People performing activity
- Employee of a Georgian business
- Foreign IE working in Georgia
- Active LLC director or manager
- Self-employed contractor in Georgia
Georgia labour permit · 2026 right-to-work rules
Screen first.
Work with the right status.
Practical support for foreign employees, Individual Entrepreneurs and active company directors under Georgia’s new labour-migration framework.
Official term right to workEffective 1 March 2026Reviewed 16 July 2026
ONE IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONWork right
≠
residenceThese stages may need to be coordinated.
≠
residenceThese stages may need to be coordinated.
The quick answer
A company or IE registration is not, by itself, permission to work.
From 1 March 2026, many foreign nationals working for a Georgian employer or carrying out remunerated self-employed activity in Georgia need a separate right to work—unless a precise exemption applies.
Georgia’s law uses the phrase “right to work.” “Labour permit” and “work permit” are useful search terms, but they refer to this authorization. We first determine whether you need it, then select the employee or self-employed route.
Scope and exemptions
Do not apply—or assume an exemption—without screening the facts.
Cases requiring proof
- Permanent or other qualifying status
- Fully remote work with no need to enter Georgia
- Services tied to a non-resident’s operations abroad
- Defined short-term professional activity
Important: exemptions are fact-specific and may depend on implementing rules. Visa-free stay, foreign customers, passive share ownership and an IE registration do not each provide a universal answer.
How the filing works
Two routes.
One careful file.
Eligibility screen
We review nationality, current residence status, Georgian presence, contracts, role and customer location.
Route preparation
For employees, the employer-side migration portal and vacancy stage may be required. Self-employed applicants prepare evidence of their actual activity.
Application and interview
We organize the application, submit the file and prepare you for the authority’s short video interview.
After approval
We calendar the D1 visa or residence step where required, and the renewal or change-reporting deadlines.
Transparent professional fees
Choose the route that matches the work.
Government charges, translation, notarization, residence/visa applications and complex legal opinions are separate.
Right-to-work application
400 GEL- Initial scope and exemption screen
- Document checklist and review
- Application preparation and submission
- Video-interview preparation
Employer-assisted route
650 GEL- Employer migration-portal setup support
- Vacancy-stage guidance
- Employee application preparation
- Submission and interview preparation
GOVERNMENT FEE · SEPARATE
200 GELstandard · decision within up to 30 calendar days
400 GELexpedited · 10 business days
After approval
The clock starts quickly.
If inside Georgia, apply for the appropriate work or IT residence permit where the follow-on obligation applies.
If outside Georgia, apply for a D1 immigration visa where required.
General advance point for an extension application by an employer or self-employed person.
People who already hold a Georgian residence permit, and certain fully remote workers, may not have the same follow-on obligation. Employer, contract or termination changes can also carry a five-calendar-day reporting deadline.
TRANSITIONAL RULE
Registered before 1 March 2026?
Foreign workers already registered in the Labour Migration system when the new regime began may have until 1 January 2027 to obtain the right to work and the appropriate immigration status. This is not a reason to wait: evidence, portal data and the follow-on residence step need time.
Typical starting documents
Prepare evidence of the real activity.
Passport & status
Passport, Georgian entry/stay evidence and any residence card.
Business evidence
Public Registry extract, IE or company details and Revenue Service turnover evidence where relevant.
Work relationship
Employment, service or management agreement and the employer-side information required for the selected route.
Professional profile
CV, activity description, contact details and supporting information requested for the interview.
The authority may request further evidence. We issue a case-specific list after screening; do not translate or legalize documents before the route is confirmed.
Questions clients ask in 2026
Right-to-work answers, without shortcuts.
Is this a residence permit?+
No. The right to work is a labour-migration authorization. A D1 visa or work residence permit can be a separate, time-sensitive next step after approval, depending on where you are and what Georgian status you already hold.
Does every foreign shareholder need one?+
Passive share ownership alone is not the same as working. A director who manages the company, an employee, or a self-employed person performing activity may be in scope. We screen the real activity, not only the company extract.
Are foreign clients enough for an exemption?+
Not automatically. A statutory exception may cover services supplied to a non-resident entity in connection with that entity’s operations outside Georgia, but the contract, actual activity and Georgian presence must support it. An IE certificate or foreign invoice alone does not decide the issue.
Can the process be handled remotely?+
Preparation and submission can usually be coordinated remotely. Applicants should be ready for the authority’s short video interview and for any original, translated or authenticated document requirements.
Does visa-free entry give permission to work?+
No. Lawful stay and the right to work are separate questions. After approval, a person inside Georgia may also have a short deadline to start the appropriate residence step.
What if I already have a residence permit?+
An existing Georgian residence permit can remove the post-approval D1/work-residence step. Whether you still need a right to work depends on the type of status and any applicable exemption; permanent residence is treated differently under the law.
Primary and market referencesGeorgia · Law on Labour Migration ↗Parliament · April 2026 amendments ↗ExpatHub · package comparison ↗
Last reviewed 16 July 2026. General information only, not individualized legal or immigration advice. Exemptions and administrative practice depend on current law, implementing ordinances and the applicant’s exact facts. Approval belongs to the competent Georgian authority.
Before the application, get the classification right.