About Labour Migration

As of 1 March 2026, updated rules under Georgia's Law on "Labour Migration" will come into effect. To clarify how these changes will affect small entrepreneurs and remote workers, I submitted an inquiry to the Labour Inspection of the Ministry of Health of Georgia. In response, the relevant state authority provided the following clarification.

Who Does This Apply To?

The new rules will apply to foreign nationals who do not hold a permanent residence permit in Georgia if they:

  • plan to work for a Georgian employer (either in-office or remotely), or
  • carry out activities in Georgia as self-employed individuals/entrepreneurs (trade, services, etc.), act as partners or independent contractors, and generally receive financial benefit from their activities.

Remote Work Requirements

If a foreign national works entirely remotely (either as an employee or self-employed), the key requirement is to obtain the right to perform work activities.

If, however, the nature of the work involves periodic travel to Georgia, then after obtaining the right to perform work activities, the individual will additionally be required to obtain:

  • an immigration visa of category D1, and
  • a work residence permit.

Application Process

For self-employed foreign nationals, starting from 1 March 2026, applications to obtain the right to perform work activities must be submitted through a special electronic system at:

labourmigration.moh.gov.ge

Detailed rules (procedures, mandatory criteria, and timelines) will be established by a separate subordinate legal act, which the Government of Georgia is expected to approve by 1 March 2026.