Commercial bank licence (Georgia)
The Commercial bank licence is issued by National Bank of Georgia (NBG) under Organic Law of Georgia on the National Bank of Georgia. The official register lists 17 current holders. The legal decision period is The National Bank must decide within 6 months of confirming receipt of a complete written application, and the total decision period (including any extension) must not exceed 12 months. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Commercial bank licence1 |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Georgian bank licence · Georgian banking licence · NBG banking licence · National Bank of Georgia commercial bank licence |
| Issued by | National Bank of Georgia |
| Jurisdiction | Georgia |
| Licence family | Bank / credit institution |
| Legal basis | Organic Law of Georgia on the National Bank of Georgia2 Law of Georgia on Commercial Bank Activities3 |
| Passporting | Domestic only |
| Statutory decision time | The National Bank must decide within 6 months of confirming receipt of a complete written application, and the total decision period (including any extension) must not exceed 12 months3 |
| Public register | official register4 |
| Current holders | 174 |
What it lets you do
| Taking deposits from the public | Accepting deposits or other repayable funds from the public, the activity reserved to credit institutions. |
|---|---|
| Lending | Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions. |
| Execution of payment transactions | Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account. |
Where it is valid
How long it takes
Statutory: The National Bank must decide within 6 months of confirming receipt of a complete written application, and the total decision period (including any extension) must not exceed 12 months3. Observed: not published. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.
Buying a company that already holds it
Prior notification with an objection period. For commercial banks, acquiring or crossing 10%, 20%, 30% or 50% of capital or voting shares, or otherwise gaining significant influence, requires notifying the National Bank; anyone holding more than 10% is a significant shareholder subject to the NBG's fit-and-proper assessment (Law on Commercial Bank Activities, Art. 81 and Art. 1(z5)). For payment service providers, changes of significant shareholders and beneficial owners must be notified to the NBG under its PSP registration order (Order No. 77/04 of 1 May 2023).3
Bank in other countries
| Country | Licence | Regulator | Min. capital | Application fee | Statutory time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) | Financial Services Permission for Accepting DepositsFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | FSRA | n/a | USD 70,000 | n/a |
| Bermuda | Banking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking LicenceBanking Licence / Deposit Company Licence / Restricted Banking Licence (Banks and Deposit Companies Act 1999) | BMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Cayman Islands | Bank LicenceBank Licence (Category A and Category B) under the Banks and Trust Companies Act | CIMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Czech Republic | Commercial Bank licence | CNB | n/a | CZK 200,000 | n/a |
| Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) | Bank licenceFinancial Services Permission for Accepting Deposits or Providing Credit (Category 1 Commercial Bank) | DFSA | n/a | USD 70,000 | n/a |
| Estonia | Credit institution authorisation (bank) | FI | n/a | EUR 5,000 | ~6 mo |
| Georgia | Commercial bank licence | NBG | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Germany | CRR) | BaFin | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Ireland | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Section 9 Central Bank Act 1971) | CBI | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Latvia | Credit institution licence (bank) | LB | n/a | n/a | 4-13 mo |
| Lithuania | Specialised bank licence | LB | n/a | EUR 4,157 | ~6 mo |
| Lithuania | Bank licence | LB | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Luxembourg | Credit institution authorisation | CSSF | n/a | EUR 75,000 | ~6 mo |
| Malta | Credit institution licence | MFSA | n/a | EUR 35,000 | ~6 mo |
| Netherlands | Bank licenceBank licence (Vergunning bank / kredietinstelling) | DNB | n/a | EUR 44,300 | ~6 mo |
| Poland | Commercial Bank licence | KNF | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Singapore | Banking LicenceBanking Licence (Full Bank, Wholesale Bank, Digital Bank) | MAS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Slovakia | Banking licence | NBS | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Spain | Commercial bank licence | BdE | n/a | n/a | ~6 mo |
| Switzerland | FinTech licence (PersonsFinTech licence (Persons pursuant to Article 1b Banking Act | FINMA | n/a | CHF 100 | n/a |
| Switzerland | Banking licence | FINMA | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| United Arab Emirates | Commercial Bank Licence | CBUAE | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Values come from each licence's page, where every figure has its source.
Sources
- nbg.gov.ge: licensing requirements · retrieved 2026-09-24
- matsne.gov.ge: 101044 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- matsne.gov.ge: 32962 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- nbg.gov.ge: licensed commercial banks · retrieved 2026-09-24
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