Opening a branch of a foreign enterprise in Georgia is not only a business decision — it creates a separate task of staff immigration. This page explains how members of a branch's personnel legalise their stay in Georgia under the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons: which visa category fits them, what the work residence permit requires, and on what timelines the system operates. We note in advance: the corporate-transfer instruments of other states — for example the American L-1 visa or the corporate-transfer directives of the Schengen area — do not exist in Georgia; here each employee builds his or her status individually.
The branch's specificity from the migration standpoint
A branch does not create a group migration status: the law grants visas and residence permits directly to the alien — the natural person — and not to the enterprise. This means each branch employee is considered separately: a separate visa application, a separate permit process and separate documentation. This has its advantages — one employee's problem does not stall the whole group — and its demands: each requirement must be planned individually, including the turnover thresholds.
The D1 category for branch personnel
The appropriate visa route for a branch employee is the D1 category immigration visa. Under the law, the D1 is intended, among others, for representatives and consultants of companies and firms who travel to Georgia to perform their official duties — and this is exactly the format into which branch personnel fits. Moreover, under the wording in force since 1 March 2026 a D1 is issued to an alien who has received the right to labour activity — a formulation that ties the labour route even more clearly to the company's activity. The same list includes the registered labour immigrant and the entrepreneur coming under the Law on Entrepreneurs, so precisely defining each employee's role determines the formulation on which the application is built.
The work residence permit and turnover thresholds
Staying for work rests on a work residence permit. An applicant submits to the Agency a document confirming labour activity and a certificate confirming that his or her monthly income is not less than five times the average consumer subsistence minimum. The law also disciplines the employer: the annual turnover of an enterprise — other than an educational or medical institution — must not be less than 50 000 GEL per each alien seeking a work residence permit; for an educational or medical institution the threshold is 35 000 GEL. In the branch context this means: the enterprise's turnover is calculated separately for each relocated employee, and when planning a group transfer this arithmetic must be done in advance.
Permit validity periods
The validity periods of temporary residence permits are fixed precisely by law: they — including the work permit — are first issued for a period of 6 months to 1 year. Subsequently their validity may be extended up to a maximum of 12 years, for the alien's expected period of stay in Georgia and on the same conditions as those of the permit whose extension is requested. In a special case a temporary residence permit may be first issued for up to 5 years. These periods discipline the branch's staffing plan in exactly the volume the law provides — no less and no more.
What does not exist in Georgia — instead of a group approach
Clients often ask whether Georgia has a mechanism for bringing in an entire branch through a single application. The answer is no: the law provides no such instrument, and each employee's status is interpreted individually. At the same time, the corporate-transfer instruments of other states — the American L-1 visa model or the corresponding directives of the Schengen area — are not applicable in Georgia. The only legal reality is what is written in Georgian law: a D1 visa, a work residence permit and their requirements — separately for each employee.
Frequently asked questions
Below we answer the most common questions about branch staff immigration.
Can the whole branch be brought in with one application?
No — a visa and residence permit are granted directly to the alien, so each employee's status is built individually; a group-application instrument does not exist in the law.
Which visa does a branch employee need?
The D1 immigration visa — under the formulation of company representatives and consultants; since 1 March 2026 also within the category of aliens who have received the right to labour activity.
What turnover does the branch need?
An annual turnover of at least 50 000 GEL per each applicant alien; in an educational or medical format — 35 000 GEL.
For what term is the first permit issued?
From 6 months to 1 year; in a special case up to 5 years, with extension possible up to 12 years.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team helps plan the full staffing relocation of a branch: selecting the category for each employee, assembling the applications, verifying the turnover arithmetic and building the timeline schedule. In a written consultation you receive a plan matched to your expansion calendar. Contact us through the Legal.ge website.