The Visa Basis of a Corporate Transfer — Category D1
An intra-company transfer — bringing an employee to Georgia within the same company's operations — rests on the visa side on subparagraph „da“ of Article 7 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens. It is there that the D1 immigration visa is expressly provided for representatives and consultants of companies and firms who travel to Georgia to perform their employment duties — precisely the visa instrument that serves an intra-company transfer.
Under the same subparagraph, a D1 visa is also issued to a labour immigrant registered in the unified database of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs who enters Georgia for employment with a local employer, and to persons coming to carry out entrepreneurial activity in accordance with the Law on Entrepreneurs. It is worth noting that the consolidated text also carries a new wording of this subparagraph, which enters into force on 1 March 2026 and ties the D1 visa to an alien who has received the right to labour activity — the link between the right to work and the visa becomes even more direct.
The Place of Category D in the Visa System
Under Article 7 of the law, Georgian visas are divided into categories: diplomatic (A), special (B), ordinary (C), immigration (D) and transit (T). A Georgian visa may be short-term or long-term. It is the immigration category D that covers the circle of persons oriented towards a longer stay in Georgia — for study, work or family reunification.
In the transfer context this means that the status of a company representative or consultant is shaped in the Georgian visa system as a separate, statutorily defined category, and the application must be built precisely on the requirements of that category.
The Work Residence Permit — a Status Tied to the Employer
After the visa, the next stage is residence. The work residence permit under subparagraph „a“ of Article 15 is issued to an alien carrying out entrepreneurial or labour activity, who submits to the agency a confirming document and a certificate confirming that his monthly income from entrepreneurial or labour activity in Georgia is not less than five times the subsistence minimum of the average consumer.
The law also sets a threshold on the employer's side: the employer enterprise's annual turnover must not be less than 50 000 GEL per each alien seeking a work residence permit, while for an educational or medical institution this threshold is reduced — to no less than 35 000 GEL. This means that when planning a transfer, the company must verify in advance its turnover counted per transferred employee.
Terms and Extension
Under Article 16 of the law, a work residence permit is first issued for a period from 6 months to 1 year, and subsequently its validity may be extended up to 12 years, on the same conditions as those of the originally granted permit. An employee entering through a transfer thus first receives the status for a short term and then extends it periodically on the same basis.
Where the basis changes — for example, the employee moves to another employer — that becomes the subject of a new assessment governed by other norms of the residence rules; within the scope of this page the core rule remains that extension takes place on the same conditions.
Stages of Planning a Transfer
In practice, the intra-company transfer route breaks down as follows: first, the D1 immigration visa under subparagraph „da“ of Article 7, as the basis for the entry of a company representative or consultant; second, the work residence permit under subparagraph „a“ of Article 15, observing the income and turnover thresholds; third, the management of terms under Article 16, planning the extension cycle within the 12-year limit.
At each stage the grounds for refusal and the possibility of appeal are defined separately by the corresponding norms, so the preparation of applications must be staged and well documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about intra-company transfers.
Which visa does a transferred employee need?
A D1 immigration visa — the law expressly names representatives and consultants of companies and firms travelling to perform their employment duties.
What income must the employee have?
Monthly income must not be less than five times the subsistence minimum of the average consumer.
What turnover does the employer need?
Annual turnover must not be less than 50 000 GEL per each foreign employee; for an educational or medical institution — no less than 35 000 GEL.
For what term is the residence permit issued?
First for 6 months to 1 year, and subsequently it may be extended up to 12 years on the same conditions.
Does the rule change from 2026?
The consolidated text carries a new wording of the D1 subparagraph, entering into force on 1 March 2026, which ties the visa to an alien who has received the right to labour activity.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team helps companies plan the visa and residence stages of a transfer: preparing the D1 application, verifying the income and turnover thresholds and building the extension schedule.
Contact us on Legal.ge: we will assess the situation of your company and your employees against Articles 7, 15 and 16 of the law.