Can Foreigners Work in Georgia in 2026?

Until March 1, 2026, foreigners in Georgia could work without any kind of permit. The law never linked the right to work to a visa or residence status, which is one reason the country attracted so many freelancers and remote workers.

That changed on that date, when Georgia introduced a mandatory work permit, officially called the Special Labour Permit. Without one, you can no longer legally work or run a business in the country.

Who Needs a Work Permit

Almost every foreigner without permanent residency who earns money from work done in Georgia now needs a permit. That covers employees of Georgian companies, including those who work remotely for a local employer, as well as self-employed people and business owners, individual entrepreneurs among them.

Where your clients or employer are based makes no difference. What counts is that you earn income from work you do while physically in Georgia.

Who Doesn't Need One

Permanent residents, refugees and asylum seekers, diplomatic staff, accredited foreign journalists and holders of an investment residence permit are all exempt. A separate exception covers people who work fully remotely and never need to come to Georgia for the job.

Most law firms also treat a full-time remote employee of a foreign company who lives in Georgia as exempt, as long as the work concerns business abroad, although the rules on this are still settling. If you are self-employed or an individual entrepreneur serving foreign clients from Georgia, the safe assumption is that you need a permit.

Applying Through a Georgian Employer

The employer first has to advertise the vacancy on the state employment portal worknet.moh.gov.ge for at least 10 business days to see whether a suitable Georgian citizen applies. This is why a growing number of listings for jobs in Georgia are now open to citizens only. If no local candidate comes forward, the employer applies for the permit through the labour migration portal labourmigration.moh.gov.ge.

A decision takes up to 30 calendar days. The permit is tied to one employer and one position, so if you change jobs, the whole process starts over.

Applying as Self-Employed or an Individual Entrepreneur

Self-employed foreigners apply on their own, with no employer involved, and have to back the application with solid proof of business activity. If your business is already running, that means an extract from the register of entrepreneurs, current client contracts, invoices, Georgian bank statements or a turnover certificate from the Revenue Service. If it hasn't started yet, a business plan will do.

The application goes to Georgia's Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, which also has up to 30 calendar days to decide. Renewal applications have to be filed at least 30 calendar days before the current permit runs out.

How Long a Permit Is Valid

Most foreigners receive a first permit for 6 months to 1 year, which can then be renewed for up to 1 year at a time during the first five years. People working in IT, whether employed or self-employed, get a longer first permit of up to 3 years and can renew it for up to 3 years at a time. Once you have five consecutive years of renewals behind you, each further renewal can run for up to five years.

A Work Permit Is Not a Residence Permit

A work permit doesn't replace a visa or a residence permit in Georgia, and neither of those replaces a work permit. To work legally, most people now need both: a work permit plus either a D1 visa or a work residence permit.

Before March 1, 2026, a residence permit on its own was enough to work legally. Now it isn't, and without a separate work permit, your residence permit gives you no right to work.

The Fine for Working Without a Permit

Working without a permit can cost you a 2,000 lari fine, and it can be issued to the employee or self-employed person as well as to the employer. Repeat offenses bring heavier fines.

Transition Period for Those Already Working

Employees who were already registered in the labour migration database before the law took effect have until January 1, 2027 to comply with the new rules. For self-employed people and individual entrepreneurs already working in Georgia, checks started on May 1, 2026.

Even so, don't wait until the deadline. The implementing regulations are still being finalized, the government amended them several times between February and July 2026, and some procedural details could change again.

If You Already Have an IE

If you are registered as an individual entrepreneur in Georgia and work with foreign clients while living here, that registration alone no longer lets you work legally. You need a separate work permit as a self-employed person, no matter where your clients are from.

The law is brand new, and the regulations behind it have already been revised several times in its first few months. If your situation is less straightforward, for example you have both local and foreign clients, get advice from an immigration lawyer instead of relying on general information.