Short answer: if you live in Georgia and earn money through a business here, yes. Since 1 March 2026, a foreign national who wants to do paid work or run an entrepreneurial activity in Georgia needs two separate things: the right to engage in labor activity, and a matching immigration status such as a D1 visa, a work residence permit or another residence permit. Visa-free entry on its own is no longer enough. A narrow exception exists for work done fully remotely, so read the sections below before you assume it applies to you.
This is general information based on the Law on Labour Migration as it stands in September 2026. It is not legal advice, and procedures and fees can change.
At a Glance: Who Needs the Right to Labor Activity?
| Your situation | Needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigner running an Individual Entrepreneur (IE) business in Georgia | Yes | The law treats an IE as self-employed. You apply yourself. |
| Owner, partner or contractor working in or through a Georgian LLC | Very likely | The definition of self-employed covers partners, service providers and contractors. Confirm your case. |
| Employee of a Georgian employer | Yes | Your employer applies on your behalf. |
| Remote worker for a foreign employer, work done outside Georgia, no Georgian entity | Possibly not | A narrow exception exists, but a foreign payer alone does not settle it. |
| Visitor on the 365-day visa-free stay with no paid activity in Georgia | No | No work or business activity takes place in Georgia. |
| Holder of a permanent or investment residence permit | No | Outside the requirement or exempt under the law. |
What Changed on 1 March 2026
Georgia's Parliament amended the Law on Labour Migration and the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens in 2025, and the core of the reform took effect on 1 March 2026. Before that date, a foreigner who was lawfully in Georgia could work for a local employer, and the employer simply registered the worker in a labor-migration database. The reform replaced registration with permission: you now need the state's approval to work, and you need it in addition to your visa or residence permit.
- 1 September 2025: the IT-specialist residence permit came into force (see our IT residence permit guide).
- 1 March 2026: the right to engage in labor activity became mandatory, and fines for working without it began.
- 1 September 2026: a further amendment added an exemption for holders of a temporary-stay right under Article 60 of the Aliens Law. It is not a general exemption for visitors.
- 1 January 2027: deadline for foreigners who were registered in the old labor-migration database on 1 March 2026 to obtain the right and a residence permit.
The requirements sit in the Law on Labour Migration (Articles 1, 13¹ to 13⁵ and 17). We link the official text under Official sources below. The wider September 2026 changes to students and marriage residence are covered in our immigration rules article.
Who Counts as Self-Employed Under the Law
The law defines a self-employed person broadly: a foreign national without a permanent residence permit who takes part in entrepreneurial or labor activity in Georgia as a service provider, partner, independent contractor or in any other capacity, with the aim of earning money. In practice that covers the freelancer with an IE, the founder who works in their own LLC, and the consultant who invoices Georgian clients.
Good to know
- The right is field-specific. For self-employed people it is issued for a defined field of activity, so describe your activity carefully.
- Approval is not automatic. The authority may refuse in some cases where it decides a sector does not need foreign labor.
- Self-employed people apply themselves. An employer applies for an employee. A freelancer or founder files personally, or through a representative under a Power of Attorney that is notarized and apostilled.
Do Freelancers and Digital Nomads Working Remotely Need One?
This is the question most readers care about, and the honest answer depends on where the work is done and through what structure.
- You live in Georgia and registered an IE (for example to use the 1% tax). Treat yourself as covered. You chose to operate as an entrepreneur in Georgia, and the law applies to entrepreneurial activity carried out for remuneration.
- You are a visitor working fully remotely for clients or an employer abroad. The law excludes services performed for a non-resident where they relate to that person's activities outside Georgia, and a labor migrant is not required to complete the visa or residence steps if the work is fully remote and does not require entering Georgia. But a foreign payer alone is not enough to prove the exception applies, and entry, tax and business obligations remain separate.
- You mix Georgian and foreign clients, or work through a Georgian company. Assume you are covered until a lawyer confirms otherwise.
If you are unsure, get your situation checked before you register a business or start working. The cost of checking is small next to the fines described below.
How to Get It: Step by Step
- Register your business. If you do not have one yet, set up an Individual Entrepreneur (from €350) or an LLC. Freelancers on the 1% regime also need Small Business Status.
- Prepare the dossier. The application needs a CV, a passport copy valid for at least 6 months, a business plan, a current company extract, a Revenue Service turnover statement (required even at 0 GEL) and a bank statement showing sufficient capital. Foreign documents are translated into Georgian and notarized.
- Apply online. The submission is digital, so no visit to the Public Service Hall is needed. By law the review takes up to 30 calendar days, and an expedited track approves within about 10 business days. The state fee is capped by law at 500 GEL, so check the current amount on the official portal.
- Complete the immigration step. Once approved, the clock starts on your visa or residence permit, as shown below.
- Stay inside your approved field. Keep your activity and paperwork consistent with what you declared.
| Where you are when approved | What you must do next | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Georgia | Apply for a D1 immigration visa | Within 30 calendar days |
| In Georgia | Apply for a work residence permit, or the IT-specialist residence permit if you qualify | Within 10 calendar days |
| Already hold a residence permit | No new visa or permit step, but you still need the right to labor activity | – |
The work residence permit is tied to your IE or LLC and to a turnover benchmark of 50,000 GEL per foreign applicant (waived since 15 July 2026 for a first application by a business registered no more than 3 months ago with fewer than 3 foreign employees, with a permit valid for up to six months), so plan your revenue and paperwork together. The IT-specialist permit is a separate route for registered self-employed IT professionals with small business status, at least two years of experience and annual income of at least USD 25,000.
Costs and Timing
Expect three cost layers: the state fee for the right to labor activity (capped at 500 GEL by law), the state fees for the visa or residence permit, and professional fees if you use a representative. Our published price for labor permit filing is €200, and residence permit filing is €490. The all-inclusive packages bundle registration, banking, the labor permit and the residence permit with state fees included. In total, allow roughly a month for the right to labor activity, then the time your visa or residence permit takes on top.
Penalties for Working Without It
The law sets an administrative fine of 2,000 GEL for each violation, charged to the self-employed person, or to the employer for each foreign worker. A repeat offense doubles the fine, and a further offense can triple that amount, so the maximum reaches 12,000 GEL. Separate rules punish overstaying: 1,000 GEL and a 6-month entry ban for up to 3 months over, 2,000 GEL and a 2-year ban for up to a year, and 3,000 GEL and a 3-year ban beyond that. Fines are set in the Code of Administrative Offenses, so confirm the current amounts before you rely on them.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming visa-free entry lets you work. Since 1 March 2026 it does not, for covered activity.
- Registering an IE and stopping there. The IE is the business. The right to labor activity is a separate approval.
- Relying on a foreign client to prove you are exempt. A foreign payer alone does not settle the question.
- Missing the 30-day or 10-day window for the visa or residence permit after approval.
- Assuming any residence permit exempts you. Investment and permanent permits are treated differently from real estate or family permits.
- Forgetting the 1 January 2027 deadline if you were registered in the old database on 1 March 2026.
What to Do Now: Three Common Setups
| You are a… | Typical setup |
|---|---|
| Solo freelancer or consultant | IE + 1% status + right to labor activity + residence route. See the tax guide for the numbers. |
| Founder or small agency | LLC + right to labor activity for each founder who works in the business + a residence permit. |
| IT professional | IE with small business status, then check eligibility for the IT residence permit. |
Work Permit for Freelancers: Common Questions
Do I need a work permit to freelance in Georgia on the 365-day visa-free stay?
It depends on whether your work counts as activity in Georgia. A visitor doing no paid work in Georgia does not need one. If you live in Georgia and earn through an IE or a Georgian business, you do, because visa-free entry alone no longer gives the right to work. The law excludes services relating to a non-resident's activities outside Georgia, but a foreign client alone does not settle it.
I already have a residence permit. Do I still need the right to labor activity?
Usually yes. A residence permit alone does not grant the right to work. Holders of a valid investment residence permit or a permanent residence permit fall outside the requirement, but real estate or family permits do not automatically exempt you.
How long does it take and how much does it cost?
The review takes up to 30 calendar days by law, and an expedited track approves within about 10 business days. The state fee is capped at 500 GEL. Our published price for labor permit filing is €200, and visa or residence permit fees are separate.
What happens if I work without it?
Working without the right to labor activity carries a 2,000 GEL fine per violation for the self-employed person or the employer. Repeat offenses double the fine, up to a maximum of 12,000 GEL.
Can I apply if I am not in Georgia?
Yes. The application is submitted online, and we can file it for you under a notarized and apostilled Power of Attorney. After approval you have 30 calendar days to apply for a D1 visa if you are abroad.
