Overview
Citizens of the EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and dozens of other states may enter Georgia without a visa and remain for up to one year. That rule, not a special visa, is why Tbilisi became a nomad hub. The pandemic-era “Remotely from Georgia” programme was a border-entry scheme, not a visa, and is no longer a relevant route.
On 1 March 2026 amendments to the Law on Labour Migration took effect: foreign nationals engaged in employment, business or self-employment in Georgia need a work permit from the State Employment Support Agency. The law exempts activity carried out “fully remotely” that does not require entry into Georgia, but how it treats a remote worker who is physically in Georgia serving foreign clients has not been settled in guidance.
Editor's note — The U.S. Embassy's summary of the reform (25 March 2026) lists who needs a “right to work”: foreigners employed by a Georgian employer — including remote jobs with a local employer — and the self-employed. Working remotely for a company abroad is not on that list, but registering as a Georgian individual entrepreneur makes you self-employed in Georgia. Budget for the permit (GEL 200 standard, GEL 400 expedited) if that applies to you, and note the fines: GEL 2,000 for a first offence, rising to GEL 12,000.
Who is eligible
- Citizen of a visa-free country (over 90, including the EU, UK, USA, Canada and Australia) — check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list.
- Passport valid for the full intended stay; entry can be refused at the border like any visa-free arrival.
- Other nationals apply for an e-visa or ordinary visa first.
- From 1 March 2026, anyone taking Georgian employment or running a Georgian business needs a work permit; fully remote work for foreign employers is in a grey zone.
- Foreigners already in the labour-migration database by 1 March 2026 have until 1 January 2027 to regularise.
Income & financial requirements
For listed nationalities.
Standard 30-day processing; GEL 400 expedited.
GEL 4,000 second, GEL 12,000 after.
On turnover up to GEL 500,000 (consulting excluded).
There is no income test for visa-free entry. Border officers may ask for proof of funds, accommodation and onward travel, as anywhere.
If you register as an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status, Georgia taxes turnover at 1% up to GEL 500,000 a year — but “consulting” activities are excluded and taxed at 20%, and the 2026 reform now layers a permit question on top of the tax registration.
Costs & fees
- No visa fee for visa-free nationals; e-visa fees apply to others.
- Work permit (if required): GEL 200 standard or GEL 400 expedited; GEL 200 extension.
- Individual Entrepreneur registration and accountant fees if you use the 1% regime.
Taxes
Georgian personal taxation is territorial: residents are taxed on Georgian-source income, and income for services physically performed in Georgia is treated as Georgian-source even when the client is abroad. More than 183 days in any 12-month period makes you resident. The flat personal rate is 20%; the Small Business Status regime cuts qualifying turnover to 1%.
Georgia has relatively few tax treaties with common nomad home countries — check double-taxation exposure.
How to apply
Check your visa-free status
Confirm your nationality on the MFA list; otherwise obtain an e-visa.
Enter Georgia
Stay up to one year; a border run resets the clock in practice, though repeated re-entries are at the officer's discretion.
Decide on tax registration
Register as an Individual Entrepreneur if you want the 1% regime and local invoicing.
Clarify the work-permit position
From March 2026, ask the State Employment Support Agency whether your remote arrangement requires a permit.
Duration & renewal
Up to one year visa-free per entry for eligible nationals. Longer-term residence is available through separate residence-permit categories (work, investment, property), not through a nomad scheme.
Bringing family
Family members from visa-free countries enter on the same 365-day basis; children need no separate paperwork beyond passports.
Pros & cons
Advantages
- A full year with no visa at all
- 1% small-business tax for qualifying entrepreneurs
- Very low cost of living in Tbilisi and Batumi
- Fast company and bank onboarding
Considerations
- No nomad visa means no formal status or protections
- 2026 work-permit reform is unresolved for remote workers
- Territorial tax still catches work performed in Georgia
- Political uncertainty and thin treaty network