One of the most generous visa-free provisions on earth — a full 365 days — alongside a clear property route to residency. Georgia's 2026 work-permit reforms shifted twice, and the net result is better for remote workers than the early headlines suggested.
Most expats still do not need a permit to live and earn in Georgia. Citizens of around 95 countries get 365 days visa-free, and that alone covers retirees, passive-income earners, and — after the April 2026 amendments — most remote workers and freelancers who serve foreign clients.
The 2026 Right to Labour Activity permit mainly applies to people working for the Georgian market: employees on a Georgian contract, and self-employed people serving Georgian clients. If your income comes entirely from foreign clients or a foreign employer, you are generally outside the requirement.
Property routes: a short-term residence permit from US$150,000 of property (renewed yearly), or a US$300,000 investment residence permit (5 years) that converts to permanent residency. General permanent residency comes after 10 years of continuous legal residence.
Georgia offers a modern, European-adjacent capital, low taxes, and 365-day visa-free entry that lets many expats simply live there indefinitely. The country's labour rules changed twice in 2026 — first tightening, then easing — and the second change is the one that matters for remote workers. For retirees, passive-income earners, foreign-client freelancers and property investors, the options remain excellent. This guide covers every current pathway.
Georgia offers 365-day visa-free entry to citizens of around 95 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, all EU member states, Australia and New Zealand, and most other developed economies.
This is not a 30- or 90-day provision — it is a full year. Citizens of these countries can enter and remain for up to 365 days with no visa, permit or application of any kind. The re-entry mechanics vary slightly by nationality, but in practice a short exit and return resets the clock for most.
For the right person — a retiree drawing income from abroad, a remote worker employed by a foreign company, an investor living off passive income — 365-day visa-free entry can be a complete long-term strategy. If your income is genuinely from outside Georgia and you are not employed by a Georgian entity or serving the Georgian market, there is currently no requirement to formalise your status further.
Georgia's work rules moved twice in 2026. Understanding both steps is the key to knowing whether the permit applies to you.
Government Resolution №70 introduced a mandatory work-authorisation regime, the Right to Labour Activity. As first written, it appeared to sweep in almost every working foreigner — including remote workers and freelancers — which is where the early "the visa-free era is over" headlines came from.
Parliament enacted Law №1509, which pulled several large groups back out of the requirement — most importantly, remote workers and freelancers serving foreign clients, company founders and partners, and directors of larger companies. For the audience Georgia attracts most, the permit is no longer the obstacle the first wave implied.
The net result: the permit requirement now turns on whether you work for the Georgian market — not simply on whether you happen to be sitting in Tbilisi.
The Right to Labour Activity is Georgia's work-authorisation permit for foreign nationals who work for the Georgian market without holding permanent residence. Where it applies, it is paired with a residence permit or a D1 long-stay (national) visa.
The dividing line is your client or employer, not your physical location. If you are in Georgia but your income comes entirely from foreign clients or a foreign employer — with no Georgian clients and no local-market activity — the April 2026 amendments place you outside the permit requirement. If you work for the Georgian market, you need the permit.
Working for the Georgian market without the permit, where it is required, carries a fine of 2,000 GEL — applied to the employer and to the worker, or to the self-employed individual. For self-employed people, a repeat offence rises to 5,000 GEL. The permit's own service fee is capped at 500 GEL.
Self-employed applicants apply directly through the Ministry of Labour's portal; employers apply on behalf of contracted staff. Standard processing is up to 30 calendar days. Once the permit is granted, applicants already in Georgia have 10 days to apply for the corresponding residence permit at the Public Service Hall, while those abroad apply for a D1 visa at a Georgian consulate within 30 days. Permits are typically issued for 6 months to 1 year and renewed annually in the early years; IT-sector specialists can receive permits of up to 3 years. A permit is tied to a specific employer, role or sector — changing any of these means a fresh application.
Introduced alongside the April 2026 amendments, the C5 is a five-year visa allowing continuous stays of up to one year. It is designed for short-term purposes including tourism and remote work for companies registered outside Georgia — a formal option for foreign-employed remote workers who want documented status without entering the work-permit system. Your immigration lawyer can advise whether the C5, plain visa-free entry, or a residence permit best fits your situation.
Georgia's property routes are among the most accessible in the region. Two distinct permits sit under this heading — they are often confused, but the thresholds and outcomes differ.
| Route & threshold | Permit & pathway |
|---|---|
| Short-term residence permit by property Property valued from US$150,000 | 1-year permit, renewable annually while you own the qualifying property. Counts toward the 10-year route to permanent residency. |
| Investment residence permit Investment from US$300,000 | 5-year permit. Converts to permanent residency after the 5-year period, provided the investment is maintained and turnover criteria are met. Holders are also exempt from the work permit. |
Both options include the investor's spouse and dependent children at no additional investment. The US$150,000 threshold took effect on 1 March 2026, raised from US$100,000.
Holding a temporary residence permit continuously for 10 years leads to eligibility for permanent residency. Those years must be on a formal legal status — not visa-free tourist entry — which in practice means holding and renewing a residence permit (investment, work or another qualifying category) across the period.
The US$300,000 investment residence permit converts to permanent residency after 5 years, provided the investment is maintained and the turnover conditions are met — roughly half the time of the general route.
Marriage to a Georgian national qualifies for a simplified path to permanent residency and, in time, naturalisation.
Permanent residency can be granted by decree for exceptional contribution to Georgia in cultural, scientific, academic or national-interest areas. Rarely applicable to most expats, but worth noting.
The D1 is Georgia's long-stay national visa, issued by Georgian consulates outside the country. It is the entry point when you need to formalise status from abroad — typically to pair with a work permit where one is required, or as a step toward a residence permit. Many people never need it: visa-free nationals already inside Georgia can apply for most residence permits directly at the Public Service Hall. Your immigration lawyer will advise whether your route requires a D1 at all.
One practical benefit of formalising residency is banking access. Georgia's dominant retail banks — TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia — have become more selective about opening accounts for non-residents following international anti-money-laundering pressure. Holding formal residency significantly simplifies account opening. For anyone managing local expenses, paying local bills, or receiving rental income from Georgian property, a local account is close to essential.
Yes, for many people. Citizens of around 95 countries can stay up to 365 days visa-free, and that covers retirees, passive-income earners, and — after the April 2026 amendments — most remote workers and freelancers whose income comes from foreign clients. You will need health and accident travel insurance (minimum 30,000 GEL) for the stay, an entry rule that has applied to all visitors since January 2026.
Generally no, following the April 2026 amendments (Law №1509). Remote workers and freelancers serving foreign, non-resident clients — with no Georgian clients and no local-market activity — are carved out of the Right to Labour Activity requirement, including individual entrepreneurs on Small Business Status who work only for the international market. The implementing ordinance is still settling, so confirm your specific case with a Georgian immigration lawyer. Note that tax residency is a separate question from your permit status.
People working for the Georgian market: employees on a Georgian employment contract, self-employed people and freelancers serving Georgian clients, and directors of Category 4 enterprises (small businesses and most startups). Founders, partners and shareholders, and directors of Category I–III companies, were exempted in April 2026.
From US$150,000 of property value for a short-term residence permit, renewed yearly while you own the property (raised from US$100,000 on 1 March 2026). A separate investment residence permit is available from US$300,000, runs five years, and converts to permanent residency. Thresholds are assessed on the GEL-equivalent valuation, so confirm the current bar at the time of purchase.
Ten years of continuous legal residence on a temporary permit for the general time-based route. The faster path is the US$300,000 investment residence permit, which converts to permanent residency after five years if the investment and turnover conditions are maintained. Marriage to a Georgian national offers a simplified route.
A five-year visa introduced in April 2026 that allows continuous stays of up to one year. It is aimed at short-term purposes including tourism and remote work for companies registered outside Georgia — a documented option for foreign-employed remote workers who prefer formal status to relying on visa-free entry.
Expat Connect Services connects you to vetted professionals and does not provide legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules changed twice in 2026 and the implementing ordinance is still settling — confirm current requirements with a licensed Georgian immigration lawyer.
Every immigration professional in our directory has been personally reviewed — including those who handle the 2026 work-permit and residence-permit processes daily.
Search the Directory