Georgia Work Permit Law 2026: Are Nomads Exempt?

Headlines this year have framed the new Georgia work permit law as the country “cracking down” on digital nomads. That overstates what actually changed. Georgia introduced a mandatory work permit system on March 1, 2026.

The rule targets foreign nationals earning Georgian-source income — not remote workers paid by employers or clients outside the country.

This breakdown relies on the government’s own decree text, cross-checked against independent legal-industry summaries, most recently reviewed in August 2026.

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What Decree No. 70 Actually Requires

The Government of Georgia adopted Resolution No. 70 on February 20, 2026. Its full title translates to “On Approving the Rule for Granting the Right to Work to Labor Immigrants and Self-Employed Foreigners.”

The rule took effect March 1, 2026. You can view the original text on Georgia’s official legislative herald, Matsne.

Under the new rule, holding visa-free entry or a residence permit no longer automatically grants the right to work. That also applies to running a business in Georgia.

Two groups now need separate authorization. The first: foreigners employed by a Georgian company in a paid position. The second: self-employed foreigners — freelancers, contractors, and entrepreneurs — who earn income from activity conducted inside Georgia.

The Part That Actually Matters for Nomads: The Exemption

This is where the “crackdown” framing breaks down — but the exemption didn’t actually exist on day one. Resolution No. 70 itself didn’t carve out remote workers when it took effect March 1.

That gap opened a real grey period. For about six weeks, foreign remote workers technically fell inside the same authorization requirement as everyone else, and legal commentary from that window describes genuine uncertainty rather than a settled exemption.

Parliament closed that gap with Law No. 1509, adopted April 16, 2026, which amended Georgia’s Law on Labour Migration to add specific exemption categories.

Law No. 1509 actually added several exemption categories — including short-term professional activities and certain state-affiliated roles — but two matter most for remote workers. The first: you’re employed by a foreign company and do your job from inside Georgia, with no Georgian business activity. The second: you work remotely for a Georgian employer while physically based outside Georgia.

In other words, a freelancer sitting in Tbilisi and invoicing clients in the US or EU isn’t the target of this law — as of April 16, 2026. The rule aims at unauthorized Georgian-market work instead — a local job, a Georgian client base, or a registered local business. If your income comes entirely from foreign sources, the permit requirement generally shouldn’t apply to you today, though it may have applied on paper during that March–April gap.

Georgia’s immigration agencies haven’t published one consolidated official FAQ walking through every edge case. That gap matters if your situation is mixed: partly local income, partly foreign clients. Verify your specific setup directly with an immigration professional rather than assuming the general exemption covers you.

Deadlines and Penalties

For foreigners who do fall under the new requirement, self-employed individuals had until May 1, 2026 to obtain authorization. Salaried foreign employees have until January 1, 2027.

Employers must also post open roles on Georgia’s official labor portal first, worknet.moh.gov.ge, for at least 10 working days. They can then apply for a foreign worker’s permit. That domestic labor-market test resembles rules used in several EU work-permit systems.

Fines for unauthorized work start at 2,000 Georgian lari, roughly $740, for both the worker and the employer on a first offense. They double on a second violation within a year and triple after that. Those penalties apply to the categories the decree covers — not to genuine remote workers under the exemption above.

Where This Leaves “Remotely from Georgia”

Separately from the work permit system, Georgia has long offered a “Remotely from Georgia” style legal-stay option for foreign-income remote workers. It calls for roughly $2,000 a month in income or $24,000 in savings, plus proof of remote employment and health insurance. The stay runs for a non-renewable 12 months and addresses your right to reside in Georgia, not your right to work.

Different government bodies handle residency and work authorization, and Decree No. 70 doesn’t appear to have eliminated this residency route as of our most recent check in August 2026. This is a fast-moving regulatory area with multiple overlapping agencies, and English-language coverage of it is still catching up to the Georgian-language original.

Treat every figure in this section as a starting point. Confirm current requirements directly with Georgia’s Public Service Development Agency or a Georgia-based immigration lawyer before you commit to a move.

Why This Law Exists

Georgia’s reform mirrors a pattern in several countries that once ran loose, low-friction remote-worker rules. It separates “you’re welcome to visit” from “you’re welcome to work here for local pay.” Georgia had one of the region’s most permissive visa-free regimes. Reporting on the reform links it to concerns about informal local employment among foreign nationals, not to genuine remote workers.

That framing matters because it tells you where enforcement attention is likely to go. A tourist visa holder working an unauthorized local job faces real risk under Decree No. 70.

A remote employee billing a US company from a Tbilisi apartment sits in a different category. Based on the exemption above, it’s a lower-risk one.

Who This Affects

Likely exempt: Remote employees and freelancers paid entirely by non-Georgian clients or employers, working from inside Georgia.
Likely covered by the new permit rule: Foreigners employed directly by a Georgian company, or self-employed foreigners earning Georgian-source income through local clients or a Georgian-registered business.
Should verify individually: Anyone with a mix of Georgian and foreign clients, or anyone already mid-process on a Georgian work authorization before March 1, 2026.

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FAQ

Do digital nomads need a Georgian work permit under Decree No. 70?

Generally, no, if your income all comes from outside Georgia — but that’s been true since April 16, 2026, when Law No. 1509 added the exemption to Georgia’s Law on Labour Migration. Before that date, the exemption didn’t clearly exist yet.

Individual circumstances vary. Confirm with an immigration professional if any part of your income is Georgian-sourced.

What happens if I’m required to get a permit and don’t?

Fines start at 2,000 GEL, about $740, for a first offense. They apply to both the foreign worker and the Georgian employer where relevant, and increase for repeat violations within a year of the first one.

Is the “Remotely from Georgia” residency option still available?

As of our most recent check in August 2026, yes. It remains a separate legal-stay track from the new work permit system, though it doesn’t renew after its 12-month term. Reconfirm current terms on Georgia’s official government channels before applying, since this area has already changed twice in 2026.

Nomad Sea Guide Take

The Georgia work permit law is a real regulatory shift. It’s aimed at closing an informal local-employment loophole, though, not at foreign-paid remote workers.

We’d still tell anyone planning a Tbilisi base to keep records showing their income comes from outside Georgia. Enforcement guidance is thin, and individual cases will get scrutinized differently.

Sources

Immigration and labor rules vary by individual circumstance and change quickly. This article reflects our most recent research as of August 2026. Confirm current requirements with Georgia’s official government channels or an immigration professional before making travel or relocation decisions.