Migrant Rights

Since 1 March 2026 foreigners need a "right to work" in Georgia: who needs it, how to get it, and what the penalties are

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A guide to the reform of the Law on Labour Migration: who needs a permit and who does not, how to get one, the deadlines and fees, and the fines for workers and employers.

The short version

Since 1 March 2026, a foreigner without a permanent residence permit may work in Georgia as an employee or as a self-employed person/sole proprietor only with a "right to work", a separate decision of the State Employment Support Agency. It does not replace a D1 visa or a residence permit (RP). Lawful work requires them together, and for an employee also a written fixed-term employment contract (Article 13³ of the Law on Labour Migration). The right to work is issued for a specific employer, or, for a self-employed person, for a specific occupation and field. In everyday speech it is called a "work permit".

Not everyone needs it. The law does not apply to holders of a permanent residence permit, and Article 1(4) lists cases where no permit is required: refugees and asylum seekers, remote work for a foreign client, short-term work with registration, and a few others. But remote work comes with an important caveat: a sole proprietor who needs an RP to stay in the country lawfully does not fall under this exception (section 2). The fine for working without the right to work is 2,000 GEL for the worker and 2,000 GEL for the employer, per foreigner; double for a repeat violation and 12,000 GEL for the third. From 1 September 2026 such work is also an independent ground for expulsion and detention, and a valid RP does not protect against it. For people registered in the labour migration system on 1 March 2026, the deadline to comply expires on 1 January 2027.

What changed and when

Date What happened
01.03.2026 Law No. 862 of 26.06.2025 entered into force: the "right to work" was introduced (Articles 13¹–13⁸ of the Law on Labour Migration). Procedure: Government Resolution No. 70 of 20.02.2026
15.04.2026 Law No. 1509: Article 13⁹ on short-term professional activity was added; Articles 1, 3, 13¹ and 13⁶ were amended
01.05.2026 Sanctions began to apply to self-employed people who were already working on 01.03.2026 (Resolution No. 70, Article 14(1))
10.07.2026 Resolution No. 321 of 09.07.2026: the vacancy-posting requirement was replaced by an employer quota, the procedure for short-term activity was clarified, new exceptions were added
01.09.2026 Laws No. 1803 and No. 1815: working without the right to work is a ground for expulsion and detention; people with the right of temporary stay under Article 60 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens were added to the exceptions
01.01.2027 Final deadline for workers who had an active status in the labour migration system on 01.03.2026 (Law, Article 17(2²); Resolution No. 70, Article 14(2))

Where this comes from. The Russian translation of the Law on Labour Migration on matsne.gov.ge is incomplete, so the rules are given according to the Georgian text (which has legal force) and the English translation. Resolution No. 70 is given in the consolidated version as of 09.07.2026. Letters of sub-paragraphs follow the Georgian original, transliterated in Latin as in the English translation of the law.

1. What the "right to work" is and how it differs from a visa and an RP

The right to work is a decision of the Employment Support Agency that a specific foreigner may do a specific job. A D1 visa and an RP answer a different question: whether you may be in the country. They are different documents, and one does not replace the other.

To work lawfully, you need all of the following at once (Article 13³):

  1. a written fixed-term employment contract (for an employee; a self-employed person does not need a contract with an employer);
  2. the right to work;
  3. a D1 visa, a work RP or another RP provided for by law.

What to keep in mind:

  • Tied to a job. An employee's right to work is issued with a specific local employer; a self-employed person's with a specified occupation and field of activity (Article 13⁵(7)). Changing employer or field without updating the right is a separate violation (section 7).
  • Who applies. For an employee, the employer applies after the contract is signed. A self-employed person applies personally (Article 13⁴(1)–(2)).
  • Who decides. At present, the State Employment Support Agency. Applications go through the portal labourmigration.moh.gov.ge.
  • "Self-employed" under the law is not only a sole proprietor. It also covers contractors and freelancers who provide services, trade or otherwise work for income (Article 3, sub-paragraph "c²").
  • You can apply only if you are in the country lawfully, or are abroad altogether (Article 13¹(3); Article 13⁸(2)). If your permitted stay has expired, you cannot apply for the right to work from inside the country.

2. Who needs the right to work and who does not

Who needs it

A foreigner without a permanent residence permit who:

  • works as an employee for a local employer;
  • works remotely for a local employer but is in Georgia or enters Georgia for that work;
  • works as a self-employed person or sole proprietor in Georgia (provides services, trades, practises a craft), unless one of the exceptions below applies.

Typical examples: a courier or waiter with an employment contract, a construction worker, a sole-proprietor hairdresser or tutor with Georgian clients, a designer who makes projects for local companies.

Who does not need it (Article 1(4))

Sub-paragraph Who
(a) a refugee or a person with subsidiary or temporary protection who received that status in Georgia
(b) an asylum seeker registered in Georgia
(c) a person working in an accredited diplomatic mission, consulate, or representation or body of an international organisation
(d) a foreign media journalist accredited in Georgia
(e) a person to whom a different regime applies under an international treaty of Georgia
(f) a holder of a valid investment RP
(g) a holder of a special RP issued on the written initiative of a member of the Government
(h) short-term professional activity under a Government resolution (section 5)
(i) work for a public institution or an enterprise with state participation
(j) work fully remotely for a local employer where the work does not require entering Georgia
(k) work or services for a non-resident where they relate to the non-resident's activity outside Georgia. Except for a sole proprietor (natural person entrepreneur) who needs an RP to stay in the country lawfully (this clarification is in Resolution No. 70, Article 1(3)(k), as amended by No. 321; it is not in the law itself)
(l) management or administrative activity in an enterprise of Category I, II or III under the Law on Accounting, Reporting and Audit, or work on an audit committee
(m) conservation, restoration and rehabilitation work on cultural heritage monuments
(n) the right of temporary stay under Article 60 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens (a temporary ID card for people who cannot be expelled); from 01.09.2026

Separately, the law does not apply at all to holders of a permanent residence permit (Article 1(2)).

Remote work for a foreign client: when you still need the permit

There are two different questions here that are often confused: whether you need a permit in order to avoid a fine, and whether you need one in order to obtain or renew an RP.

Exception (k) (work for a non-resident) is unconditional in the law, but Resolution No. 70 as amended by No. 321 narrows it: it does not apply to a sole proprietor who needs an RP to stay in the country lawfully. In addition, under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens a work RP is issued to a person who has obtained the right to work (Article 15(a)). So in practice the picture is this:

Your situation Do you need the right to work
You work for a foreign company or foreign clients, live in Georgia visa-free, have no RP and no sole-proprietor status No, exception (k)
You work for foreign clients, you have a sole-proprietor status and your stay in the country rests on an RP (including when you renew it) Yes. Exception (k) does not apply to you (Resolution No. 70, Article 1(3)(k))
You have an RP on another basis (study, family, real estate), no sole-proprietor status, and you work for foreign clients Probably not: the caveat in the resolution is named only for sole proprietors. ⚠ no practice yet
You are hired by a foreign company and live in Georgia No, if the employer is a non-resident and the work relates to its activity outside Georgia ((k))
You are hired by a Georgian company and work from Georgia Yes
You are hired by a Georgian company, work entirely from abroad and do not enter Georgia for it No, exception (j)
Mixed clients: foreign ones and at least one Georgian Yes for work for the Georgian client ⚠

A reader's experience (⚠ practice, not a rule). A sole proprietor who was renewing an RP at the House of Justice found that they immediately asked for a right-to-work certificate (work permit) as well. It was issued automatically after the fee was paid. So even with purely foreign clients, a person with a sole-proprietor status and an RP cannot simply "do without the permit": it becomes part of the procedure. If your situation is similar, build this into your timeline and budget and ask a House of Justice officer before you apply.

Also important:

  • Exception (k) has two conditions at the same time: the client is a non-resident of Georgia and the work relates to its activity outside Georgia. If a foreign company hired you to run its Tbilisi café or its Georgian branch, the exception does not work.
  • You have to have the status formally. A refugee or a person with subsidiary protection is someone who was granted that status in Georgia; an asylum seeker is someone who is registered. A person who actually fled persecution but did not receive the status and did not register as an asylum seeker does not fall under exceptions (a) and (b).
  • The law issues no document saying "I don't need a permit". If you rely on an exception, you have to prove it yourself: a contract with the foreign client, invoices, bank statements, proof that the counterparty is a non-resident. For what to keep at hand, see the FAQ "I am a sole proprietor or self-employed — how can I prove I work in Georgia lawfully?".
  • If you applied but did not need to. An application from a person to whom the law does not apply may be left without consideration, and the fee paid is not refunded (Resolution No. 70, Article 5(5)).

⚠ Disputed cases with no practice. Small LLCs (Category IV) where the foreigner is the sole director do not fall under (l). Other mixed-client cases are decided case by case. There is tension between the law (exception (k) with no caveat about sole proprietors) and Resolution No. 70 (a caveat about sole proprietors, Article 1(3)(k)); in practice the resolution is applied, and from 10.07.2026 an RP separately requires a document proving the exception (Resolution No. 520, Article 5(11)). Check with a lawyer before relying on an exception.

3. How to apply

3.1. Employee

  1. The employer and the employee sign a written fixed-term employment contract. It is drawn up in Georgian and in a language the employee understands; besides the terms required by the Labour Code, it states the parties' details, the date it takes effect and its term, the workplace with a full address, and the parties' rights and obligations (Article 13²).
  2. The employer files the application and documents through labourmigration.moh.gov.ge and pays the fee.
  3. The Agency considers the application and may ask for more information or require defects to be fixed.
  4. The decision is sent to the employer and the employee electronically (Article 13⁵(6)).

3.2. Self-employed person

  1. The self-employed person files the application and documents personally and pays the fee on the same portal.
  2. After filing, they must take a video interview with the Agency and confirm the application at the end of the interview (Resolution No. 70, Article 4(2)(b)).
  3. You must apply in person, not through a representative. At the interview you will need the original passport that the application was filed with. The interview is held in Georgian or English; an interpreter may be used. If you do not attend, do not confirm the application or do not show the original passport, the application is refused (Resolution No. 70, Article 4(2), Article 6, as amended by No. 321).
  4. The right is issued for a specific occupation and field. You may not work in another field without updating the right. If you have several lines of activity, check in advance whether a separate application is needed for each ⚠.

3.3. Deadlines and fees

Time to decide Fee
Standard up to 30 calendar days 200 GEL
Expedited up to 10 working days 400 GEL
Renewal up to 30 calendar days 200 GEL
  • For an employee, the employer pays; a self-employed person pays themselves. Payment is by card in the labourmigration.moh.gov.ge system.
  • The law caps the fee at no more than 500 GEL (Article 13⁴(8)); the specific amounts in the table come from Resolution No. 70 (Article 11).
  • Defects in the documents must be fixed within 10 calendar days, otherwise the application is refused (Article 13⁶(1)(a)).
  • A renewal must be filed no later than 30 calendar days before the right to work expires (Article 13⁵(4)–(5)). Missing the deadline is a ground to refuse the renewal (Article 13⁶(1)(b)).

3.4. Which documents are needed

The information on documents below comes from Resolution No. 70 (Annexes 1 and 2) with amendments No. 109 and No. 321. Check the exact list on the portal before filing: it can change.

Employer, for an employee: the details of the employer and the responsible person; the employee's details (full name in Georgian and in Latin letters, date of birth, sex, citizenship, passport, personal number and RP, if any); the position and the education and skills required; the contract dates and a copy of the contract; a statement of the wish to work confirmed by an electronic signature or seal; proof of payment.

Self-employed person:

  • personal details and passport details (the passport must be valid for at least 6 months at the time of filing);
  • education, profession, work experience, skills;
  • field of activity, description of the work and its place;
  • if the sole proprietorship or company is already registered: the identification number or the sole proprietor's personal number, a certificate of annual turnover from the Revenue Service (see below) and a document on the field of activity (an extract from the register or a tax certificate);
  • if the activity is only planned: a detailed business plan and proof of financing;
  • a video interview and proof of payment.

Turnover certificate. If you have a sole proprietorship or a company, you need a tax certificate on annual turnover. The turnover must be at least 50,000 GEL per foreigner applying for the right to work (35,000 GEL for educational and medical organisations). The certificate is not needed if no more than 3 months have passed since the sole proprietorship or company was registered. If you are not a VAT payer, instead of the annual turnover certificate you need certificates that you are not a VAT payer and that turnover for the last 12 calendar months is not less than that amount (Resolution No. 70, Annex 2, para. 3 "b.b" and "b.c", as amended by No. 321). The 3 months are counted from the registration date, not from "the first application": if the sole proprietorship is older, the certificate is needed even for a first right to work.

3.5. What the employer must do on top of this

  • Employer quota. Posting a vacancy on worknet.moh.gov.ge 10 working days in advance is no longer required: this requirement was abolished by Resolution No. 321 (the media still write about it). Instead: if an employer plans to hire more than 5 foreigners in a year, or foreigners will make up more than 5% of staff, it must obtain an annual quota in advance (no later than 10 working days before filing) on labourmigration.moh.gov.ge. A turnover threshold applies: 50,000 GEL a year per foreigner, and 35,000 GEL for educational and medical institutions.
  • Report changes. The employer enters early termination of the contract or changes to its terms in the system within 5 calendar days (Article 13⁵(3)).
  • Pay the fee for the employee and file the renewal 30 days before expiry.

3.6. Three examples: what it costs and how long it takes

Example 1. A Tbilisi sole-proprietor photographer with Georgian clients. Applies personally, on the standard track: 200 GEL, a decision within 30 calendar days. If they are in Georgia, after approval they have 10 days to apply for a work RP; for the state fee for the RP itself, check with the Public Service Development Agency (at the House of Justice) ⚠. If they are in a hurry, the expedited track: 400 GEL, up to 10 working days. A year later, the renewal: filed 30 days before expiry, 200 GEL.

Example 2. A café hires three foreigners without permits. The employer pays 2,000 GEL for each, 6,000 GEL in total; each worker also pays 2,000 GEL, 6,000 GEL in total. 12,000 GEL for everyone. If the violation is repeated next year, the amounts double (4,000 per person), and for a third time it is 12,000 per person. In addition, when hiring more than 5 foreigners (or more than 5% of staff), the employer needs an annual quota.

Example 3. A designer who lives in Tbilisi visa-free with clients in Berlin. Exception (k): the right to work is not needed. If they register as a sole proprietor and want to obtain an RP on that basis, the situation changes: for a sole proprietor with an RP, exception (k) does not work (see section 2).

4. After you get the right to work

D1 visa or RP. The right to work takes effect from the moment you receive a D1 visa or a work RP; if the person already has some RP, from the moment the right is issued. Deadlines for applying for these documents (Article 13⁵(1)):

Where you are What to file Deadline
Outside Georgia an application for a D1 visa no later than 30 calendar days after receiving the right to work
In Georgia an application for a work RP or an RP for a person working in IT no later than 10 calendar days after receiving the right to work

This obligation does not apply if you already have any RP or work fully remotely without entering Georgia (Article 13⁵(2)). If you do not file in time, the right to work ends (Article 13⁷(1)(f)).

Period of validity (Resolution No. 70, Article 10):

Period
Ordinary fields, first issue from 6 months to 1 year
Ordinary fields, renewal up to 1 year each time; after 5 years of continuous work, from 1 to 5 years
IT, first issue up to 3 years
IT, renewal up to 3 years each time

An RP as a sole proprietor: what it looks like in practice

The procedure for issuing an RP is set by Government Resolution No. 520 of 01.09.2014 as amended (including No. 389 of 27.08.2025 and No. 317 of 09.07.2026). Below is what the resolution says, and how the entrepreneurs' community describes and goes through the procedure (the "Sole proprietor / Business Georgia" knowledge base, data for 03–07.2026). Where practice differs from the text of the act, what the act says is correct. The ⚠ mark shows what is not in the acts. Check that the information is current before you file.

  1. Right to work first, then the RP. Since 1 March 2026, for a sole-proprietor RP and an IT RP, the right to work comes first. If you apply from Georgia, you have 10 days after approval to file the RP application; if you apply from abroad, first comes the D1 visa (30 days to file), and the RP is done in the country.
  2. Proof of income. For a first sole-proprietor RP and for a renewal, according to descriptions of practice, a turnover of at least 50,000 GEL is needed (income is counted for the last 12 months at the time of filing): this requirement for the right to work is in Resolution No. 70, and for the RP the threshold is repeated in Resolution No. 520 (Article 5(3) as amended by No. 481 of 2020). In addition, monthly income from activity in Georgia must be at least five times the average subsistence minimum. A renewal must be filed no earlier than 90 days and no later than 40 calendar days before the end of lawful stay (Resolution No. 520, Article 3(4) as amended by No. 389).
  3. It is easier for new sole proprietors. A turnover certificate is not needed for the right to work if no more than 3 months have passed since registration (Resolution No. 70, Annex 2 as amended by No. 321). For the RP itself, from 10.07.2026 a separate rule applies (Resolution No. 317 of 09.07.2026, which added paragraph 5 to Article 5 of Resolution No. 520): the certificates are not needed if, at the same time, the enterprise has no more than 3 foreign employees, was registered no more than 3 months ago and the work RP is issued for the first time without such a certificate. Then, instead of the certificate, a document from the enterprise on the number of foreigners is submitted, and the RP is issued for 6 months. On renewal you will have to prove turnover. If the turnover certificate objectively cannot be obtained, any other indisputable proof of turnover of at least 50,000 GEL per foreigner is accepted instead (Article 5(4) as amended by No. 317). For educational and medical organisations the threshold is 35,000 GEL. If you work under one of the exceptions (remotely for a Georgian employer, for a non-resident outside Georgia, short-term professional activity, etc.), for the RP you must additionally submit a document confirming that particular activity (Article 5(11) as amended by No. 317). Heads of Category I–III enterprises submit information on the enterprise's category from reportal.ge (para. 6).
  4. Tax certificates are ordered in your personal account at eservices.rs.ge: on payment or non-payment of VAT, on the amount of payments to the budget for 12 months, on income and taxes paid for 12 months (up to 24 hours; not issued to a sole proprietor younger than 3 months), and on the absence of arrears. Download them from the replies to your applications; the QR code on the certificate replaces a stamp.
  5. The RP form can be filled in in Russian or English; the House of Justice operator enters the data into the system and may ask questions in Georgian.
  6. The status of the application can be checked at services.sda.gov.ge, and the current registered address at sda.gov.ge by ID card number.
  7. The small business status certificate does not contain activity codes. The codes are needed for an IT RP; for it, an extract from the register with the codes is ordered.
  8. If the right to work is not required by law (you work under one of the exceptions), from 10.07.2026 a work RP requires a document confirming that particular activity (Resolution No. 520, Article 5(11) as amended by No. 317). The act does not say which document will be accepted, and in practice it can be hard to obtain ⚠. For a sole proprietor with an RP, exception (k) does not apply at all (see above).

The service fee for a work RP depends on the processing time: 300 GEL (decision on the 30th calendar day), 450 GEL (on the 20th), 600 GEL (on the 10th); this is stated on the website of the Public Service Development Agency (sda.gov.ge). The RP card, translations and a notary are paid separately.

What does not require a new right to work. A change only in the level of the position, salary or schedule (Resolution No. 70, Article 2(6) as amended by No. 321). A change of employer does require it.

5. Closed fields and short-term work

Zero quotas

In some fields the right to work is not issued because the annual quota is zero (Resolution No. 70, Annex 3):

Field Annual quota
Courier services 0
Passenger transport (taxi) 0
Tour guide services 0
Mountain, alpine and ski guides 200

Sole-proprietor status changes nothing. Quotas do not apply in the cases of Article 5(1)(h) (international companies, innovative start-ups, certain experts, etc.). For more, see the separate FAQ on delivery, taxis and guides.

Short-term professional activity

If the work relates to a specific short project, event or service, it can be done without the right to work and without a work RP (Article 13⁹; Resolution No. 70 as amended by No. 321, Annex 4). Conditions:

  • you are in the country lawfully (visa, visa-free, RP);
  • no more than 4 months in total per calendar year;
  • the client or organiser of the service registered you on labourmigration.moh.gov.ge before the work begins (registration is free);
  • the work is not in a closed field (couriers, taxis, guides).

If there is no registration, or it is not confirmed, the work is not treated as short-term. Annex 4 is a list of the information for registration (details of the parties, profession, position, dates), not a list of professions.

6. Refusal, termination and appeal

When you will be refused (Article 13⁶)

  • the documents are incomplete and the defects were not fixed within 10 calendar days;
  • a renewal was filed late;
  • the profession or position does not match labour market needs, is on the restricted list, or the quota under Annex 3 is used up;
  • expulsion proceedings have begun or a decision to expel has been made;
  • documents were not submitted showing that you meet the criteria for the activity set by the resolution.

After a refusal or early termination, you can re-apply no earlier than 1 month after the decision is delivered, and only if you are outside the country or in it on a lawful basis (Article 13⁸).

When the right ends (Article 13⁷)

  • the contract with the employer has expired or been terminated early;
  • a self-employed person left Georgia for more than 6 months in a row;
  • the D1 visa or RP has expired or ended (if you have no RP when the D1 ends);
  • you did not apply for a D1 visa or RP on time;
  • a negative decision was made on the D1 or RP application;
  • a decision to expel was made.

After receiving a termination notice, the employer must within 5 calendar days terminate the contract and report it to the system (Article 13⁷(2)).

Appeal

You can appeal a decision to issue or refuse in court within 1 month (Article 13⁵(8)). But an appeal:

  • does not give the right to work while it is pending;
  • does not postpone the obligation to leave the country;
  • does not prevent the Ministry of Internal Affairs from considering expulsion and carrying out an expulsion decision (Article 13⁵(9)).

7. Fines

Violation Who 1st time Repeat Third time Imposed by
Working without the right to work (Art. 16¹(2)) an employee 2,000 GEL 4,000 GEL 12,000 GEL MIA
Working without the right to work (Art. 16¹(3)) a self-employed person 2,000 GEL 4,000 GEL 12,000 GEL MIA
Hiring or using the labour of a person without the right to work (Art. 16¹(1)) the employer, for each foreigner separately 2,000 GEL 4,000 GEL 12,000 GEL Labour Inspection
Changing employer or field without updating the right (Art. 16⁶) an employee or a self-employed person 2,000 GEL 4,000 GEL 12,000 GEL MIA
Obstructing the Labour Inspection or not producing a foreigner's documents (Art. 16²) the employer from 1,000 to 7,000 GEL (by income or turnover) double, if within a calendar year Labour Inspection
The same (Art. 16²) a self-employed person 5,000 GEL double, if within a calendar year Labour Inspection
  • Who fines whom is set by Article 14(3): the Labour Inspection fines employers, and the authorised MIA body fines employees and self-employed people (under Articles 16¹ and 16⁶).
  • Appealing a fine does not suspend its enforcement (Article 14(3²)).
  • The third fine is calculated as the repeat fine tripled: 4,000 × 3 = 12,000 GEL.
  • The employer's fine under Article 16² depends on the previous year's income or turnover: from 1,000 GEL for small businesses to 7,000 GEL for turnover above 500,000 GEL.

8. What changes for your status: changes from 1 September 2026

A fine is not the only consequence. From 1 September 2026 (Law No. 1803), the following rules were added to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens:

  • working without the right to work is an independent ground for expulsion (Article 51(1)(i)). If the person also has no lawful basis for stay, expulsion goes under Article 51(1)(a) or (b) (Article 51(4));
  • the decision on this ground is made by a court (Article 52);
  • photographing and fingerprinting are mandatory once expulsion proceedings on this ground have begun (Article 53²(1));
  • working without the right to work is a ground for detention and placement in a Temporary Accommodation Centre (Article 64(2)(l));
  • for these "court" grounds, voluntary departure does not release a person from the entry ban (Article 63(2)).

A valid RP does not protect against this: the rule concerns the right to work, not the basis of stay. Checks can happen at the workplace (Article 53³) and in public places (Article 53¹(2)). A district court order is needed to check a home or workplace, but the consent of the employer (or a co-owner of the home) is enough. If it cannot wait, the check begins without an order and a court is asked within 24 hours (Article 53³(1)–(2)). The employer may be required to show documents proving that your work is lawful (para. 4). On how to tell a Labour Inspection check from a raid, see the FAQ "Workplace check: how does a Labour Inspection request differ from a Migration Police raid?". On an expulsion decision and the appeal deadlines, see the FAQ "I received an expulsion decision — how long do I have to appeal and will an appeal stop the expulsion?". On street checks, see the longread "I was stopped by the Migration Police in Tbilisi. Who are they and what are they allowed to do?".

These rules exist only in the Georgian text of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens on matsne.gov.ge. They are not yet consolidated in the Russian and English versions.

9. Transitional deadlines

  • Workers registered in the labour migration system (labourmigration.moh.gov.ge) with active status on 01.03.2026 must obtain the right to work and the relevant RP no later than 1 January 2027 (Law, Article 17(2²)).
  • Self-employed people who were already working on 01.03.2026 (including partners of existing companies): sanctions apply from 1 May 2026 (Resolution No. 70, Article 14(1)).
  • For those who started working after 01.03.2026 there are no transitional deadlines: the rules apply in full.

⚠ The text of the law does not make clear what exactly will happen to a person in the first group after 1 January 2027, or whether they can work without the right to work before that date. Do not count on a grace period without checking with a lawyer or the Agency.

10. Cheat sheet: your situation and what you need

Situation Do you need the right to work What next
Employee at a Georgian company, you have an RP or D1 Yes The employer files and pays the fee. A written fixed-term contract
Employee, no right to work Yes 2,000 GEL fine for you and the employer; a ground for expulsion. First see a lawyer (FAQ on legal aid)
Sole proprietor in Georgia, Georgian clients Yes You file yourself, video interview, 200 or 400 GEL
Sole proprietor with an RP, foreign clients only Yes (exception (k) is not for a sole proprietor with an RP) Build the permit into the RP procedure ⚠ practice
Freelancer without sole-proprietor status, visa-free, foreign clients No Keep proof: contract, invoices, statements
Employee of a foreign company, living in Georgia visa-free No Keep the contract and proof that the employer is a non-resident
Remote work for a Georgian company without entering Georgia No ((j)) The work must not require presence in the country
Courier, taxi, guide Cannot be obtained (quota 0) Sole-proprietor status changes nothing. It is not treated as short-term work either
One-off project up to 4 months a year No, but registration is needed before it starts The client registers, free of charge. Not in closed fields
Stay has expired You cannot apply Status and right to work are resolved together; see a lawyer
Refugee, registered asylum seeker No ((a), (b)) Always carry the supporting documents
Permanent residence permit No The law does not apply to you

Three typical questions:

"I am already working and I do not have the right to work." Working without the right to work is punishable both for you (2,000 GEL) and for the employer. You can apply from inside the country only if you are there lawfully (Article 13¹(3)). If your stay has expired, status and right to work have to be resolved together. This is a case where you should first see a lawyer, and only then make any applications or approach state bodies. For where to get one, see the FAQ "Where can I get legal help in Georgia?".

"I have the right to work, and my employer wants to move me to another job." A change only in position, salary or schedule does not require a new right (it is enough to notify the system of the change to the contract). A change of employer or (for a self-employed person) of field does. It is best to keep the contract and the right to work together with your RP.

"I work remotely for a foreign company." See the table and explanations in section 2: the answer depends on whether you have a sole-proprietor status and an RP.

How to act more safely. If you do not have the right to work or are not sure that you need it:

  • do not go to the Labour Inspection, the Migration Police or the Agency with explanations on your own initiative until you have consulted a lawyer: any approach that admits to working without the right can become a ground for a fine and, from 01.09.2026, for expulsion;
  • do not sign papers whose meaning you do not understand, and ask for an interpreter;
  • carry documents on your stay and proof of the exception if you rely on one (contract, invoices, statements);
  • do not keep working without the right "until things become clear": the longer the period, the greater the risk of a repeat fine (Art. 16¹) and expulsion;
  • lawyer first, application second. For where to get help, see the FAQ "Where can I get legal help in Georgia?".

Short checklist

  1. Identify your group: employee, self-employed/sole proprietor or remote worker. It determines who files the application.
  2. Check whether you fall under an exception in Article 1(4) (section 2). There is no "permit not needed" document, so collect the proof yourself.
  3. If you have a sole proprietorship and an RP, remote work for foreign clients does not save you: exception (k) does not work for you. Build the permit into the RP renewal.
  4. If you have a permanent residence permit, you do not need the right to work (the law does not apply to you).
  5. For work as an employee you need three things at once: a written fixed-term contract, the right to work, a D1 visa or an RP.
  6. Make sure you are in Georgia lawfully or outside it, otherwise the application cannot be accepted.
  7. Employee: the employer files. Self-employed: you file yourself, with a video interview.
  8. Standard period: up to 30 calendar days and 200 GEL; expedited: up to 10 working days and 400 GEL.
  9. Sole proprietorship or company: you need a tax certificate of turnover of at least 50,000 GEL per foreigner. The exception: no more than 3 months since registration (for the RP also no more than 3 foreigners and a first issue; the RP is then for 6 months).
  10. Fix defects in the documents within 10 calendar days.
  11. After you get the right: abroad, a D1 visa within 30 days; in Georgia, a work RP within 10 days.
  12. A change of employer or field requires a new right. A change of position, salary or schedule does not.
  13. File a renewal 30 calendar days before expiry.
  14. Self-employed: leaving Georgia for more than 6 months in a row ends the right.
  15. Courier, taxi, guide: quota 0. Short-term work of up to 4 months is possible only with registration and not in these fields.
  16. The fine for working without the right to work is 2,000 GEL (4,000 for a repeat, 12,000 the third time), for the worker and the employer separately. An appeal does not suspend it.
  17. From 1 September 2026 such work is a ground for expulsion and detention. A valid RP does not protect you.
  18. A refusal can be appealed in court within 1 month, but an appeal does not give the right to work and does not stop expulsion.
  19. The deadline for those already registered in the system on 01.03.2026 is 1 January 2027.
  20. If you are not sure about your situation, see a lawyer before any approach to the Agency, the inspection or the MIA.

Sources

The links lead to the Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge).

Law of Georgia on Labour Migration (doc_id 2806732): Article 1(2) and (4) (scope and exceptions), Article 3 (definitions), Articles 13¹–13⁹ (right to work, contract, conditions, procedure, refusal, termination, re-application, short-term activity), Article 14 (supervising bodies), Articles 16¹, 16², 16⁶ (liability), Article 17(2²) (transitional period). Amending laws: No. 862 of 26.06.2025, No. 1509 of 15.04.2026, No. 1815 (from 01.09.2026):

Government of Georgia Resolution No. 70 of 20.02.2026 "On approving the Procedure for issuing the right to work to a labour migrant and a self-employed foreigner" (consolidated version as of 09.07.2026): Articles 1–7, 10, 11, 14, Annexes 1–4:

Government of Georgia Resolution No. 520 of 01.09.2014 "On approving the procedure for considering and deciding the issue of granting a residence permit" (Article 3(4), Article 5) with amendments:

Public Service Development Agency: service fee for a work RP: sda.gov.ge

Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (doc_id 2278806): Article 51(1)(i) and (4), Article 52, Articles 53¹–53³, Article 60, Article 63(2), Article 64(2)(l):

The Law on the Legal Status of Aliens also: Article 15(a) (a work RP is issued to a person who has obtained the right to work; under a Government resolution, also to those to whom the Law on Labour Migration does not apply).

Law of Georgia on Labour Inspection: the procedure for inspections and fines by the Labour Inspection:

Practice and unofficial materials in Russian (used to describe how the procedure works in reality, not as a source of law; some of the materials and services on these sites are paid):

⚠️ The Russian and English versions are not consolidated. The Russian translation of the Law on Labour Migration lacks most of Articles 13¹–13⁹ and 16¹–16⁶. In the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, the rules in force from 01.09.2026 (Laws No. 1803 and No. 1815) exist only in the Georgian text. The Georgian text has legal force. The list of documents in section 3.4 and the RP procedure were compiled from the amendments; the repository has no consolidated texts of Resolutions No. 70 and No. 520.

Citizens of other countries. The procedure is the same for all foreigners, but depending on your citizenship you may need additional documents (for example an apostille or legalisation of certificates, translations, a police clearance certificate). Before filing, ask your local community of compatriots and your country's consulate which documents are required for your citizenship.

Disclaimer. This material is for information only and is not legal advice. The Georgian text of the law has legal force; the Russian translations on matsne.gov.ge lag behind the current version. For your specific situation, consult a lawyer.

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