Significant amendments to the Law on Labour Migration — new rules from March 1, 2026.

New definition of a labour immigrant
Under the new wording of the law, a labour immigrant is a foreign national who does not hold a permanent residence permit and who performs employment or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia, in particular:
• a foreigner employed in Georgia under an employment contract;
• a foreigner who carries out employment relations with a local employer remotely;
• a self-employed person — a foreign national without a permanent residence permit in Georgia who performs labour activity in Georgia, including persons engaged in trade, services or other types of activity as a performer or partner, independent contractors, or otherwise participating in entrepreneurial/ labour activity, where the purpose of the activity is to obtain financial gain.

Requirement to obtain a work activity permit
As a result of the amendments, any foreigner planning to carry out employment or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia is obliged to obtain a work activity permit in advance, which is issued:
• for employees — authorizing work with a specific employer;
• for self-employed persons — specifying the particular specialty and field of activity.
A foreigner will be allowed to perform employment or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia only if they simultaneously hold the work activity permit and the corresponding document provided by Georgian legislation — such as a D1-category immigration visa, a work residence permit, or another type of residence permit prescribed by law. The existence of these documents is a prerequisite for a foreigner to legally perform employment or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia aimed at generating economic benefit as defined by Georgian law.

Obligations after obtaining the work activity permit
After obtaining the work activity permit, the labour immigrant is obliged to:
a) if they are not yet present on the territory of Georgia, within no later than 30 calendar days from obtaining the work activity permit, apply to the competent authority for a D1-category immigration visa in accordance with the procedure prescribed by Georgian law;
b) if they are already present on the territory of Georgia, within no later than 10 calendar days from obtaining the work activity permit, apply to the competent authority for a work residence permit or for a residence permit for persons employed in the information technology (IT) sector in accordance with the procedure prescribed by Georgian law.
A labour immigrant is not obliged to obtain an immigration visa/residence permit if they already hold any type of residence permit provided for by Georgian legislation, or if they perform their labour activity fully remotely and that activity does not require entry into the territory of Georgia.

Company obligations and recommendations
Every company that cooperates or plans to cooperate with foreign specialists must:
• review existing contracts with foreign employees/service providers;
• ensure compliance with the new regulations for both new and existing staff;
• update templates of employment and service contracts taking into account the new legal requirements;
• prepare the necessary supporting documentation for obtaining the work activity permit.

How we can help
Our legal team is ready to provide full legal support in the following areas:
• drafting and revising employment and service contracts;
• identifying and structuring procedures;
• preparing and submitting necessary documentation;
• consulting support for obtaining the work activity permit and residence permits.