The First Step — the D2 Immigration Visa
For a person of liberal profession planning long-term work in Georgia, the path begins with an immigration visa. Article 7 of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons divides Georgian visas into categories and, among the immigration visas, defines category D2 — for persons coming to Georgia on a scientific, sporting, cultural or educational mission, for persons of liberal profession, as well as for aliens coming for an internship or as volunteers, and for media workers travelling to perform their professional duties.
For a freelancer this means that the law directly names him within the circle of holders of category D2: a person of liberal profession claims this category of immigration visa independently, without the support of an employer. The correct choice of visa category matters, because the grounds and requirements of the subsequent residence permit are built precisely on this initial choice.
The Work Residence Permit and Its Grounds
The next stage of residence is the work residence permit. Under Article 15 of the law, the work residence permit is issued to a work immigrant registered with the ministry of internally displaced persons from the occupied territories, labour, health and social affairs, or to an alien carrying on entrepreneurial activity in Georgia. When applying, the alien submits to the Agency a document confirming the carrying on of entrepreneurial or labour activity, as well as a certificate concerning income.
For a freelancer this construction is particularly significant: a person of liberal profession who carries on individual entrepreneurial activity in his own name claims the permit precisely on this ground — with documentation confirming entrepreneurial activity and a certificate of income. Before applying for residence it is therefore important to put the tax and banking documentation in order: it is precisely these papers that confirm the income criterion established by law.
The Income and Turnover Criteria
Article 15 links the work residence permit to two financial conditions. The first is personal income: the certificate must confirm that the monthly income or remuneration from entrepreneurial or labour activity in Georgia is not less than five times the subsistence minimum for an average consumer established in Georgia. The second is the employer’s turnover: the annual turnover of the employer enterprise must not be less than 50,000 GEL per each alien wishing to obtain the residence permit, while for an educational or medical institution the turnover must not be less than 35,000 GEL per each alien.
Knowing these criteria directly assists in planning the application: for a freelance individual the decisive factor is to exceed the threshold of five times the minimum steadily and to confirm this in documents; and where the alien works in an educational or medical institution, the lower turnover threshold applies accordingly. As a rule, the same criteria are re-verified on repeated applications, so maintaining the income level is the condition of stable residence.