Georgia work permit and work residence permit

The amended Law on Labour Migration requires every foreigner without a Georgian permanent residence permit to hold a right to work before doing paid work for a local employer, including remote work for that employer, or before doing business in Georgia. The right is issued by the State Employment Support Agency of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, is tied to one employer and one position, and cannot be transferred.

The law does not apply to refugees and people with subsidiary or temporary protection, registered asylum seekers, staff of diplomatic missions and international organisations, accredited foreign journalists, holders of an investment residence permit, public-sector employees, people working for a non-resident person on activities abroad and several other listed groups.

If the worker has no Georgian residence permit, after the right to work is granted they need a D1 immigration visa and/or the work residence permit. D1 is multiple entry for 90 days. Georgian missions ask for the unique code from the labour migration system, a notarised employment contract stating position, salary and duration (or a registry extract for founders and directors), the employer's registry and Revenue Service certificates, a CV and qualifications, accommodation, insurance, a 6-month bank reference and the fee receipt.

The right-to-work fee depends on processing time; by law it can never exceed GEL 500 and, for employees, the employer pays it. The work residence permit costs GEL 300 for a decision on the 30th calendar day, GEL 450 on the 20th and GEL 600 on the 10th. For the permit the employer or enterprise must show annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 per foreign worker (GEL 35,000 in education and healthcare) from Revenue Service data, and the worker must show monthly income of at least five times the subsistence minimum for an average consumer; bank savings can stand in for income.

Everything runs through the electronic system at labourmigration.moh.gov.ge, opened on 1 March 2026. For an employee, the employer files the application, uploads the documents and pays the fee. The ministry says the employer must first advertise the vacancy for at least 10 working days on the Worknet labour market system and may hire a foreigner only if no suitable local candidate is found. The agency decides within 30 calendar days.

Foreigners who were registered as active labour immigrants in the unified database on 1 March 2026 must obtain the right to work and the matching residence permit no later than 1 January 2027. For self-employed people already active on 1 March 2026 the new rules applied from 1 May 2026. Working without a right to work can bring fines for both worker and employer.

The right to work is valid for one year and must be renewed through the system; extension applications are filed 30 calendar days before expiry. A new employer means a new right to work. The residence permit is renewed at a Public Service Hall at least 40 calendar days before the current lawful stay ends, under the same conditions.