Research checked: 29 September 2026. Georgia changed its foreign-worker system on 1 March 2026. A foreign employee now needs a formal right-to-work decision obtained through the local employer, plus a D1 immigration visa or an appropriate Georgian residence permit. A contract or visa-free entry alone is not authority to work.
The new sequence is time-sensitive. An approved worker outside Georgia normally has 30 calendar days to apply for a D1 visa. A worker already in Georgia has 10 calendar days to apply for a work residence permit or qualifying IT residence permit, unless a statutory exception applies.
Georgia’s 2026 work routes compared
| Situation | Required sequence | Critical deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Employee recruited from abroad | Contract, employer-filed right to work, D1 visa | Apply for D1 within 30 days of the work-right decision |
| Employee lawfully inside Georgia | Contract, employer-filed right to work, work residence permit | Apply for residence within 10 days of the work-right decision |
| Foreign IT worker | Right to work and qualifying IT residence route | Use the category-specific filing and evidence rules |
| Self-employed foreigner | Personal application for right to work, then immigration status | Field and speciality are stated in the approval |
| Existing registered labour immigrant | Transition to right to work and appropriate residence status | Active registrations on 1 March 2026 must transition by 1 January 2027 |
What sponsorship means under the new law
A local employer first concludes a genuine employment agreement and then applies to the State Employment Support Agency for the foreign employee’s right to work. The approval is specific to that local employer.
Sponsorship is therefore employer participation in a regulated process, not a transferable certificate. A recruiter cannot lawfully sell a blank right to work, and an approval for one company does not automatically cover another company or self-employment.
The right-to-work decision
The Ministry responsible for labour migration reviews the application and may request additional information or correction of inaccuracies. After a complete application is filed, the statutory review period must not exceed 30 calendar days.
The law caps the service fee for granting the right to work, including an expedited process, at GEL 500. The actual fee and payment conditions are defined by government ordinance. Verify the live amount through the official system instead of paying an agent’s invented “permit charge.”
Who files the application?
For a paid employee, the local employer applies after signing the employment agreement. A self-employed foreign national applies personally and submits the documents required for that activity.
The employer should give the worker the official decision or a verifiable electronic reference. A message stating “registration complete” is not enough when the law requires the right to work.
D1 visa for a worker outside Georgia
A labour immigrant who is not yet in Georgia must apply to the authorised body for a D1 category immigration visa no later than 30 calendar days after receiving the right to work.
The D1 visa is the immigration document supporting entry for labour activity. It does not replace the right-to-work decision. The worker should confirm the competent Georgian mission, current checklist, fee and passport-validity requirements before submission.
Work residence for a worker already in Georgia
A labour immigrant already in Georgia must apply within 10 calendar days after receiving the right to work for a work residence permit or, where eligible, an IT residence permit. Holding any residence permit recognised by law can change this follow-up obligation, so the exact status must be checked.
Visa-free entry or another country’s visa is not general work permission. A person inside Georgia should preserve proof of lawful stay and file within the legal deadline.
Ordinary application sequence
- Verify the Georgian employer and actual vacancy.
- Agree the employer, occupation, salary, duties, location and duration in writing.
- Sign the employment agreement required for the work-right application.
- The employer applies through the official labour-migration process.
- Respond promptly if the authority requests clarification or missing evidence.
- Obtain and verify the formal right-to-work decision.
- If abroad, apply for the D1 visa within 30 calendar days.
- If already in Georgia, apply for work or qualifying IT residence within 10 calendar days.
- Complete residence-card, tax, payroll and social-registration steps.
- Work only for the approved employer and under the documented conditions.
Work residence permit documents
The Public Service Development Agency requires an approved application containing the unique labour-system code, a copy of the travel document, proof of lawful stay, the employment agreement or other employment evidence, and the right-to-work decision where it cannot be verified electronically.
The applicant also needs evidence meeting the income test, employer turnover evidence, information about foreign employees, an electronic photograph and proof of the service fee. Documents must meet Georgian language and certification rules.
Income requirement
Published residence guidance requires monthly income or remuneration from Georgian labour or entrepreneurial activity of at least five times the minimum subsistence level for an average consumer.
Where legal income cannot be proven through employment or business documents, qualifying funds in the applicant’s personal bank account may be considered across the requested permit period. Because the subsistence figure changes, calculate the requirement using the current official amount.
Employer turnover requirement
The general published test requires the employer or foreign-founded enterprise to demonstrate annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 for each foreign applicant seeking a work residence permit. Educational and medical institutions generally use a GEL 35,000 per-applicant threshold.
The Revenue Service supplies evidence for relevant businesses. A non-VAT-registered employer can submit alternative certificates proving the required 12-month turnover; where objectively impossible, other evidence that conclusively proves the legal condition may be considered.
Residence timing and published fees
An applicant normally must apply for a Georgian residence permit 40 calendar days before lawful stay expires. Do not wait for the final visa-free or visa day merely because the work-right decision arrived late.
The Public Service Development Agency currently publishes work-residence processing options of 30 calendar days for GEL 300, 20 days for GEL 450 and 10 days for GEL 600. Verify the live schedule before payment.
IT residence route
Georgia has a separate temporary residence route for qualifying people employed in information technology. Published evidence includes the State Employment Support Agency code, lawful stay, the right-to-work decision and category-specific professional or corporate evidence.
Some applicants must show at least two years of qualifying IT experience under the relevant ISCO classification and annual remuneration of at least USD 25,000 equivalent in lari, received in the required pattern. Confirm which IT applicant category applies before relying on those figures.
Self-employed foreigners
A self-employed foreigner applies for the right to work personally through the official process. The approval identifies the speciality and labour or entrepreneurial field, so it should not be treated as permission for unrelated activity.
Georgia operates a dedicated portal for self-employed foreign nationals. Business registration or small-business tax status alone does not replace the new right-to-work and immigration requirements.
Transition rule for workers registered before March 2026
Labour immigrants who had active registration in the unified database on 1 March 2026 must obtain the new right to work and an appropriate residence permit no later than 1 January 2027.
Existing registration should not be presented as permanent grandfathering. Workers and employers should preserve the old registration evidence while completing the transition.
Changing the contract
A local employer must enter information about changes to the employment agreement in the special labour-migration system within five calendar days. Material changes can also affect the residence evidence.
Before changing occupation, salary, employer, workplace or contract basis, confirm whether a new work-right application or residence update is required. Do not start at a different company under the old employer-specific approval.
Early termination
The employer must report early termination in the system within five calendar days. Expiry or early termination of the employment agreement is a ground for terminating the right to work.
Other termination grounds include expiry or termination of the relevant D1 visa or residence permit, failure to file the required visa or residence application on time, a negative immigration decision or an expulsion decision. The authorities exchange termination information, so an unexpired document image is not proof of continuing authority.
Renewal deadline
An employer wishing to continue the employment must apply to extend the right to work 30 calendar days before it expires. A self-employed foreigner uses the same advance period for the extension application.
Start earlier where the passport, contract or residence card also needs renewal. A late application is a statutory refusal ground.
Refusal and appeal rules
The authority can refuse the work right where mandatory information or documents remain incomplete after the allowed correction period, the extension is late, the qualification and position do not meet labour-market requirements, the occupation is restricted, or expulsion proceedings apply.
A decision may be appealed to court within one month, but the appeal does not grant the right to work and does not itself postpone an obligation to leave. A refused or terminated applicant generally may reapply no sooner than one month after delivery of the decision, subject to lawful-stay conditions.
Employer verification matrix
| Evidence | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration | Legal name, number, address and authorised representative | Real companies can be impersonated |
| Employment agreement | Gross salary, hours, duties, location and duration | The work-right case is employer and job specific |
| Work-right decision | Official reference and electronic verification | Database registration alone is no longer enough |
| Turnover evidence | Relevant per-worker threshold and Revenue Service evidence | The employer must support residence eligibility |
| Fee receipt | Official payee, service and amount | Prevents fake permit-fee demands |
Salary and contract checks
Review gross salary, estimated net pay, guaranteed hours, overtime, shifts, leave, probation and notice. List all housing, transport, food, equipment and recruiter deductions.
The remuneration should satisfy the residence income test and match the work-right application. Reject wage repayment, cash-only payroll or a lower-paid replacement contract after approval.
Qualifications and regulated professions
A work right does not automatically recognise a foreign professional qualification. Healthcare, education, engineering, transport and other regulated work may require recognition, licensing, language ability or an examination.
Confirm the competent authority before paying for translations or travel. The occupation in the application should match the worker’s genuine training and duties.
Realistic job sectors
Foreign recruitment may appear in information technology, hospitality, construction, manufacturing, logistics, customer operations, education and specialist professional services. Availability depends on employer need and the labour-market assessment.
Georgian or another workplace language can be required even where the advert is in English. Applicants should verify shift, location, qualification and communication requirements.
Where to find legitimate vacancies
- Verified employer career pages.
- State Employment Support Agency resources.
- Established Georgian recruitment services.
- Professional associations and chambers.
- International-company regional portals.
Save the original advert and confirm it through independently sourced employer contact details. Compare it with the signed agreement and work-right filing.
Housing and arrival budget
Confirm the address, rent, deposit, utilities, occupancy and commute. Budget for official fees, translations, insurance, travel, initial rent and emergency departure.
Do not surrender a passport as security. A worker entering on D1 should know the first work date, residence plan and person responsible for payroll registration.
Worker-rights evidence
Keep the agreement, work-right decision, D1 visa or residence card, schedules, payslips, bank transfers and tax records. A permit does not authorise passport retention, unpaid productive work, unsafe conditions or unlawful deductions.
If the actual work differs materially from the approved role, preserve evidence and seek advice from the Labour Inspection Office, migration authority, a union or qualified local lawyer.
Scam warnings
Reject guaranteed approvals, sale of work-right decisions, tourist-entry-to-work promises, fake D1 appointments and payments to personal or cryptocurrency accounts. Never buy a State Employment Support Agency code.
Verify the employer, official decision and fees independently. A contract PDF or residence-card image can be fabricated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Georgia with visa-free entry?
No. From 1 March 2026, ordinary paid work generally requires the right to work plus the appropriate D1 visa or residence status.
Who applies for an employee’s right to work?
The local employer applies after concluding the employment agreement. A self-employed foreigner applies personally.
How long can the work-right review take?
The statutory period after a complete application must not exceed 30 calendar days.
What happens after approval?
A worker abroad applies for D1 within 30 days. A worker already in Georgia applies for work or qualifying IT residence within 10 days, unless an exception applies.
Can I change employers freely?
No. The employee’s right to work is specific to the local employer. Obtain the required new approval before changing.
The strongest strategy
Treat the right to work, D1 visa and residence permit as three separate controls. Track the 30-day or 10-day follow-up deadline immediately when the work-right decision is issued.
Keep a single evidence file containing employer registration, signed agreement, official application reference, decision, qualifications, income and turnover evidence, visa or residence filing, receipts and payroll records. Recheck the official portals before every filing.
For another employer-specific regional system, compare our Albania visa sponsorship guide. Permission from either country does not authorise work in the other.
Compare this process with our Armenia Visa Sponsorship Jobs in 2026: Work Permit, Residence Card and Employer Rules guide before choosing a destination or paying a recruiter.
