Remote worker for a foreign employer: is a right to work required?: what to do under Georgian law

What to do

1. Classification: a “labour immigrant” is tied to a LOCAL employer, including remote work for that employer. A worker of a foreign company with no Georgian employer does not expressly fall under this definition (Law of Georgia on Labour Migration, Art. 3). A “self-employed foreigner” is any foreigner without a permanent residence permit who carries out work in Georgia for income, including providing services or working as an independent contractor (Law on Labour Migration, Art. 3). A freelancer, contractor or sole proprietor with foreign clients is self-employed: contracting or any other income-generating activity in Georgia is permitted only after obtaining the right to work (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 2).
2. There are no exemptions for remote workers. The exemptions form a closed list (refugees, diplomatic missions, journalists, holders of an investment residence permit, etc.), and remote work for a foreign employer is not on it (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 1). The provision on “fully remote” work exempts only from the work residence permit, and only for a person who works WITHOUT entering Georgia. It does not help a person who lives here (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 9). A staff employee of a foreign company is not expressly named, so the risk of being classified as self-employed is high. A written position from the Employment Support Agency is needed.
3. Sanctions: a self-employed person without the right faces a fine of GEL 2,000, doubled for a repeat offence (Law on Labour Migration, Art. 16¹). For self-employed persons who were already working on 1 March 2026, sanctions apply from 1 May 2026 (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 14).
4. Obtaining the right: only a foreigner lawfully staying in Georgia may apply for it (Law on Labour Migration, Art. 13¹). A self-employed person obtains the right personally, by application on labourmigration.moh.gov.ge and a mandatory video interview (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 4). The decision is made within 30 calendar days of complete submission (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 5). The fee is GEL 200 (standard), paid by the foreigner (Rules on the Right to Work, Art. 11).
5. Stay: visa-free entry generally allows up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This is a basis for stay, not a right to work (Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Art. 10). The self-employed person’s right terminates if they have been out of Georgia for more than 6 months (Law on Labour Migration, Art. 13⁷).
6. Where to apply: Employment Support Agency (labourmigration.moh.gov.ge); Public Service Development Agency (residence permit).
7. Evidence: a contract with the employer or clients, a sole proprietor extract, a diploma, a passport, the basis for stay.
8. Traps: believing that “the money comes from abroad”, so the Georgian regime does not apply; treating sole proprietor status with small business status as a substitute for the right to work; living in Georgia for years on repeated visa-free stays through border runs while working remotely.

Be sure to check

• definitions of labour immigrant and self-employed foreigner, and where a remote worker falls
• right to work for freelancers and sole proprietors: procedure and deadlines
• uncertainty for a staff employee of a foreign company
• basis for stay (visa-free or residence permit) and the fine for working without the right