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Work permit in Georgia in 2026: who needs one, how to get it and what to do before 1 January 2027

Since 2026 Georgia has had a new regime: a foreign national without permanent residence needs a separate right to work (often called a work permit) in order to be employed or to run their own activity, including as a sole trader. For those already registered as labour migrants, the law set a deadline of 1 January 2027.

The law also provides for categories of foreign nationals and forms of activity for which obtaining a work permit in Georgia is not required.

In short

• Lawful work needs three things at once: the right to work, a residence permit or a D1 visa, and, for an employee, an employment contract with a local employer.
• The deadline is 1 January 2027 for those whose registration in the labour migrant database was active on 1 March 2026: by that date they must obtain both the right to work and an appropriate residence permit. The deferral applies only to employees: it does not extend to sole traders or others who work for themselves.
• Review takes up to 30 calendar days, after which you have 10 days to apply for a residence permit. It is best to start no later than mid-October.
• The fine for working without the right to work is GEL 2,000, doubled for a repeat offence. An employer or client pays GEL 2,000 for each foreign national.

Who it applies to

The law speaks of labour immigrants: foreign nationals without permanent residence who work for a local employer in Georgia, including remotely, or who work for themselves.

In the law's terms, a self-employed foreign national is anyone who carries out paid activity on their own account for profit: trading, providing services, acting as a partner or as an independent contractor. The definition covers sole traders as well as those working without registration.

A local employer is a company or sole trader registered in Georgia, a representative office of a foreign organisation, or a person lawfully residing in Georgia who employs a foreign national.

Who it does not apply to

The law lists exemptions. The most relevant for our clients are:

• people with permanent residence: they are not labour immigrants at all;
• holders of a valid investment residence permit;
• those who work for a local employer fully remotely and do not enter Georgia for that work;
• those who work or provide services for a non-resident, where the work relates to the non-resident's activities outside Georgia;
• those who manage an enterprise of the first, second or third category under the Law on Accounting, Reporting and Audit.

There are other exemptions too: refugees, staff of diplomatic missions, accredited journalists and several other categories.

The non-resident exemption matters for freelancers and sole traders whose clients are all abroad. But the law requires the work to be connected with the client's activities outside Georgia. Whether your case fits is worth checking before you decide not to apply.

How to get a work permit

• Who applies. A self-employed foreign national, including a sole trader and the director of a category 4 enterprise, applies personally. An employee is registered by the employer once the employment contract has been signed. Applications go to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs.
• Time limit. No more than 30 calendar days from submission of a complete set of documents. The same applies to an extension.
• State fee. GEL 200 for review within 30 days, GEL 400 for review within 10 days. The fee is paid separately and is not included in our service fees.
• Next step. If you are in Georgia, apply within 10 calendar days for a work residence permit or an IT residence permit. If you are abroad, apply for a D1 visa within 30 days. This is not needed if you already hold any residence permit or work fully remotely without entering Georgia.

We can prepare the documents and file the application: work permit service, $150 for sole traders and the self-employed, 200 GEL for employees. The state fee is paid separately.

Grounds for refusal

• the application lacks information or documents, and the gap is not remedied within 10 calendar days;
• an extension application was filed after the set time limit;
• the profession and position do not match the needs of the labour market or are on the list of restricted professions;
• expulsion proceedings have been opened against the foreign national, or an expulsion decision has been made;
• documents confirming compliance with the activity criteria set by the Government were not submitted.

After a refusal, a new application may be filed no earlier than one month after the decision has been served.

When the right to work ends

• the employment contract has expired or been terminated;
• a self-employed foreign national has stayed outside Georgia for more than 6 months;
• the D1 visa or residence permit has expired or been terminated;
• no application for a D1 visa or residence permit was filed in time, or it was refused;
• an expulsion decision has been made.

Changing employer or type of activity without renewing the right to work is a separate offence with a GEL 2,000 fine. Working without the right to work is also a ground for ending a stay in Georgia.

Fines

• for an employee or self-employed foreign national working without the right to work: GEL 2,000;
• for an employer or client paying such a foreign national: GEL 2,000 per person;
• for a repeat offence: double; for the next one: three times the repeat amount.

The last point also affects Georgian companies that buy services from foreign sole traders: the law fines not only the contractor but also the client.

What to do before 1 January 2027

1. Check whether your employees had an active registration in the labour migrant database (labourmigration.moh.gov.ge) on 1 March 2026.
2. Work out whether the law applies to you or an exemption does: an investment residence permit, fully remote work without entry, or work for a non-resident.
3. Check the date until which you are lawfully in Georgia. A residence permit application must be filed no later than 40 calendar days before lawful stay ends.
4. Count on the maximum: up to 30 days for the right to work, 10 days to apply for a residence permit and up to 30 days for its review, about 70 days in total without document collection. To make it by 1 January, apply no later than mid-October.
5. Employers: enter information on the termination or amendment of a contract with a foreign national into the Ministry's electronic system within 5 calendar days, and apply for extensions of the right to work in advance.

What to send before the consultation

• Passport and current Georgian documents: residence permit, ID card.
• Sole trader registration extract or client contracts, if you work for yourself.
• Draft employment contract and the employer's documents, if you are employed.
• Details of any registration in the labour migrant database.
• Dates of entries and exits over the last 12 months.
• Any previous refusals and decisions, with dates.

Frequently asked questions

Is the right to work the same as a work permit?

Yes. The law calls the document the right to work; in everyday speech it is called a work permit.

Does a sole trader need a work permit?

Yes, unless you hold permanent or investment residence. The law treats anyone who carries on paid activity on their own account as self-employed, including sole traders. A sole trader applies personally.

Do I need one if I work remotely for a foreign company?

The law exempts work for a non-resident if it is connected with the non-resident's activity outside Georgia. Check whether your case fits before deciding not to apply.

How much does a work permit cost?

The state fee is 200 GEL for a 30-day review and 400 GEL for a 10-day review. Our fee: $150 for sole traders and the self-employed, 200 GEL for employees; the state fee is paid separately.

How long does it take?

Up to 30 calendar days from filing a complete set of documents, or up to 10 days with expedited review. Once you have the right to work, you have 10 calendar days to apply for a residence permit.

I already have a residence permit. Do I still need one?

Yes, unless it is a permanent or investment residence permit. In that case you do not need to apply for a new residence permit afterwards.

What happens if I work without one?

A fine of 2,000 GEL, doubled for a repeat offence. The employer or client pays 2,000 GEL for each such foreign national. Working without the right to work is also a ground for ending your stay in Georgia.

Legal basis

• Law of Georgia on Labour Migration: Art. 1(4), 3 (c¹, c², h, p), 13¹, 13³–13⁸, 16¹, 16⁶, 17(2²). Text on Matsne, version with amendments of 29.06.2026.
• Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons: Art. 21(1)(m, n). Text on Matsne, version with amendments of 29.06.2026.
• Procedure for reviewing and deciding on residence permit applications (Government ordinance): Art. 3(4), 13(3). Text on Matsne, version with amendments of 27.08.2026.
• 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. Text on Matsne (in Georgian), latest version of 10.07.2026.

Links to the laws and the Procedure lead to the English translation on Matsne. It is unofficial: the Georgian text is authoritative. Ordinance No. 70 is published on Matsne in Georgian only.

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