The Right to Work in Georgia: Labour-Migration Permit Explained (2026)

Georgia’s 2026 labour migration reform introduced a fundamental change to the way foreign nationals work in the country. In most cases, carrying out employment or self-employed economic activity now requires a right to work issued by the State Employment Promotion Agency. This authorisation is separate from a visa or residence permit and is often the first step before obtaining a D1 immigration visa, a Work Residence Permit, or an IT Residence Permit.

This guide focuses only on the right to work. If you also need permission to live in Georgia, see our Work Residence Permit guide. If you are applying from abroad, our Guide to Georgian Visas explains the D1 immigration visa.

What the right to work actually is

The right to work is the legal authorisation that allows a foreign national to work or carry out self-employed economic activity in Georgia. In most cases, it is the first step in the employment or business immigration process.

The right to work is separate from a visa or residence permit. Holding a residence permit does not automatically give you the right to work, and obtaining the right to work does not, by itself, allow you to live in Georgia. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need a D1 immigration visa, a Work Residence Permit, or an IT Residence Permit.

As a general rule, a foreign national may work in Georgia only after obtaining the right to work and holding the immigration status required by law. The legislation, however, provides a number of important exceptions. Certain categories of foreigners are exempt from the right-to-work requirement altogether, while others may work without obtaining a D1 visa or a work residence permit. These exceptions are explained below.

The right to work is issued by the State Employment Promotion Agency through the electronic labour migration system.

Who is a labour immigrant, and who is self-employed?

The legislation distinguishes between labour immigrants and self-employed foreigners. The distinction is important because the application procedure differs depending on which category you fall into.

A labour immigrant is a foreign national who works for a local employer under an employment relationship. This includes both on-site employment in Georgia and employment performed remotely for a local employer.

A self-employed foreigner is someone who carries out economic activity independently for financial gain. This includes, for example, entrepreneurs, individual contractors and people providing services or conducting trade on their own account.

The distinction determines who submits the application. For labour immigrants, the application is made by the local employer. Self-employed foreigners apply personally, through the electronic labour migration system, and must complete a mandatory video interview with the State Employment Promotion Agency.

The exemptions: who does not need the right to work

The Law sets out a number of categories of foreigners who are not required to obtain the right to work. If you fall within one of these categories, the work permit regime does not apply to you.

You are exempt if you are:

a person granted refugee, additional protection or temporary protection status in Georgia;
a registered asylum seeker;
a member of an accredited diplomatic mission, foreign consular post or international organisation in Georgia;
an accredited journalist working for a foreign media organisation in Georgia;
a person covered by an international treaty that provides for different rules on employment;
the holder of a valid Investment Residence Permit;
the holder of a valid Special Residence Permit issued on the written initiative of a member of the Government of Georgia;
carrying out short-term professional activity, where the applicable legal requirements are met;
carrying out activities for the benefit of a public institution or an enterprise established with state participation;
working entirely remotely for a local employer, where the work does not require you to enter Georgia;
providing labour or services to a non-resident where those services relate to the non-resident’s activities outside Georgia (except where you are registered as an Individual Entrepreneur and require a residence permit to remain lawfully in Georgia);
carrying out managerial or governance functions, or serving on an audit committee, in a Category I, II or III enterprise or in a public-interest entity within the meaning of the Law of Georgia on Accounting, Reporting and Auditing;
carrying out activities relating to the conservation, restoration or rehabilitation of a cultural heritage monument;
a person holding the temporary right of stay under Article 60 of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.

One exemption deserves particular attention. The exemption for providing labour or services to a non-resident applies only where those services relate to the non-resident’s activities outside Georgia. However, it does not apply where the foreigner is registered as an Individual Entrepreneur and requires a residence permit to remain lawfully in Georgia. In that situation, obtaining the right to work may still be necessary.

For many remote workers and freelancers, the two most relevant exemptions are:

working entirely remotely for a local employer, where the work does not require the foreigner to enter Georgia; and
providing services to non-resident clients in connection with their activities outside Georgia, subject to the Individual Entrepreneur exception described above.

Short-term professional activity: the four-month rule

Foreign nationals carrying out short-term professional activity are exempt from the right-to-work requirement, provided they meet the conditions laid down in the legislation.

The activity may not exceed four months in total during a calendar year, calculated from the date the labour immigrant begins the activity, and it may never continue beyond the person’s lawful period of stay in Georgia. The exemption is therefore intended for genuinely temporary professional engagements rather than ongoing employment.

The exemption is not automatic. Before the activity begins, the local employer or the organiser of the services must register the labour immigrant through the electronic labour migration system at www.labourmigration.moh.gov.ge and submit the information required by the Ordinance. The registration is free of charge.

The activity will not qualify as short-term professional activity if:

the labour immigrant has not been registered in the electronic system;
the registration has not been confirmed by the Agency;
the labour immigrant is staying in Georgia unlawfully; or
the activity falls within a profession, qualification or economic sector subject to an annual quota.

Where any of these conditions is not met, the exemption does not apply. The work is treated as being carried out without the required authorisation, and both the labour immigrant and the local employer or organiser may incur liability under the Law on Labour Migration.

How to apply

Applications for the right to work are submitted through the electronic labour migration system, but the procedure differs depending on whether the foreign national is employed or self-employed.

Labour immigrants

Where a foreign national will work for a local employer, the application is submitted by the employer. The right to work is issued for a specific employer and a specific position, meaning it cannot be transferred to another employer. If the foreign national later changes employer or changes to a different position requiring a new authorisation, a new right to work must generally be obtained.

Self-employed foreigners

Self-employed foreigners apply personally through the electronic labour migration system. Applications cannot be submitted through a representative.

After submitting the required information and documents, the applicant must complete a mandatory video interviewwith the State Employment Promotion Agency. The interview is conducted in Georgian or English, although the applicant may attend with an interpreter if necessary. During the interview, the applicant must present the original passport used for the application and confirm the electronic application. The Agency considers the application only after this step has been completed.

Failure to attend the video interview, to confirm the electronic application, or to produce the original passport are all express grounds for refusing the application.

Employer quotas and turnover requirements

For certain employers, obtaining the right to work involves an additional quota approval before an application can be submitted.

A local employer must first obtain an annual quota from the State Employment Promotion Agency if, during a calendar year, it intends to employ:

more than five foreign nationals, or
a number of foreign nationals exceeding 5% of its total workforce (unless 5% amounts to fewer than five employees).

The quota request must be submitted through the electronic labour migration system at least 10 working days before applying for the right to work. Once approved, the employer may submit applications within the allocated quota. Where justified, the employer may request that the quota be increased during the year. Conversely, if a significant part of the quota remains unused, the Agency may reduce the employer’s quota for the following year.

Employers subject to the quota procedure must also demonstrate a minimum annual turnover. The required turnover is:

GEL 50,000 for each foreign national for whom the employer seeks a right to work; or
GEL 35,000 per foreign national for educational and medical institutions.

These quota and turnover requirements do not apply to:

companies holding International Company Status under the Tax Code;
companies with Innovative Startup Status;
international experts serving on the authorisation or accreditation expert panels of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement;
foreigners whose personal performance has been demonstrated as necessary at the request of one or more state institutions; and
certain highly paid positions requiring specific qualifications, where the statutory conditions are met (including a monthly gross salary exceeding GEL 15,000 and a relevant higher education qualification).

Processing time, additional information and fees

Once a complete application has been submitted, the State Employment Promotion Agency reviews it within 30 calendar days, or within 10 working days where the expedited procedure has been requested. If the Agency identifies missing information or inconsistencies during the review, it may request additional documents or require the applicant to correct deficiencies within the prescribed time limit.

The Agency issues its decision electronically. Both the applicant and, where applicable, the employer are notified by email, and the decision is deemed to have been served when it is sent electronically. The decision may be challenged in accordance with the General Administrative Code of Georgia.

The government fees are currently:

Service	Fee
Standard application (up to 30 calendar days)	GEL 200
Expedited application (up to 10 working days)	GEL 400
Renewal of the right to work	GEL 200

For labour immigrants, the application fee is paid by the local employer. Self-employed foreigners pay the fee themselves through the electronic labour migration system.

Where an application is submitted for a person who falls outside the scope of the Law on Labour Migration, the Agency may leave the application without examination. In such cases, the government fee is not refunded.

After obtaining the right to work

Obtaining the right to work is only the first step. Depending on where you are when it is granted, you may also need to obtain the appropriate immigration status within the deadlines set by law.

If you are outside Georgia, you must apply for a D1 immigration visa within 30 calendar days of the right to work being granted. If you are already in Georgia, you must apply for a Work Residence Permit — or, where eligible, an IT-employed Residence Permit — within 10 calendar days. Failure to apply within these time limits causes the right to work to lapse automatically.

There is one important exception. You are not required to obtain a residence permit if you already hold any valid Georgian residence permit. Likewise, foreigners whose work is carried out entirely remotely and does not require them to enter Georgia are not required to obtain a residence permit under these provisions.

To continue employing a foreign national, the employer must apply to renew the right to work at least 30 calendar days before it expires. The employer must also notify the Agency, through the electronic labour migration system, of the early termination of the employment relationship or any amendment to the employment contract within five calendar days. A decision refusing or terminating the right to work may be challenged before the court within one month.

Ordinance No. 321 also clarifies when a new right to work is required. A change of position for an employee, or a change in the field of activity of a self-employed foreigner, requires a new right to work. By contrast, where an amendment to the employment contract changes only the position level, remuneration or working schedule, there is no requirement to obtain a new right to work, and the amendment does not need to be reported through the electronic labour migration system.

When the right to work can be refused

The State Employment Promotion Agency may refuse to grant the right to work on a number of grounds. These include, among others, where an application for renewal is submitted after the statutory deadline; where the foreign national’s profession, qualification or proposed position does not correspond to the needs of the Georgian labour market or falls within a restricted profession or activity; or where the person is subject to expulsion proceedings or an enforceable expulsion decision.

The assessment of whether a foreign national’s qualifications genuinely correspond to the proposed position is one of the key substantive elements of the procedure. Applicants should therefore ensure that their education, professional experience and supporting documents clearly match the role for which the right to work is sought.

The Agency may also refuse an application on procedural grounds. An application will be refused where deficiencies identified by the Agency are not remedied within 10 calendar days, or where the corrected submission still fails to address the identified deficiencies. Refusal may also follow where:

the employer has exceeded its approved annual quota of foreign workers;
the application concerns a profession or activity subject to an annual quota that has already been exhausted;
the required documents demonstrating compliance with the statutory activity requirements or other prescribed documents are not submitted; or
in the case of a self-employed applicant, the applicant fails to attend the mandatory video interview, fails to confirm the electronic application, or fails to present the original passport used for the application.

When the right to work ends

The right to work does not last indefinitely. It terminates automatically in a number of situations prescribed by law.

These include the expiry or early termination of the employment contract; a self-employed foreigner remaining outside Georgia for more than six consecutive months; the expiry of the D1 immigration visa or the relevant residence permit; failure to apply within the statutory deadline for the required visa or residence permit after the right to work has been granted; a refusal to issue the required visa or residence permit; or the adoption of an expulsion decision against the foreign national.

Where the right to work has been refused or terminated, a new application may generally be submitted no earlier than one month after the decision. At the time of reapplying, the foreign national must either be outside Georgia or otherwise have a lawful basis to remain in the country.

The cost of getting it wrong

Working without the required right to work is an administrative offence under the Law on Labour Migration. Liability may fall on both the foreign national and the employer, and the financial penalties increase for repeated violations.

Violation	First offence	Repeat offence	Subsequent offences
Foreign national working without the required right to work	GEL 2,000	GEL 4,000	GEL 6,000
Self-employed foreign national (Individual Entrepreneur) carrying out activities without the required right to work	GEL 2,000	GEL 4,000	GEL 6,000
Employer, for each foreign national employed without the required right to work	GEL 2,000	GEL 4,000	GEL 6,000
Carrying out work in breach of the conditions of the right to work (for example, changing the position or field of activity without obtaining a new right to work where required)	GEL 2,000	GEL 4,000	GEL 6,000
Employer failing to report the termination or amendment of an employment contract, or failing to apply for renewal of the right to work within the prescribed period	GEL 1,000	GEL 2,000	GEL 3,000

The Law also allows the competent authorities to exchange information on labour migration violations with other public bodies, including the Labour Inspection Service and the authorities responsible for migration control. As a result, non-compliance may have consequences beyond the administrative fine itself.

For employers, the right to work is therefore more than an immigration formality—it is an ongoing compliance obligation. Ensuring that foreign employees obtain the required authorisation, keeping it valid, and meeting the reporting obligations can help avoid significant financial penalties.

If you already live and work in Georgia

Because the right-to-work system was introduced in 2026, the Law includes a transitional arrangement for foreigners who were already living and working in Georgia.

A labour immigrant who was registered with active status in the Ministry’s labour migration system on 1 March 2026must obtain both the right to work and the corresponding residence permit by 1 January 2027.

For everyone else, the ordinary rules apply. Where the law requires a right to work, it must be obtained before the foreign national begins the relevant employment or self-employed activity.

How this fits into the bigger picture

The right to work is only one part of Georgia’s labour migration system. Depending on your circumstances, it must usually be followed by the appropriate immigration status.

If you are outside Georgia, you will generally need to obtain a D1 immigration visa. If you are already in Georgia, you will normally need to apply for a Work Residence Permit or, where eligible, an IT-employed Residence Permit. These procedures have their own requirements, including the income threshold applicable to work residence permits. You can read more in the Guide to Residence Permits.

For many employers, the annual turnover requirement is relevant at both stages. When applying for the right to work, employers may need to demonstrate an annual turnover of GEL 50,000 for each foreign national, or GEL 35,000 for each foreign national employed by an educational or medical institution. Separate turnover requirements also apply when applying for a Work Residence Permit, including a temporary exemption for certain newly established employers. Those rules are explained in detail in the Work Residence Permit Guide.

If you intend to live in Georgia while working remotely, you should also consider the tax implications of your activities. The right to work and tax residency are governed by different rules. For more information, see our Georgia for Digital Nomads guide.

Understanding how these procedures fit together can help you avoid delays and unexpected refusals. In most cases, obtaining the right to work is the first step, while securing the appropriate visa or residence permit is what allows you to continue living and working lawfully in Georgia.

A note on a new and evolving framework

Georgia’s mandatory right-to-work system is still relatively new, and the legal framework continues to evolve. Since its introduction, both the Law on Labour Migration and the implementing government ordinances have already been amended several times, while the subsistence minimum, annual quota list and restricted professions and activitiesmay also change independently.

As the legislation is still developing, administrative practice may also continue to evolve, particularly in areas such as the remote-work exemptions, the foreign-client exemptions, and the practical operation of the video interview for self-employed applicants.

Before making important decisions, it is always worth checking the latest requirements, fees, processing times and forms through the Ministry of Labour’s Labour Migration System and, where relevant, the Public Service Development Agency.

This guide is intended to provide a practical explanation of the law in force at the time of writing. It is general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice for any particular case.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 'right to work' in Georgia?

It is the permission a foreign national needs to take paid employment or carry out entrepreneurial activity for economic benefit in Georgia. Under the Law on Labour Migration, only a foreigner who holds both the right to work and a qualifying immigration status (a work residence permit, an IT-employed residence permit, a D1 immigration visa or another residence permit) may legally work in Georgia, unless one of the statutory exemptions applies. It is granted by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs through its electronic labour-migration system, and is a separate authorisation from the residence permit itself.

Do remote workers and people serving foreign clients need the right to work?

Generally no. The Law lists exemptions, and Law No 1509 of 15 April 2026 widened them. Among the exempt categories are a person who works completely remotely for an employer and does not need to enter Georgia to do the work, and a person who supplies labour or services to a non-resident in connection with that non-resident's activity carried on outside Georgia (in practice, freelancers and contractors serving clients abroad). Holders of any other residence permit are also outside the requirement. Because the precise edges are still being settled in administrative practice, confirm your own position before relying on a specific exemption.

How does an employee get the right to work, and how does a self-employed person?

An employee does not apply alone: after concluding an employment contract, the local employer applies on the employee's behalf through the electronic labour-migration system, and the right to work is tied to that specific employer. A self-employed foreigner applies directly and, since Ordinance No 321 of 9 July 2026, must do so in person rather than through a representative, and must then pass a compulsory video interview with the Agency. The review period is a maximum of 30 calendar days from the date a complete file is submitted, or 10 working days under the expedited procedure.

What is 'short-term professional activity' and how long can it last?

It is one of the exempt categories, and Ordinance No 321 of 9 July 2026 finally defines it. Short-term professional activity may not exceed four months in total within a calendar year, counted from the day it begins, and may not run longer than your lawful stay in the country. Before it starts, the local employer or the organiser of the activity must register the person in the labour-migration electronic system and submit the prescribed information; that registration is free. If the registration is missing or unconfirmed, if the person is in Georgia without a lawful basis, or if the activity falls under an annual quota, it does not count as short-term professional activity and both the worker and the employer face liability.

Does my employer need a quota to hire foreign staff?

Sometimes. Under Ordinance No 321, an employer planning to hire more than five foreign nationals in a calendar year, or whose foreign staff would exceed 5% of total headcount (unless 5% is fewer than five people), must agree an annual quota with the Agency electronically at least ten working days before applying for the right to work. The employer must also evidence annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 for each foreign national applying, reduced to GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions. A quota left unused can be cut the following year.

How much does it cost?

The service fee is capped at GEL 500, and that cap includes expedited handling. The fee is paid to the State Employment Support Agency (LEPL). There is no separate higher 'fast-track' price above the cap.

What happens after the right to work is granted?

If you are abroad, you must apply for a D1 immigration visa within 30 calendar days. If you are already in Georgia, you must apply for a work residence permit (or, for IT-sector employees, an IT-employed residence permit) within 10 calendar days. You are not obliged to obtain a residence permit if you already hold any residence permit, or if you work completely remotely and do not need to enter Georgia. To continue the relationship, the employer must apply to extend the right to work at least 30 calendar days before it expires.

What are the penalties for working without the right to work?

Working, or organising work, without the required right to work is an administrative offence. The fine is GEL 2,000 for the employer or organiser of the activity, and GEL 2,000 for the labour immigrant or self-employed person concerned; a repeat offence doubles the fine, and a further repeat triples it. Changing employer or field of activity without renewing the right to work is also fined GEL 2,000. Obstructing labour-migration inspection or failing to present identity documents carries separate fines.

I already live and work in Georgia. Is there a deadline?

Yes. Under the transitional rules, a labour immigrant who was registered with active status in the Ministry's database as of 1 March 2026 must obtain both the right to work and the corresponding residence permit by 1 January 2027. If you are newly arriving or changing status, the right to work must be in place before you begin the work that requires it. Confirm the current transitional arrangements with the Ministry, because this regime is new and still being implemented.

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