Key Definitions
Recent amendments have significantly redefined the concept of a “labour immigrant,” establishing a more comprehensive legal framework. Additionally, the amendments introduced new terms, including “self-employed foreigner” and “service organiser.”
Under the new provisions:
Labour Immigrant – Defined as a foreign national without a permanent residence permit in Georgia who seeks employment with a local employer or maintains remote work relations with a Georgian employer to engage in remunerative labour activities within the country, as well as self-employed individuals lacking permanent residency.
Self-Employed Foreigner – Defined as a foreign national without a permanent residence permit in Georgia who engages in labour activities within the country, such as operating or partnering in trade, services, or other types of business, acting as an independent contractor, or otherwise participating in entrepreneurial or labour activities for the purpose of generating financial gain.
Service Organiser – Referred to a natural or legal person who enters into any kind of arrangement with a self-employed foreign national resulting in the latter receiving a financial benefit.
Work Authorisation
- A labour immigrant seeking employment in Georgia must obtain work authorisation through a local employer, while self-employed foreign nationals are required to secure such authorisation independently.
- Work authorisation is granted by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia (“the Ministry”).
- A labour immigrant must comply with further legal requirements based on his or her location. Those outside Georgia must apply for a D1 category immigration visa within 30 calendar days of receiving work authorisation. Conversely, individuals already legally residing in Georgia must apply for either a labour residence permit or a residence permit for employment in the field of IT sector within 10 calendar days. These requirements do not apply to labour immigrants who already hold a valid residence permit under Georgian law or who perform their work entirely remotely without entering the territory of Georgia.
The employment and remunerated labour activities of labour immigrants with local employers, as well as the labour/entrepreneurial activities conducted by self-employed foreign nationals, are only permitted if:
- a legally defined labour contract has been concluded between the labour immigrant (excluding self-employed foreign nationals) and the local employer.
- the labour immigrant or self-employed foreign national possesses a valid right/authorisation to conduct labour activities as stipulated by the law.
- a labour immigrant or self-employed foreign national holds a labour residence permit, a D1 category immigration visa, and/or another type of residence permit as defined by Georgian legislation.
Penalties
Engaging in labour activities without proper authorisation incurs significant financial penalties, with labour immigrants and self-employed foreign nationals facing fines of GEL 2,000 each for unauthorised activities. Employers or service organisers that engage labour immigrants without the necessary permits are similarly fined GEL 2,000 per individual involved. The penalties increase for repeated offences, with fines doubling for second offences, and tripling for further infractions.
Transitional Provisions
Labour immigrants registered in the Ministry’s database as of 1 March 2026, must obtain work authorisation and a residence permit by 1 January 2027.
Introducing IT Residence Permit
The amendments to the “Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons”3 have introduced a specific residence permit category for individuals engaged in the IT sector. This temporary residence permit is available to labour immigrants registered with the Ministry, as well as their family members. It also extends to foreign nationals registered as small-business entrepreneurs conducting IT-related activities as defined by the Georgian government, and their families. Additionally, it covers executives and authorised representatives of international IT companies operating in Georgia. This type of temporary residence permit is initially issued for a period of three years.
