse.
Frequently asked questions
Does the company have to be registered in a Free Industrial Zone?
No. These are separate regimes. STC status is granted by the tax authorities on the basis of the activity and does not require a presence inside a zone.
Can an STC sell goods within Georgia?
A sale into the domestic market does not qualify for the exemption and is taxed under the standard rules. The exemption covers the resale and re-export of foreign goods.
Do we need our own warehouse?
No. The goods are held in a customs warehouse. Storage terms and tariffs depend on the specific warehouse.
Does the director need to be physically present in Georgia?
Not for incorporating the company. The documents can be executed under a notarised power of attorney.
How does STC differ from Virtual Zone status?
Virtual Zone is designed for IT companies supplying software outside Georgia. STC deals with physical goods. The choice follows from what the business actually sells.
Is there a minimum share capital requirement?
Georgian law does not set a minimum share capital for an LLC.
How long does it take to obtain the status?
There is no statutory deadline; it depends on how complete the filing is. We will give you a realistic estimate for your situation during the consultation.