GeorgiaIn person
Residence in Georgia for new sole traders
A lighter route to work residence for people who have just registered a sole trader or a company: no turnover to evidence, but the permit runs 6 months.
Price from
$170
Best for
Residence permit
Timeline
4–9 weeks
The residence application is reviewed in 10, 20 or 30 calendar days — the applicant chooses, along with the fee. Before filing you need the decision on the right to work: that takes up to 30 calendar days.
Tax
Doesn't make you a tax resident: that status is judged on actual presence
Format
In person
The concession in decree No. 317 applies once
On 9 July 2026 the government, by decree No. 317, exempted from turnover certificates those whose business has no more than 3 foreign employees and was registered no more than 3 months ago — provided work residence without such a certificate is being issued for the first time. Instead of turnover, the business files a certificate of the number of foreign employees, and the permit is issued for 6 months. The general rule is unchanged: annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 per foreign applicant, and from GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions.
After the right to work — 10 days to file
Under decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026 a self-employed foreigner applies for the right to work in person through labourmigration.moh.gov.ge and attends a video interview. A self-employed applicant doesn't have to post a vacancy on worknet.moh.gov.ge — the labour market test applies to hiring through a local employer. Once the right to work is granted, someone already in Georgia must apply for work residence within 10 calendar days.
What the service includes
| Checking the grounds: the registration date of the business, the number of foreign employees, lawful stay and how much of the filing window is left | |
| Sequencing the steps inside the three-month window: when to apply for the right to work, when for residence | |
| Checking the content of the documents, arranging translation and notarisation | |
| Filling in the application and filing it with the Public Service Development Agency | |
| Support through the review: tracking status and handling the agency's further queries | |
| Providing a registration address and support in collecting the residence card once approved | |
| Registering the sole trader or company in Georgia — a separate service— billed separately | |
| Obtaining the right to work — a separate procedure at the Employment Support Agency— billed separately | |
| State fees for reviewing the application and for the residence card — they depend on the speed chosen— billed separately | |
| Appealing a refusal — agreed separately— billed separately |
What we need from you
- 1The sole trader or company registered in Georgia no more than 3 months ago — the window runs from the business's registration date, not from when you moved
- 2No more than 3 foreign employees in the business. Instead of a turnover certificate, the business files a certificate of the number of foreign employees
- 3Work residence without a turnover certificate is issued to the applicant for the first time — the concession is used once
- 4The right to work: a self-employed person applies themselves through labourmigration.moh.gov.ge and attends a video interview
- 5Lawful stay in Georgia at the time of filing — the application must be made no later than 40 calendar days before it expires
- 6A travel document, a 3×4 photo, proof of lawful income or of funds in a personal account
Frequently asked questions
Why is the permit issued for only six months rather than a year?
The law allows a first work permit of between 6 months and 1 year. Decree No. 317 sets the lower end of that range: where turnover isn't evidenced and only the certificate of foreign employees is filed, the permit is issued for 6 months.
What happens when the 6 months are up?
The term is extended on the same conditions, and temporary residence is renewable up to 12 years in total. But the exemption from the turnover certificate is a one-off and applies only to the first issue, so by renewal the business does evidence annual turnover: from GEL 50,000 per foreign applicant.
Does an entrepreneur need a separate right to work?
Yes. Work residence is issued to a foreigner who has obtained the right to work, and the self-employed fall under that rule just as employees do. The right is granted for a specific activity, and the first time for between 6 months and 1 year.
Sources
- Government of Georgia decree No. 317 of 09.07.2026 — the turnover certificate exemption and the 6-month permit
- Government of Georgia decree No. 70 of 20.02.2026 — the right to work for a self-employed foreigner
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, arts. 15, 16
- Public Service Development Agency — application review times
Residence permit in Georgia: comparison
The difference is not the price — it is who each option suits. The “Best for” column is the business profile the option is built around.
| Option | Best for | Timeline | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| For new sole tradersyou are here | An entrepreneur who has just opened a sole trader in Georgia and can't wait a year of turnover for ordinary work residence, a freelancer or independent contractor moving income to a Georgian sole trader and legalising their status at the start, the owner of a young company with one or two foreigners on staff who needs six months to build up turnover | 4–9 weeks | $170 |
| Through business | The owner of an operating Georgian sole trader or company with turnover of at least GEL 50,000 a year, a digital nomad who registered as a sole trader in Georgia to put their income on a legal footing, a co-owner renewing the permit as the company grows | 4–9 weeks | $170 |
| Through employment | Employees with an employment contract already signed at a Georgian company, specialists invited by a Georgian employer to a permanent position, people already in Georgia on a visa or visa-free stay who want to legalise their status through employment | 4–9 weeks | $170 |
| For IT specialists | A developer or engineer with 2+ years' experience who can show regular payments for IT work, a sole trader on small business status working under software development and IT consulting codes, a manager or representative of an international company authorised to run it from Georgia | 2–3 months | $170 |
| Through study | A student already enrolled on a programme at a Georgian university who needs status for the length of the course, a student on an authorised college vocational programme — the grounds are the same as for a university student, a student renewing status for the next year: renewal is filed in advance, on the same terms | 4–9 weeks | $170 |
| Through family | The spouse of a foreigner who already holds Georgian residence through work, business or study, parents bringing minor children to a Georgian residence holder, a fully dependent relative or dependant of a residence holder who has no grounds of their own | 4–9 weeks | $170 |
| Through property | Owners of a flat or house in Georgia bought to live in, not to resell, investors who already own, or plan to buy, residential property for the residence permit, families moving to Georgia who need legal status for longer than the tourist period | 4–9 weeks | $340 |
| Through investment | An owner of Georgian property worth more than the equivalent of USD 300,000 who wants long status with no tie to an employer, an entrepreneur who has invested in a Georgian company and is ready to evidence turnover annually, someone heading for indefinite status in five years on investment grounds, rather than accruing ten years on temporary permits | 4–9 weeks | $340 |
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