Work Permit in Georgia: Parliament Simplifies Labour Migration Rules

The Parliament of Georgia has adopted amendments to the Law on Labour Migration in the third reading, which concern work permits. The document, reviewed under an expedited procedure, was supported by 75 MPs. The initiative was presented by the Chair of the Committee on Economic Policy, Shota Berekashvili.

What has changed for foreigners in Georgia

Georgia is actively reforming its labour legislation. On 15 April 2026, relaxations to the conditions and requirements for foreigners were approved. In particular, a work permit may not be required if one of the following conditions is met:

• holding a valid special residence permit in Georgia issued on the basis of a written initiative from a government member;
• short-term professional activity — permitted types will be defined by the authorities at a later stage;
• work in the interests of state institutions or enterprises with state participation;
• fully remote work for a foreign employer — without residing in Georgia;
• provision of services to foreign clients located outside Georgia;
• participation in activities related to the preservation, restoration and/or reconstruction of cultural heritage monuments.

The law previously did not apply to foreigners with permanent residence, refugees, asylum seekers, employees of diplomatic missions and international organisations, as well as:

• accredited foreign journalists;
• employees whose labour conditions are regulated by international treaties;
• holders of investment residence permits (issued for 5 years when purchasing property worth from $300,000).

New rules for working in Georgia from 1 March

The April amendments softened Government Decree No. 70, adopted on 20 February 2026 and effective from 1 March. It required many foreigners to obtain a work permit, including self-employed individuals (freelancers, individual entrepreneurs) — by 1 May 2026, and salaried employees — by 1 January 2027. After these dates, violations are subject to fines starting from 2,000 GEL. Applications are submitted via the Ministry of Labour portal.

How a self-employed foreigner obtains a permit

At the first stage, it is necessary to prepare documents for uploading during application submission: a passport photo or scan, and a short CV in free form. An IP certificate is also required, which can be downloaded from the Revenue Service personal account of Georgia or updated via the “Announcements” section on the same portal. In this case, the document includes an activity code, which is more useful for submission. In some cases, the Ministry of Labour may require an extract from the economic activity register, which is issued at the Public Service Hall for 39 GEL.

Another required document is annual turnover data, which can be downloaded from the Revenue Service website using the relevant period and format. It is recommended to use annual data rather than monthly figures.

Foreigners who already hold a residence permit must fill in two fields related to this status. Those planning to start economic activity in Georgia need to provide a detailed business plan with projected turnover.

The application review takes 30 days and costs 200 GEL, or 400 GEL for a 10-day fast-track process. The permit is valid for 1 year. An email notification is sent in case of errors or an invitation to a video interview. After obtaining the work permit in Georgia, residence permit documents must be submitted within 10 days if the applicant does not already have one. Otherwise, the permit is cancelled.

Procedure for salaried employees in Georgia

For labour migrants working under a contract, the permit is obtained by the Georgian employer. The company must first publish the vacancy on worknet.moh.gov.ge for 10 working days. The Employment Agency selects candidates from Georgian citizens. If the employer refuses the proposed candidates, they must provide a written justification within three days for each applicant. The Agency reviews these explanations within another three days. If no suitable local candidate is found or the refusals are justified, an application for a foreign worker may be submitted.

The application must include company details, the employee’s passport data, and qualification information, as well as a signed employment contract. The application is certified with a qualified electronic signature or electronic stamp. The state fee is 200 or 400 GEL. In case of errors, the Agency allows 10 calendar days for corrections.

The employer must apply for renewal no later than 30 calendar days before expiry. The permit is revoked early if the employment contract is terminated (the Agency must be notified within five days), if a visa or residence permit is refused, or if the employee is found not to be working in the declared position.

Professional quotas

The decree also introduces professional quotas. Foreigners without Georgian permanent residence are prohibited from working as couriers, taxi drivers, or tour guides. Only 200 places per year are allocated for mountain and ski guides.

However, there are exceptions. Companies with international status, innovative startups, and specialists earning from 15,000 GEL per month (around $5,600) are exempt from the 10-day vacancy requirement and quotas.

Income requirements for residence permits in Georgia

A standard work residence permit requires a minimum monthly salary of 1,500 GEL. Employers must meet an annual turnover threshold of at least 50,000 GEL per foreign employee (35,000 GEL for educational and medical organisations).

Individual entrepreneurs must confirm an annual turnover of at least 50,000 GEL. IT specialists must have at least two years of experience and an annual salary of at least $25,000.

C5 visa for foreigners in Georgia

On 15 April 2026, the Parliament of Georgia also approved a relaxation of other rules, introducing a new C5 visa. It will be issued for five years, allowing continuous stay of up to one year. The visa is intended for foreigners arriving for short-term purposes, including tourism and remote work for companies registered outside Georgia. It also covers spouses and minor children of applicants.

The fee ranges from 20 to 500 USD. An expedited review process may be applied based on a government decision. In some cases, visa refusals may be issued without mandatory reasoning, and decisions based on migration policy are not subject to appeal.

The C5 visa is seen as a tool to attract high-income remote professionals and increase economic activity through long-term visitors.

Reasons for changes in Georgia’s migration policy

The explanatory note to Decree No. 70 states that since 1 September 2023, significant progress has been made in registering labour migrants. Over the previous eight years (2015–2023), around 3,800 foreign workers were officially recorded, while in the last 1.5 years after new rules were introduced, the number exceeded 42,000.

However, the system did not reflect the real scale of foreign presence in the labour market. According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, over 239,000 foreigners entered the country in 2022–2023 and stayed for more than six months. Many of them were likely engaged in work but remained outside official registration. This created several systemic issues: lack of a complete employment picture, difficulties in labour market monitoring, and challenges in assessing real labour demand.

Additional risks were also identified, including the absence of an effective hiring refusal mechanism, lack of a mandatory work-related entry permit requirement, and an increase in unskilled labour, affecting market structure and competition.

Conclusion

Members of Parliament in Georgia concluded that in some cases the application of general immigration filters creates unnecessary administrative barriers. As a result, it was decided to “remove such legal relations from bureaucratic pressure”.

Analysts at International Investment note that the introduction of new mechanisms creates clearer and more transparent rules for foreigners in Georgia. Such practice is common in many countries. At the same time, the current legislation remains relatively flexible and still provides leniencies for many categories of migrants.

Investors retain a privileged status — tightening measures do not apply to them. The country remains attractive for mobile workers and income from real estate investment, with the highest profitability observed in the hospitality sector. The systematisation of legislation is seen as a positive signal for the market, improving predictability and overall interest from foreign participants.