Do I need a Georgian work permit to work remotely for a foreign company or foreign clients?

Checked on 2026-10-25

No, under the Law on Labour Migration, as long as the work is for a non-resident and relates to that non-resident's activities outside Georgia: the law doesn't apply to such work, so its right-to-work rules don't either. It also excludes work done fully remotely for a Georgian employer without entering Georgia.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Work for a non-resident	The Law on Labour Migration doesn’t apply to work or services for a non-resident that relate to the non-resident’s activities outside Georgia	Law on Labour Migration, art. 1(4)(k)
Fully remote work for a Georgian employer from abroad	The law doesn’t apply when the work is fully remote and doesn’t require entering Georgia	Law on Labour Migration, art. 1(4)(j)
Everyone else	Needs a work residence permit, D1 visa or other residence permit plus the right to work, except where the law provides otherwise	Law on Labour Migration, arts. 13¹(2), 13³
Who counts as a labour immigrant	Includes someone with a remote labour relationship with a local employer, and a self-employed foreigner	Law on Labour Migration, art. 2(h)
Right to work: time and fee	Reviewed within 30 calendar days of a complete application; fee no more than GEL 500	Law on Labour Migration, art. 13⁴(5), (8)
MFA notice (26 February 2026)	From 1 March 2026, foreigners who plan to work or run a business in Georgia, including remotely, need a Work Activity Permit	Embassy of Georgia in Cyprus, notice
Matching visa	The C5 visa is for tourists who work only for a non-resident’s activities outside Georgia	Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, art. 7(3)(c.e)

What the law excludes

The Law on Labour Migration lists people it does not apply to (art. 1(4)). Two of them matter for remote workers:

someone who carries out labour activities or provides services “in favour of a non-resident person and those labour activities/services are related to the activities carried out by the non-resident person outside Georgia” (art. 1(4)(k));
someone who works “fully remotely for a local employer and those activities do not require his/her entry into the territory of Georgia” (art. 1(4)(j)).

The right-to-work rule in art. 13¹(2) applies “other than the exceptions provided for by this Law”.

When the right to work is needed

Outside those exceptions, the law says a foreigner may be employed or carry out labour or entrepreneurial activities in Georgia only with a work residence permit, a D1 immigration visa and/or another residence permit, together with the right to work (art. 13¹(2)). The definition of a labour immigrant includes a foreigner who has a remote labour relationship with a Georgian employer, and a self-employed foreigner (art. 2(h)). A self-employed foreigner applies for the right to work themselves; an employee gets it through the Georgian employer (art. 13⁴(1)–(2)).

What the MFA notice says

On 26 February 2026 the Embassy of Georgia in Cyprus, part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that from 1 March 2026 any foreigner who plans to be employed or carry out labour or entrepreneurial activities in Georgia, “including remote work”, must get a Work Activity Permit from the State Employment Promotion Agency, fully online. The notice doesn’t mention the exceptions in art. 1(4) of the law; the law’s text is quoted above. The notice points to the agency’s site, labourmigration.moh.gov.ge, for details.

Staying in Georgia while working for a foreign company: the C5 visa is built on the same condition (Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, art. 7(3)(c.e)).
Income tax on remote work from Georgia is a separate question: see the page on remote work income tax.

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.