The D1 category immigration visa is Georgia's principal visa instrument for labour migration, and its processing takes place within a clear statutory frame: who receives this visa, how the application is completed, within what timelines it is examined, and what follows at the residence stage. This page explains the full D1 cycle on the basis of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — from the system of visa categories through the requirements of the work residence permit. The aim is for the applicant to see the whole road in advance rather than a single detached formality.
Where the D1 visa sits in the category system
The law divides Georgian visas into five categories: diplomatic, special, ordinary, immigration and transit; each visa may be short-term or long-term. The slot intended for labour purposes lies precisely within the immigration category — D1. This means the D1 is not a single-entry document: it serves longer-term relocation and its use flows towards a work residence permit. When preparing the application it must therefore be taken into account from the outset that the visa stage is only the first step.
Who receives a D1 category visa
The law links the D1 to several groups. The first is a labour immigrant registered in the unified database of the Ministry for Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, who enters for labour placement with a local employer. The second is representatives and consultants of companies and firms travelling to perform their official duties. The third is persons coming to conduct entrepreneurial activity in accordance with the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs. Under the wording in force since 1 March 2026 the list is formulated more precisely: a D1 is issued to an alien who has received the right to labour activity, as well as to an alien coming as an entrepreneur. Identifying the applicant's position within this list determines the entire content of the application.
The application procedure and channels of submission
To obtain a Georgian visa the alien completes a visa application in the form established by a normative act of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For an electronic visa the application is completed on the Ministry's special website; for an alien lawfully present in Georgia, a D category immigration electronic visa follows a separate regime — the Ministry decides, while Justice Houses and the Public Service Development Agency ensure the acceptance of documentation and the affixing of the visa, and the Agency's competence may also be delegated to a municipality. The circumstances to be confirmed and the documents to be attached are determined by government decree; in cases prescribed by legislation an invitation must be submitted as well. The issuing authority may also invite the applicant or a representative to an interview.