There is an important distinction at the heart of this page. Accepting payments — letting customers pay your business by card — is something an ordinary merchant does with a merchant account and a gateway. Providing payment services — moving money on behalf of other people, operating a wallet, remitting funds or issuing electronic money — is a regulated activity. To do that legally in Georgia, you generally have to be registered as a payment service provider (PSP) with the National Bank of Georgia. If you only want to take payments for your own shop, the path you want is different — if you just want to ACCEPT payments (acquiring) instead, start there. This page is for founders who want to become a licensed payment provider, and explains what that involves and how Georgiafy helps.

What a PSP licence actually is

In Georgia, payment services are governed by the Law on Payment Systems and Payment Services, and the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) is the authority that registers, authorises and supervises payment service providers. Being registered means the NBG has entered your company onto its register of PSPs and that you operate under its ongoing oversight. As of 2026, verify the current framework and rules directly with the National Bank of Georgia at nbg.gov.ge, as both the law and the NBG’s regulations are updated from time to time.

Worth knowing: commercial banks and certain other regulated institutions are generally authorised to provide payment services under their own status and aren’t separately registered as PSPs in the same way. The PSP route is the one for fintech companies and non-bank operators that want to offer payment services on their own.

Categories of payment services

The law describes payment services broadly, and what you intend to offer shapes your application. As a general guide, regulated payment services in Georgia include activities such as:

• Executing payment transactions — debiting and crediting accounts, direct debits and credit transfers.
• Issuing or acquiring payment instruments, including electronic money instruments.
• Issuing electronic money and processing transactions made with it.
• Money remittance — transferring funds without an account being opened for the payer.
• Operating wallets and other electronic-payment products over mobile, internet or similar channels.

The precise list, definitions and which activities require what should be confirmed against the current law and NBG rules — they are the source of truth, not this summary.

What the NBG expects: requirements in general terms

A PSP registration is a substantial undertaking, not a formality. While the exact thresholds and document lists are set by the NBG and change over time, the framework generally covers several areas you should plan for:

• A suitable legal entity. Applicants are generally Georgian companies of an appropriate corporate form (such as an LLC or JSC), set up before applying.
• Capital requirements. The NBG sets minimum capital expectations according to the services you provide. The specific figure is defined by the regulator and we don’t quote it here — confirm the current amount with the NBG before you plan your funding.
• Governance and fit-and-proper standards. Information on administrators, significant shareholders and beneficial owners, who must meet integrity criteria (for example, clean criminal-record checks are typically required).
• AML / KYC compliance. PSPs are accountable entities under Georgia’s anti-money-laundering regime. You will need a full compliance framework — AML policy and procedures, customer identification (KYC/KYB), transaction monitoring, and related internal controls.
• Documentation and business plan. A described list of services, a credible business plan, organisational documents, and supporting papers — with foreign documents legalised and translated into Georgian.
• Ongoing reporting and supervision. Once registered, PSPs operate under continuing reporting obligations and NBG oversight.

The NBG reviews applications within a defined statutory window, but in practice the clock can pause whenever the regulator asks for clarifications or finds gaps — so a complete, well-prepared submission is the single biggest factor in keeping the process moving.

How Georgiafy helps

We act as your on-the-ground team, joining the corporate, compliance and application pieces into one coherent project:

• Entity setup. We set up the company in the right corporate form, with clean ownership and a described line of business — the legal home for your payments activity.
• Preparing the NBG application. We help assemble and organise the documentation package the regulator expects, so your submission is complete and coherent rather than piecemeal.
• AML / compliance framework. We help you build the AML and KYC policies, procedures and internal controls a PSP needs, drawing on local requirements.
• Liaison and follow-through. We help you manage the back-and-forth with the regulator, respond to clarification requests, and keep the process on track.
• Related routes. If your model involves digital assets, we can also point you to the related VASP licence for crypto, which is a separate regime.

What to prepare

The application moves faster when these are in hand:

• A clear description of your services. Exactly which regulated payment activities you intend to offer, and how money flows through your product.
• Ownership and management details. Identity and background information for shareholders, beneficial owners and administrators, including criminal-record checks where required.
• A business plan and financials. A credible plan showing how the business works and that you can meet capital and operational expectations.
• Compliance documentation. Your AML/KYC policies and procedures, internal controls and related governance documents.
• Legalised, translated documents. Foreign papers typically need legalisation and certified translation into Georgian.

An honest note on authorisation

We can build a strong, well-documented application and guide you through the process — but the registration decision rests entirely with the National Bank of Georgia, against its statutory criteria. We do not and cannot guarantee authorisation, and some business models attract more scrutiny than others. We’ll give you a candid read on where your project is likely to stand, and verify the current requirements, capital expectations and fees with the NBG (nbg.gov.ge) before you commit, since these change over time.

This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Registration as a payment service provider is decided by the National Bank of Georgia against its statutory criteria and is not guaranteed. Rules, capital requirements and fees change — as of 2026, verify the current requirements with the National Bank of Georgia (nbg.gov.ge) before acting.