Work permits in Georgia 2026: who needs one and who doesn't

The rules for legalising foreign work in Georgia were rewritten three times during 2026: in March, April and July. Material a year old now gives the wrong answer to the main question — whether you need a permit at all.

Here is the current order of things: who has to obtain the right to labour activity, who is exempt, what the fees are and where the deadlines trap people.

What changed and when

• On 1 March 2026 the right to labour activity and the activity quotas came into force.
• On 15 April and 1 September 2026 two laws took effect and noticeably widened the list of exemptions.
• On 10 July 2026 decree 321 introduced a cap on short-term work and a personal quota for employers.
• On 9 July 2026 decree 317 added relief for newly registered companies.

The old mechanism requiring a vacancy to be published on a portal for 10 working days no longer appears in the rules.

Who does not need the right to labour activity

This is half the question, and the half usually left out. The right is not required, among others:

• for fully remote work for a Georgian employer, when entering Georgia is not needed for it;
• for work or services for a non-resident, where they relate to that party's activity outside Georgia;
• for short-term professional activity — no more than 4 months in total per calendar year, with free registration on the labour migration portal;
• for directors and audit committee members of first, second and third category enterprises;
• for activity carried out for a state institution or an enterprise with state participation;
• for conservation and restoration work on cultural heritage monuments;
• for holders of permanent and investment residence permits, refugees, asylum seekers, diplomatic staff and accredited journalists.

A caveat for sole traders: the exemption depends on your grounds for staying

Retellings regularly turn this one upside down. The exemption for services to a non-resident does not apply if the foreigner is registered as a sole trader and needs a residence permit to stay in the country lawfully. While you are in Georgia visa-free the relief works; as soon as your stay rests on a residence permit, it does not.

What the right and residency cost

The right is issued by the State Employment Support Agency and applied for on the labourmigration.moh.gov.ge portal. The residence permit comes from a different body, the Public Service Development Agency, and is a separate payment.

State payments alone therefore come to GEL 500 to 1,000. The labour migration law caps the fee for the right itself at GEL 500.

Support across the whole chain — a work permit in Georgia from $115, including a check on whether an exemption covers you and preparation of the certificates.

Employer turnover: GEL 50,000 per foreigner

The employer confirms with a Revenue Service certificate a turnover of at least GEL 50,000 for each foreign worker. For educational and medical institutions the threshold is GEL 35,000.

Non-VAT payers submit an alternative certificate covering the previous 12 calendar months. At the residency stage, where obtaining the certificate is genuinely impossible, other convincing evidence of turnover is accepted.

Exemption from the certificate applies only when three conditions hold at once:

1. 1the company employs no more than 3 foreigners;
2. 2no more than 3 months have passed since the company was registered;
3. 3this is the first time a work-based residence permit is issued to this person without such a certificate.

Instead of the certificate the company files its own statement on the number of foreign employees. The residence permit is then issued for exactly 6 months. A company that already has four foreigners gets no exemption, even if it was registered yesterday.

Quotas: three activities are closed entirely

An annex to the rules sets quotas by activity:

A personal employer quota works alongside it. If a company hires more than 5 foreigners in a calendar year, or their share exceeds 5% of the workforce, the hiring has to be approved. The exception is where 5% amounts to fewer than five people.

Quotas do not apply to international companies, innovative start-ups, international experts, or where the salary exceeds GEL 15,000 and the person holds a relevant higher education degree.

The deadlines that cost people their status

A right granted for the first time does not take effect on the day the agency decides. The countdown starts from the day you receive a D1 visa or a residence permit.

How long the right itself lasts: 6 months to a year the first time, and for the first five years each renewal covers no more than a year. IT specialists get up to three years.

A self-employed applicant goes through a video interview with the agency in Georgian or English, with the original passport, and files in person — a representative acting under a power of attorney is not accepted.

What this means for a sole trader on 1%

A Georgian sole trader with small business status remains the simplest way in: registration costs from $170 and requires neither residency nor citizenship.

The fork comes later. While you live in Georgia visa-free and work for foreign clients, you do not need the right to labour activity. As soon as your stay rests on a residence permit, the exemption stops working and the right has to be arranged.

For self-employed people working before 1 March 2026, enforcement began on 1 May 2026. Those already registered as labour immigrants with active status were given until 1 January 2027.

If you are unsure which case is yours, matching you with an expert on Georgia is free — describe the situation and get an answer before paying for anything.