The visa · Georgia
Georgia
Georgia has no visa expressly for remote workers; the 2020 Remotely from Georgia scheme is reported suspended and absent from official portals. Most nomads simply use the one-year visa-free stay open to citizens of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and dozens more, and those who stay on register as an Individual Entrepreneur for the 1% small-business regime and a work residence permit. Since 1 March 2026 working in Georgia needs a state right-to-work authorisation, and since 15 April 2026 that requirement is lifted for foreigners serving non-resident clients whose activity is outside Georgia; the burden of proving that exemption sits with the individual.
- Nomad visa · September 2026None as suchRoutes4Bases0
- No city guide here yetthe bases
Remote jobs open to Georgia
Listings whose hiring region includes this country, newest first · apply on the board's own page
- Sales JediEurope
- SaaS Product Support JediEurope, EMEA, UK, Germany, France, European timezones
- Senior React Full-stack DeveloperLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior QA EngineerEurope
- Senior DevOps EngineerLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior Golang DeveloperEurope, USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore
- Senior Data EngineerLATAM, Europe, USA, Canada, APAC
- Senior Independent AI Engineer / Architect$120 - $170 /hour
The routes
Researched 6 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Temporary stay
One-year visa-free stay (working remotely for foreign clients)
Ordinance No. 255 of the Government of Georgia of 5 June 2015 on the list of countries whose citizens may enter Georgia without a visa, as amended by Ordinance No. 80 of 24 February 2026
Citizens of the roughly 95 listed countries who work only for employers or clients outside Georgia and do not want a residence card.
- Income floor
- none
- Duration
- One full year from entry, as the ordinance states; no renewal mechanism is published, and the common practice of leaving and re-entering for a fresh year is reported by applicants rather than set out in law.
- Cost
- None
- Processing
- None; entry is stamped at the border.
- Eligibility
- Nationality on the annex to Ordinance No. 255; the right to be in Georgia is separate from the right to work. Under Law No. 1509 of 15 April 2026, sub-clause L, a foreigner rendering services to a non-resident person, where the work is connected to that person's activity outside Georgia, is exempt from the right-to-work authorisation; a separate sub-clause exempts fully remote work for a Georgian employer that needs no physical presence.
- Work rights
- Remote work for non-resident employers or clients only, under the April 2026 exemption. Paid work for Georgian employers, local clients, freelancing in the Georgian market or running a Georgian business requires the right-to-work authorisation from 1 March 2026.
- Dependants
- Family members enter on their own passports under the same list; no dependant status attaches to a visa-free stay.
- Leads to
- no
- Apply
- No application; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs country checker at geoconsul.gov.ge confirms the entry rule for each passport.
Documents Passport of a listed country · Evidence of the foreign employer or clients and of the work's location outside Georgia, since advisers report the individual must substantiate the sub-clause L exemption if asked
Freelance / self-employed
Individual Entrepreneur with small-business status, right to work and work residence permit
Right to work for self-employed foreigners under Government Resolution No. 70 of 20 February 2026, then a work residence permit (შრომითი ბინადრობის ნებართვა) under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons
Freelancers and contractors who want a residence card, a Georgian tax number and the 1% turnover regime, or who take Georgian clients and so cannot rely on the visa-free exemption.
- Income floor
- Disputed. The State Services Development Agency page for the work residence permit still lists a monthly income of not less than five times the subsistence minimum for the average consumer and a business turnover of GEL 50,000 per alien; advisers report that Law No. 1509 of April 2026 removed the GEL 50,000 turnover test pending a new government ordinance. No income floor is published for the right-to-work authorisation itself.
- Duration
- Right to work and residence permit are issued for six months to one year; extensions are capped at one year at a time for the first five years, then up to five years. Extension applications go in 30 to 40 days before expiry, per the government resolution and advisers.
- Cost
- Right to work: GEL 200 for a 30-calendar-day decision, GEL 400 for 10 working days. Residence permit state fee per the agency's current page: GEL 300 (30th day), GEL 450 (20th day), GEL 600 (10th day); an older published schedule of GEL 100, 200 and 300 still circulates. Individual Entrepreneur registration and the residence card carry small separate fees not verified here.
- Processing
- Right to work: 30 calendar days standard or 10 working days expedited, with a mandatory video interview by the State Employment Promotion Agency. After approval the residence permit must be applied for within 10 calendar days if in Georgia, or a D1 immigration visa within 30 calendar days if abroad; the permit then takes 10 to 30 days by fee tier.
- Eligibility
- Any nationality without a permanent or investment residence permit; lawful presence in Georgia (visa-free stay, visa or permit) at the time of application; registration as an entrepreneur; authorisation is sector-specific and lapses if the applicant changes activity, leaves for six months or more, or the underlying visa or permit expires. Self-employed foreigners already operating on 1 March 2026 had until 1 May 2026 to comply.
- Work rights
- Self-employment in the authorised sector, including Georgian clients; taking employment with a Georgian company needs a separate employer-led authorisation with a 10-working-day local labour-market test.
- Dependants
- Spouses and minor children apply for family-reunification residence permits on the strength of the principal's permit; details of that route were not verified for this dossier.
- Leads to
- Permanent residence after ten continuous years on temporary residence permits; time as a student or patient is excluded. Citizenship rules were not verified here.
- Apply
- Right to work online at labourmigration.moh.gov.ge (Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health and Social Affairs); Individual Entrepreneur registration and the residence permit at any Public Service Hall or Community Centre or through the State Services Development Agency portal.
Documents Passport copy · Individual Entrepreneur registration extract from the Public Service Hall · Revenue Service turnover statement for an existing business, or a business plan for a new one, as reported by advisers · Proof of accommodation in Georgia · Colour photo 3x4 cm in electronic form · Proof of the monthly income and turnover tests where the agency still applies them · Completed application on the labour-migration portal and, for the permit, the agency form
Long stay
IT specialist residence permit
Residence permit for an IT worker under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons
Developers and other technology workers with a verifiable track record who want a multi-year card instead of annual renewals.
- Income floor
- Advisers cite an annual income of at least USD 25,000 alongside two or more years of documented IT experience; the figure was not found on a government page.
- Duration
- Up to three years initially, with extensions of up to three years, per the government resolution as summarised by KPMG and OC Media.
- Cost
- Residence permit state fee schedule as for other temporary permits: GEL 300, 450 or 600 by decision speed on the agency's current page.
- Processing
- 10 to 30 calendar days for the permit by fee tier; a right-to-work authorisation (30 days, GEL 200) precedes it unless an exemption applies.
- Eligibility
- Any nationality; two or more years of IT experience and the income shown above as reported by advisers; lawful presence in Georgia at application.
- Work rights
- IT work for the sponsoring employer or as a self-employed IT professional as authorised; other sectors require a new authorisation.
- Dependants
- Family reunification permits available on the strength of the principal's permit; not verified in detail.
- Leads to
- Counts toward permanent residence after ten years on temporary permits.
- Apply
- Public Service Hall or State Services Development Agency portal, after the right-to-work step on the labour-migration portal.
Documents Passport copy · Evidence of IT qualifications and at least two years' experience · Employment or service contracts and income evidence · Proof of accommodation · Colour photo 3x4 cm
Residence
Short-term residence permit by real estate, and investment residence permit
Short-term residence permit (real estate) and investment residence permit under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons
Nomads who buy a flat in Tbilisi or Batumi and want residence without a work file, or higher-net-worth founders who want a five-year card and exemption from the right-to-work regime.
- Income floor
- Real estate: property valued at not less than USD 150,000 from 1 March 2026, up from USD 100,000. Investment permit: advisers cite USD 300,000 of qualifying investment; the current statutory figure was not verified on a government page.
- Duration
- Short-term permit issued for up to one year and renewable while the property is held; investment permit five years with turnover conditions, then permanent residence.
- Cost
- State fee schedule for temporary permits: GEL 300, 450 or 600 by decision speed on the agency's current page.
- Processing
- 10 to 30 calendar days by fee tier.
- Eligibility
- Any nationality; a certified valuation of the property at the threshold; investment permit holders are expressly exempt from the March 2026 right-to-work requirement.
- Work rights
- The short-term real-estate permit gives residence only; paid work or business still needs right-to-work authorisation unless an exemption applies. Investment permit holders are exempt from the authorisation.
- Dependants
- Family members apply for permits on the basis of the principal's permit.
- Leads to
- Investment permit leads to permanent residence after five years per advisers; the real-estate permit counts as temporary residence toward the ten-year permanent-residence period.
- Apply
- Public Service Hall or State Services Development Agency portal.
Documents Passport copy · Extract from the Public Registry showing ownership · Independent valuation at or above USD 150,000 · Proof of accommodation · Colour photo 3x4 cm
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / SwitzerlandOne full year, all EU member states listed in the annex to Ordinance No. 255Remote work for non-resident clients or employers is exempt from the right-to-work regime since 15 April 2026; work for Georgian clients or employers requires authorisation.
- United KingdomOne full yearSame position: remote work for foreign clients exempt as published; local work needs authorisation.
- United StatesOne full yearSame position; the exemption is on the statute but advisers stress the individual must be able to document the foreign client and the work's location.
- CanadaOne full yearSame position as above.
- AustraliaOne full yearSame position as above; New Zealand is also on the list.
- IndiaVisa required; not on the visa-free annexAn entry visa is needed before any stay; remote work rules then follow the visa or permit held. Holders of valid visas or residence permits of certain listed countries may enter visa-free under a separate ordinance whose terms were not verified here.
- BrazilVisa required; not on the visa-free annexAs for India.
- South AfricaVisa required; not on the visa-free annexAs for India.
- TurkeyOne full yearSame position as EU citizens on remote work; local work needs authorisation.
- JapanOne full yearSame position as EU citizens.
- Israel and United Arab EmiratesOne full yearBoth on the annex; same remote-work position.
- Russia and UkraineOne full yearBoth on the annex; the 2025 to 2026 tightening of permits and fines was framed by the government around irregular migration and applies to all nationalities.
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Tax resident after 183 days or more of physical presence in any continuous 12-month period ending in the tax year, which is the calendar year; days that established residence in one year are not reused for the next. A high-net-worth route to residence without day-counting exists; its thresholds were not verified for this dossier.
- Special regime
- No newcomer regime. Georgia taxes individuals on Georgian-source income, and advisers state foreign-source income of residents is generally outside personal income tax; the standard rate is 20%. An Individual Entrepreneur with small-business status pays 1% of turnover up to GEL 500,000 a year, with 3% on the excess as reported by advisers; micro-business status exempts turnover under GEL 30,000 with no employees. Whether income earned from Georgia for foreign clients is Georgian-source is the point most contested between advisers; none of the sources opened resolved it.
- Social security
- The funded pension scheme (2% employee, 2% employer, 2% state) is mandatory only for Georgian citizens, permanent residents and stateless persons; temporary residents and visa-free stayers are exempt. Sources disagree on whether such foreigners may opt in voluntarily. There is no other social-insurance contribution for a self-employed Individual Entrepreneur. Certificate-of-coverage rules were not verified.
- Treaties
- Georgia has double-taxation treaties with most European states, the United Kingdom and others; the count was not verified. For a remote employee or contractor the practical instrument is a Georgian certificate of tax residency issued by the Revenue Service, which home tax authorities and banks accept for treaty claims.
Practicalities
- Bank account
- Harder in 2026 than before: Bank of Georgia and TBC apply source-of-funds and purpose-of-account checks aligned with FATF standards. Advisers report a resident with an Individual Entrepreneur extract can still open in one visit, while non-residents wait several days to two weeks and refusals are common.
- SIM registration
- All local SIMs (Magti, Silknet, Cellfie) are registered against a passport at purchase; the physical passport is required.
- Health insurance
- No insurance condition is published for visa-free entry. The suspended Remotely from Georgia scheme required insurance; the residence-permit checklists opened here did not list it.
- Address registration
- No separate registration for visa-free stayers. Residence permit applications require proof of accommodation, and the residence card carries the address.
- Tax number
- Issued on registration as an Individual Entrepreneur at any Public Service Hall; small-business status is then requested from the Revenue Service and filing is monthly on rs.ge.
- Overstay penalties
- From 1 October 2025: GEL 1,000 for up to three months over; GEL 2,000 and a two-year entry ban for three months to a year; GEL 3,000 and a three-year ban beyond a year. The old GEL 180 and 360 fines no longer apply.
- Working without authorisation
- GEL 2,000 for a first offence on both worker and employer; GEL 4,000 for a second within 12 months; the third-offence figure is reported as GEL 6,000 by one adviser and GEL 12,000 by OC Media.
Georgia: a year visa-free, a 1% tax badge, and a new work-permit line drawn in 2026
Where nomads base and why
Tbilisi remains the base for most remote workers, with Batumi on the Black Sea a distant second and Kutaisi used mainly for its budget airport. The pull is structural: a full year visa-free for most Western, Gulf and East Asian passports, a 1% turnover tax for registered freelancers, and living costs well below Western Europe.
The 2020 Remotely from Georgia programme, launched during the pandemic when borders were closed, has been reported suspended since the ordinary visa-free regime returned, and it no longer appears on government portals. One adviser still describes it as formally active; the safer reading of the published record is that nobody should plan around it.
What applicants report about the new permit regime
The June 2025 amendments, in force from 1 March 2026, separated the right to be in Georgia from the right to work there. For two months the position of a nomad billing a client in London or Berlin from a Tbilisi flat was genuinely unclear; a Tbilisi lawyer told OC Media the state should not care about work performed for a company in Thailand, but the statute did not say so.
Law No. 1509 of 15 April 2026 added the clause that matters, exempting services to a non-resident where the work relates to that person's activity outside Georgia. Advisers agree the exemption is real and that the individual carries the burden of proving it, so contracts, invoices and evidence of the client's foreign activity are worth keeping to hand.
Those who register as an Individual Entrepreneur and seek a work residence permit now go through two files: the labour ministry's right-to-work portal with a video interview and a 30-day clock, then the State Services Development Agency for the permit within ten days of approval. Applicants report the interview probing whether the business has real Georgian activity, and the agency's own page still shows the older income and turnover tests while a replacement ordinance is awaited.
Money and paperwork day to day
Banking is the friction point of 2026. The walk-in, same-day account of earlier years has gone; both large banks now ask for source of funds and purpose of account, and non-residents without a Georgian tax footprint are frequently declined. An Individual Entrepreneur extract and a residence card noticeably improve the odds.
The small-business regime still turns on turnover, not profit: 1% of everything invoiced up to GEL 500,000, filed monthly, with 3% above that as advisers report it. Foreign nationals without permanent residence are outside the funded pension scheme, so a freelancer's total statutory take is the 1% and nothing else.
What is changing next
The transition for registered labour migrants closes on 1 January 2027, when anyone employed by a Georgian company must hold both the authorisation and a residence permit or D1 visa. Two pieces of secondary legislation are still outstanding: the decree defining short-term professional activity that needs no permit, and the ordinance replacing the income and turnover tests for the work residence permit. Until they are published, the agency's older thresholds remain what applicants are asked for.
Researched from matsne.gov.ge · sda.gov.ge · taxsummaries.pwc.com · kpmg.com · oc-media.org · nomosgeorgia.com · legal.ge · ibccs.ge · relocationgeorgia.ge · legal-vista.com · the authority