Residence in Georgia through employment
Residence for employees with a contract at a Georgian company. The work permit is arranged as part of the service.
- Labour migrants registered with the Ministry, and foreign nationals running a business in Georgia
On top of turnover and salary, a separate right to work is now required through labourmigration.moh.gov.ge (decree No. 70 of 20.02.2026), and the employer must post the vacancy on worknet.moh.gov.ge for 10 working days (the labour market test) — with exceptions for companies holding international company status, for startups and for vacancies from GEL 15,000 where the candidate has a relevant degree. The salary threshold isn't a fixed sum but 5 times the subsistence minimum for an average consumer (published by Geostat) — check the current figure before filing.
Residence through work, business or property
What decides it is what you already have: a company, an employment contract or property. Business and work cost the same — from $170 plus $225 once approved; property is dearer: from $340 plus $450. The thresholds are counted differently too: in turnover and salary in GEL, or in a property value from USD 150,000. Review takes 30-60 days in all three cases, and you can't file remotely.
These are the three most common grounds but not the only ones: there are separate permits for new sole traders (no turnover certificate, 6 months), for IT specialists (3 years straight away), for study, for investment from USD 300,000 and for family reunification. All eight grounds with prices and timelines are in the comparison table below.
| Work residence | Residence through business | Residence through property | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grounds | A signed employment contract with an employer in Georgia — finding the employer isn't part of the service | A live sole trader or LLC in Georgia — filed after registration | A flat or house owned by you or your spouse — agricultural land doesn't count and there must be no encumbrances |
| Financial requirement | A salary from GEL 1,700 (≈$650) before tax (from GEL 1,200 (≈$460) net), and employer turnover from GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) per foreign employee | Company turnover from GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) over 12 months per foreign applicant, and a personal account balance of roughly GEL 15,000 (≈$5,800) | Property worth USD 150,000 or more; with shared ownership each applicant's share must meet the threshold |
| Service cost | From $170 plus $225 once approved | From $170 plus $225 once approved | From $340 plus $450 once approved; buying the property itself isn't included |
| Tax and residency | You pay 20% income tax on the salary | The permit doesn't make you a Georgian tax resident — that needs 183+ days in the country or HNWI status | The permit doesn't make you a Georgian tax resident |
| Timelines | Review 30-60 days; the first permit is usually for 1 year, then for the term of the contract, 1-3 years | Review 30-60 days; turnover is checked again on renewal | Review 30-60 days; ownership is confirmed every year, or the status can't be kept |
Filing on business grounds straight after registering a sole trader is risky: it's formally allowed, but without turnover of GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) for the year the application can be refused. If the sole trader was registered less than three months ago, the new-sole-trader permit is usually the better bet — it asks for no turnover.
Need a work permit? We arrange it as a separate service.
Work permitWho it suits
- Labour migrants registered with the Ministry, and foreign nationals running a business in Georgia
- 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
Work residence or a work permit
Work residence includes the permit; the permit on its own gives you no right to live here. An employee on a contract usually needs the residence permit: the work permit is arranged inside it, so there is no second service to buy. The standalone permit is for people who don't need residence or already hold it — sole traders serving clients inside Georgia, and the self-employed.
The “right to work” has been mandatory since 1 March 2026. It legalises the work itself; living in the country takes a visa or a residence permit, arranged afterwards as a separate service.
| Work residence | Work permit | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Residence status plus the work permit — it is part of the service | The right to work legally; it does not let you live here — a visa or residence permit comes after |
| Who it suits | Employees with an employment contract at a Georgian company | Sole traders with clients inside Georgia, the self-employed, and anyone who already holds residence |
| Service price | From $170 plus $225 once approved | From $115 for a sole trader, from $170 for an LLC; the state fee is on top — about $150 for 10 working days or about $75 for 30 calendar days |
| How long it takes | 30-60 days | 7-21 days; residence or a C5 visa afterwards takes up to 10 days |
| Can it be done remotely | No: you have to file in person | Yes: the video interview is online and takes about 15 minutes |
Working for a Georgian employer entirely remotely, without entering the country, needs no permit: the exemption was added by amendment No. 1509 of 15 April 2026.
Residence permit in Georgia: comparing the options
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through employmentyou are here | 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 | from $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 | from $170 |
| For new sole traders | 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 | from $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 | from $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 | from $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 | from $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 | from $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 | from $340 |
What the service includes
| Checking that the employment contract and the employer meet the requirements | |
| Arranging the work permit | |
| Preparing and notarising translations of the documents | |
| Filing the residence application pack | |
| Collecting the residence card | |
| The state fee for the review period — set by the speed you choose— billed separately | |
| Finding an employer and signing the employment contract— not offered |
Documents and programme requirements
- 1An employment contract with an employer in Georgia
- 2A minimum salary from GEL 1,700 (≈$650) before tax (or from GEL 1,200 (≈$460) net)
- 3Employer's annual turnover from GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) per foreign employee (from GEL 35,000 (≈$13,500) for educational institutions and medical clinics)
- 4A passport with a notarised translation into Georgian
- 5A criminal record certificate
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to permanent residence
After 10 years of continuous residence on temporary residence permits you may apply for permanent residence
Route to citizenship
After 10 years of residence you apply for naturalisation. You take an examination in the language, history and law and show work, property or a business in Georgia. The fee runs from GEL 65 (≈$25) for 80 days to GEL 390 (≈$150) for 20 days.
Frequently asked questions
Can family members get residence alongside the employee?
Can employment residence be arranged remotely?
How long is work residence issued for?
Related breakdowns
What Georgian residence costs in 2026: prices from $170
Real prices for Georgian residence in 2026: business and work from $170, property from $340. What's included, timelines and state fees.
Georgia's 1% tax: who gets small business status
Small business status gives a sole trader 1% on turnover up to GEL 500,000. Who is refused, which income falls outside it and when the rate rises to 3%.
Tax filing in Georgia: rs.ge deadlines and nil returns
A sole trader in Georgia files monthly by the 15th through the rs.ge portal. What to do with no turnover, how to pay the tax and when to hire an accountant.
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