Complex formation between Ga(III) and 6-hexyl-4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol (HTAR, H2L) was studied in a water-chloroform medium, in the presence or absence of xylometazoline hydrochloride (XMH). Optimum conditions for the extraction of Ga(III) were found. In the presence of XMH, the extracted ion-associate has the formula (XMH +)[Ga III L2], where HTAR is in its deprotonated form L 2-. Some key extractionspectrophotometric characteristics were determined: absorption maximum (521 nm), apparent molar absorptivity (5.8 × 10 4 dm 3 mol-1 cm-1), limit of detection (18 ng cm-3), limit of quantitation (60 ng cm-3), extraction constant (LogK = 4.44), distribution ratio (LogD = 2.2) and fraction extracted (99.3 %). In the absence of XMH, the extracted chelate contains one deprotonated and one monoprotonated HTAR: [Ga III (HL-)(L 2-)]. It has an absorption maximum at 523 nm and a shoulder at 580-590 nm. The pKa of HTAR (H2L ⇄ H + + HLequilibrium) was calculated (5.4) and the effect of foreign ions was studied.