The Work-Right Regime in 2026 — Who It Covers
The Law of Georgia on Labour Migration separates the right to work in Georgia from the mere right to stay: only a foreigner who holds a work residence permit, a D1 category immigration visa and/or another type of residence permit issued together with the right to carry out labour activity may perform remunerated labour or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia and derive economic benefit from it, save for the exceptions expressly provided by the law. The regime entered into force in 2023 and has been refined in stages — the most recent amendments became effective on 15 April 2026, which is why this page speaks of the 2026 rules.
The law names the conditions that must exist simultaneously for lawful employment: a written employment contract must be concluded between the labour immigrant and the local employer; the immigrant must hold the right to labour activity; and the immigrant must hold a work residence permit, a D1 category immigration visa or another residence permit. The combination of all three conditions is what creates the legal basis for working in Georgia.
One detail deserves special attention: a foreigner who is already in Georgia may file an application for the right to labour activity only if he or she is lawfully present in the country. Self-employed foreigners carrying out labour or entrepreneurial activity fall under the same regime.
The law also provides an exception: a foreigner may carry out short-term professional activity without the right to labour activity and without the corresponding residence permit, provided the activity takes place within a temporary visit, does not constitute long-term employment on the local labour market, and is connected to a specific short-term project, event or service. The list of such activities, their permitted duration, the criteria and the monitoring rules are defined by a government decree, and a person acting on this basis is not regarded as a labour immigrant or a self-employed foreigner.
The Application — Who Files It and How the Right Is Issued
A labour immigrant employed by a local employer obtains the right to labour activity through that employer, while a self-employed foreigner applies directly. The application is addressed to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia: the self-employed foreigner files personally, and in the case of an employed immigrant the local employer files after concluding the employment contract. In both cases the documentation determined by the legislation must be submitted.
After receiving the application, the Ministry starts the procedures for granting the right to labour activity and takes one of two decisions — to grant the right or to refuse it. During the examination the Ministry is entitled to request additional information from the employer or the self-employed foreigner and/or to require the elimination of any inaccuracy revealed in the process.
Once the application and the attached documentation have been submitted in full, the total examination period must not exceed 30 calendar days — the same limit applies to an application for extension of the validity of the right. The service fee for granting the right to labour activity, including issuance under an accelerated administrative procedure, may not exceed 500 GEL; the exact amount, the payment procedure and the conditions are set by a government decree, and the fee is paid into the budget of the state agency supporting employment.
Note the precise content of the right: it is issued for the purpose of working with a specific local employer, and in the case of a self-employed foreigner — with reference to a specific specialty and field of labour or entrepreneurial activity. This means that changing the employer or the field is a matter for a new application, not an automatic transfer.
The Employment Contract — Mandatory Terms
The employment contract between a labour immigrant and a local employer is concluded only for a fixed term, in writing, in Georgian and in the labour immigrant's native language or another language understandable to him or her. In addition to the essential terms provided by the Labour Code, the contract must specify:
- the labour immigrant's name and surname, personal number and/or residence card or passport number;
- the employer's name and identification number — of the organisation, individual entrepreneur or natural person;
- the employer's legal and actual addresses and bank details;
- the date the contract enters into force and its duration;
- the workplace, including the full names of the organisation and structural unit, and its full address;
- the core rights, obligations and liability of both parties.