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Residence permit through a sole trader in Georgia in 2026: what changed and how to get it now

Until 2026 the route was simple: register as a sole trader in Georgia and apply for a work residence permit. Since 1 March 2026 a work residence permit is issued only to those who already hold the right to work, except in cases provided for by law. For a sole trader this means two separate steps: first the right to work, then the residence permit.

In short

• A work residence permit is issued to those who have obtained the right to work. Registering as a sole trader does not by itself give the right to work.
• Sequence: sole trader registration → right to work (you apply yourself, with a video interview) → an application for a work residence permit within 10 calendar days.
• Timelines: the right to work is reviewed within 30 calendar days, or within 10 working days for a double fee; the residence permit within 30 days.
• The first term of both the right to work and the residence permit is from 6 months to 1 year.
• Sole trader turnover for a work residence permit must be at least GEL 50,000 a year for each foreign national applying for one. If no more than 3 months have passed since registration, no turnover certificate is required, but the first residence permit is then issued for 6 months.
• Income must be at least five times the subsistence minimum a month.
• State fees are paid by the foreign national: GEL 200 or 400 for the right to work, GEL 300, 450 or 600 for a work residence permit depending on the review period. They are not included in our fees.
• Sole traders have no deferral until 1 January 2027: it applies only to employees. More in our explainer on the right to work.

Step 1. Sole trader registration

A sole trader is registered at the Public Service Hall in person or through a representative under a power of attorney. After registration you can obtain small business status with a 1% tax rate. But for a foreign national this is not enough to work lawfully: sole trader status is a tax status, not permission to work and live in the country.

Step 2. The right to work

A foreign national who works for themselves obtains the right to work on their own, without an employer. The right is granted for a specific activity or field of activity, so it must be updated if the type of activity changes.

• If more than 3 months have passed since registration, you need the sole trader's personal number and a Revenue Service certificate of annual turnover.
• If less than 3 months have passed since the company was founded or the person registered as a sole trader, the application for the right to work can be filed without confirming turnover.
• Video interview. After the documents are filed, the applicant must take a video interview with the agency and confirm the electronic application at the end of it.
• State fee: GEL 200 for a decision on the 30th calendar day or GEL 400 on the 10th working day. Extension: GEL 200. The fee is paid by the foreign national and is not included in our fees.
• Quotas. For fields that do not require high qualifications, or where there are enough local workers, the government sets annual quotas.

If you already live in Georgia on any residence permit, the right to work takes effect on the day it is granted. If not, it takes effect on the day you receive a D1 visa or a work residence permit.

Step 3. Work residence permit

The application for a work residence permit must be filed within 10 calendar days of obtaining the right to work. If you are outside Georgia, you apply for a D1 visa within 30 days instead.

For a work residence permit you file:

• an application in the prescribed form with the unique code assigned by the State Employment Promotion Agency;
• a copy of your passport with a notarised translation into Georgian. The passport may be accepted without a translation if your details in it are given in Latin script;
• a copy of the document confirming lawful stay in Georgia;
• a document confirming your business activity;
• the decision granting the right to work, if the agency cannot verify it in the electronic system;
• a certificate that your monthly income from business activity in Georgia is at least five times the subsistence minimum. If income is not confirmed this way, the balance of your personal bank account may count as income: at least five times the subsistence minimum a month for the whole term of the residence permit. The bank certificate must be issued no earlier than 10 calendar days before filing;
• a Revenue Service certificate that the sole trader's annual turnover is at least GEL 50,000 for each foreign national applying for a work residence permit (GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions). If the sole trader is not registered for VAT, you instead file certificates that it is not a VAT payer and that its turnover over 12 consecutive calendar months before the certificate was issued is not below the same amounts;
• a certificate stating how many foreign nationals at the business are applying for a work residence permit;
• a colour 3×4 photograph in electronic form and the fee payment receipt.

No turnover certificate is required if no more than 3 months have passed since the sole trader was registered, it has no more than three foreign workers and the work residence permit is being applied for for the first time. In that case you file only the certificate on the number of foreign workers, and the permit is issued for 6 months.

The application must be filed no later than 40 calendar days before your lawful stay ends. It is reviewed within 30 days, or faster for a higher fee: GEL 300 for review within 30 days, GEL 450 within 20 days and GEL 600 within 10 days. The fee is paid by the foreign national and is not included in our fees. The first work residence permit is issued for 6 months to 1 year.

Extensions

During the first five years the right to work is extended for no more than a year at a time; after five years of continuous extensions, for 1 to 5 years. Extension of the residence permit is tied to the right to work: if the right ends, so does the basis for the residence permit.

Common mistakes

• Applying for a residence permit straight after sole trader registration. Without the right to work, a work residence permit will not be issued.
• Missing the 10-day window after obtaining the right to work: the right ends and everything starts again.
• Leaving for more than 6 months. For a foreign national who works for themselves, the right to work ends if they spend more than half a year outside Georgia.
• Changing your type of activity without updating the right to work: a GEL 2,000 fine.
• Working without the right to work. This means a GEL 2,000 fine and grounds to end your stay in Georgia.
• Failing to confirm turnover or income. A sole trader registration without real activity is a weak basis both for the right to work and for extensions.

If the Labour Migration Law does not apply to you

Some categories of foreign nationals fall outside the law, for example those who provide services to a non-resident in connection with its activity outside Georgia. For such cases the Law on Aliens provides that a work residence permit may be issued without the right to work, in cases determined by a government ordinance. Whether your situation qualifies is worth checking before you apply.

How much it costs

Our fees and state fees are counted separately. Sole trader registration from $300, the right to work for a sole trader $150, support with a residence permit through a sole trader GEL 700. Exact scope and prices are on the pages for sole trader registration, work permit and residence through sole trader status.

What to prepare in advance

• Passport and current Georgian documents.
• Sole trader registration extract and turnover certificate, if more than 3 months have passed since registration.
• Client contracts and information on where your clients are based.
• Dates of entries and exits over the last 12 months.
• Any previous refusals and decisions, with dates.

Legal basis

• Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons: Art. 15(a), 16(1)(a), 21(1)(d, m, n). Text on Matsne, version with amendments of 29.06.2026.
• Law of Georgia on Labour Migration: Art. 1(4), 13³, 13⁴, 13⁵(1), 13⁷(1)(b), 16¹, 16⁶. Text on Matsne, version with amendments of 29.06.2026.
• Procedure for reviewing and deciding on residence permit applications (Government of Georgia Ordinance No. 520 of 1 September 2014): Art. 3(4), 4(3), 4(3²), 5(1), 5(2¹), 5(3), 5(5), 13(3). Text on Matsne (in Georgian), version with amendments by Ordinance No. 317 of 9 July 2026.
• Government of Georgia Ordinance No. 70 of 20 February 2026 on approving the Rules for granting the right to work to a labour immigrant and a self-employed foreign national: Art. 3, 4, 10, 11, Annex 2. Text on Matsne (in Georgian), latest version of 10.07.2026.

Links to the laws lead to the English translation on Matsne. It is unofficial: the Georgian text is authoritative. The Procedure and Ordinance No. 70 are cited from the Georgian text. English translations and the open version of Matsne may lag behind the current versions: 2026 amendments appear there with a delay.

This is reference material, not legal advice. Requirements change, so check with us before you file documents. See our terms of use.