Everything you need to know about Georgia’s new rules for hiring foreign workers
From 1 March 2026, Georgia has significantly restricted employment opportunities for foreign citizens.
Foreign nationals must now obtain a special permit to work in the country. This means they—and especially their employers—will have to navigate bureaucratic procedures, pay required fees and wait for approval from the relevant authorities. They will also have to repeat this process every year.
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At the same time, foreigners will be barred from working in certain sectors altogether. These include passenger transport, courier services and tour guiding—fields that have so far employed the largest number of foreign workers.
Self-employed individuals will also need work permits, including freelancers and providers of various services or goods.
Violating the rules will result in fines for both the employer and the employee.
Previously, the decision to employ a foreign worker in Georgia rested solely between private parties, with the state only informed afterward. Now, the state itself will decide whether a foreigner can be employed.
The restrictions stem from amendments to the Law on Labour Migration, which Georgia’s parliament adopted in June 2025. A government decree issued on 20 February 2026 then set out detailed rules for issuing work permits.
In this article, we, together with Saba Sutidze, a lawyer at the Tolerance and Diversity Institute, aim to answer key questions about the new regulations.
Key change — the right to work
The main innovation is the requirement to obtain a special work permit, referred to as the “right to work”. Working without such a permit is illegal and carries administrative liability.
A public legal entity—the State Employment Support Agency under Georgia’s Ministry of Labour—issues these permits.
Previously, foreign citizens did not need any special requirements to work in Georgia. They only needed to stay in the country legally. After hiring, the employer simply had to enter the employee’s details into the ministry’s unified database.
Who is affected by the changes?
The changes apply to all foreign nationals who do not have permanent residence in Georgia:
- foreigners employed by local employers
- self-employed foreigners (entrepreneurs, freelancers)
- individuals engaged in business activities
- those working remotely for a local employer
What is a residence permit?
Permanent residence (a permanent residence permit) is a legal status that allows a foreign national to live in the country indefinitely without being a citizen.
It is granted to spouses of Georgian citizens, minor children, and parents of minor Georgian citizens.
It is also granted to foreigners who have lived in Georgia on a temporary residence permit for the past ten years. Time spent in the country for study or medical treatment, as well as time working in diplomatic services or equivalent missions, does not count toward this period.
Permanent residence may also be granted to foreigners who hold an investment residence permit, provided they meet the required investment conditions for five years after obtaining it. An investment residence permit is issued to those who invest at least $300,000 in Georgia or own property in the country with a market value exceeding that amount.
Who is considered a local employer?
A local employer is defined as a legal entity registered in Georgia, an individual entrepreneur registered in Georgia, a partnership, a branch of a foreign organisation, or an individual legally residing in Georgia who employs a foreign national without permanent residence status.
How does the law define a self-employed person?
This is a new concept.
A self-employed foreigner is defined as a citizen of another country who carries out work in Georgia for financial gain. This means the person is not in a traditional employer–employee relationship but instead provides services or supplies goods under a contract, operating within a business relationship.
How broad is the scope of those affected?
Several examples illustrate the scope:
I am a French citizen temporarily in Georgia, teaching French at a private school. Do I need a permit?
Yes. You are in an employment relationship with a private company, and the school must obtain a permit for you to continue working.
What if I work remotely? For example, I live in London and teach an online course for a Georgian university.
Yes, the rules apply to you as well. Previously, the law covered only those physically present in Georgia in standard employment relationships. It now also applies to those working remotely from abroad.
I am a medical student from India doing an internship at a Georgian clinic. Do the restrictions apply?
If the internship is paid, yes. If it is unpaid, no, as financial gain is a key element of an employment relationship.
I am an expert invited to Georgia for three months to work on a specific project.
Yes, the rules apply to you.
I am from Russia, opened a gym in Georgia and hired staff, including Georgian citizens. Do the changes affect me?
Setting up a company is not affected. However, if you want to hire foreign nationals, you will need a permit.
Are there any exemptions?
Yes, several categories are exempt:
- refugees
- individuals with temporary or subsidiary protection, as well as asylum seekers
- diplomatic staff
- employees of international organisations
- accredited journalists in Georgia
- holders of investment residence permits
- individuals covered by international agreements
- seafarers
Examples from this group:
I am from Ukraine and effectively a refugee, but I do not yet have official status.
The new rules still apply. Without formally applying for international protection, you do not qualify for the exemption.
I am a psychologist from Belarus living in Georgia and providing private sessions.
The rules apply to you. Your clients or companies are considered service recipients, meaning you must obtain the right to work.
Who must obtain a permit and how does the process work?
To obtain the “right to work”, the employer must apply to the authorities when hiring a foreign employee. A self-employed person must apply independently.
Employers must register a request on the official platform (worknet.moh.gov.ge), indicating the position they want to fill. The Employment Agency then has ten days to find a suitable local candidate and propose them to the employer, as priority is given to Georgian citizens.
If no suitable local candidate is found, the company can proceed with hiring a foreign worker.
To obtain a permit, applicants must submit a substantial set of documents through a separate agency platform: http://www.labormigration.moh.gov.ge.
When an employer applies, they must provide:
- detailed information about the company and the person submitting the application (full name, contact details, position)
- personal data of the foreign employee
- a description of the vacancy and qualification requirements
- the applicant’s profession, qualifications, experience and skills
- the terms of the contract, along with a copy
- a signed official application form
Self-employed applicants must submit fewer documents:
- personal information
- details of their profession, qualifications and work experience
- information about their professional or business activity
- a recorded video interview with an agency representative (the agency records and provides it)
The agency has between 10 working days and 30 calendar days to approve or reject an application.
The permit is subject to a fee.
A standard review, completed within 30 days, costs 200 lari (about $73). An expedited review, completed within 10 working days, costs 400 lari (about $146).
The employer pays the fee, or the applicant pays it themselves if they are self-employed.
Applicants can appeal a refusal.
Does obtaining a permit allow me to work anywhere?
No. The right to work applies to a specific employer and position. If you change roles within the same company, you must apply again. The same applies to self-employed individuals: the permit covers a specific activity or field.
I am self-employed and already have a permit for one business. If I start another, do I need a new one?
If the permit covers a broader field and the new activity falls within it, you do not need a new one. If you move into a different field, you do. If the permit was issued for a narrowly defined activity, you must apply again even within the same sector.
What are procedural exemptions and who do they apply to?
The regulations define cases where companies do not need to submit a preliminary request for candidate selection and can directly apply for a work permit for a specific foreign national.
These include:
- innovative startups and companies with international status
- international experts involved in accreditation and authorisation groups of the National Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement
- cases where two conditions are met: a salary above 15,000 lari (about $5,475) and the need for highly specialised qualifications, which the employer must justify
How long is the permit valid and how can it be extended?
In most sectors, work permits are issued for one year. The IT sector is an exception, where permits are valid for three years.
Permits can be extended. Applicants must reapply at least 30 days before expiry and repeat the same procedure, including paying the fee again.
If the application is submitted less than 30 days before expiry, the permit will be terminated and must be obtained again rather than extended. It is therefore advisable to apply at least two months in advance.
During the first five years, permits are extended annually. After that, extensions can range from one to five years.
For IT specialists, permits are extended for three-year periods each time.
I have obtained a work permit. Do I need anything else?
Under the new rules, a work permit alone is no longer sufficient for employment. This is another key change.
In addition to a work permit, you must also obtain a work visa (category D1) and a residence permit for employment.
Let’s go through these procedures as well
If you are not yet in Georgia but have already obtained a work permit, your next step is to apply for a work visa (category D1) at a Georgian embassy or consulate in your country—even if your country has a visa-free regime with Georgia. After entering the country, you must also obtain a residence permit for employment.
If you are already in Georgia, you do not need a work visa. However, you will still need a residence permit for employment.
A residence permit for employment gives a foreign national the legal right to live and work in Georgia. The Public Service Development Agency issues it, and applicants submit their documents through the Public Service Hall. Along with personal data, applicants must provide proof of the employer’s annual turnover. To qualify, your salary must be at least five times the subsistence minimum in Georgia. The employer’s annual turnover per foreign employee must be at least 50,000 lari (about $18,248), or 35,000 lari (about $12,774) for medical and educational institutions. These are not new rules—this system already existed.
Foreign nationals working remotely for Georgian employers from abroad do not need a work visa or a residence permit.
What happens if you break the rules?
Both the employer and the employee face fines of 2,000 lari (about $730). A repeat violation raises the fine to 4,000 lari (about $1,460). A third violation increases it to 12,000 lari (about $4,379).
In the case of self-employed individuals, both the foreign worker and the company receiving their services face penalties. Companies must therefore check in advance whether a self-employed foreigner has a valid work permit.
If all rules are followed, can a foreigner work in any sector?
Yes—except for sectors where the government has introduced zero quotas for foreign workers.
The government has fully banned foreign employment in three areas: courier services, passenger transport and tour guiding. These are the sectors where the largest number of foreign workers were previously employed.
Major courier and taxi platforms such as Bolt, Wolt and Glovo have already said they will no longer be able to hire foreign workers. There is no official data on how many foreigners worked in these sectors, but available research and labour market analysis suggest their share grew significantly in recent years, especially between 2022 and 2024—particularly in delivery services.
As for tour guides, the government has set a quota of just 200 positions for foreign specialists, limited to mountain, alpine and ski tourism.
Timeline: when do the rules take effect?
The government decree came into force on 1 March. However, implementation timelines vary.
For self-employed individuals, the new regulations will apply from 1 May 2026. They must bring their documents into compliance by that date.
Foreign workers whose contracts and registrations were already active in the Labour Ministry’s unified database as of 1 March 2026 must regularise their status—obtain a work permit and, if necessary, a residence permit—by 1 January 2027.
New rules for foreign workers in Georgia
