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Georgia changed its foreign work-permit rules three times in five months. The right answer now depends less on your job title — and more on where your clients are, how new your business is, and what evidence you can produce.
This guide starts with the practical question: do you likely need a Right to Work permit? It then explains what changed in March, April, and July 2026, including the status of the 50,000 GEL test and the new six-month start-up route.
If you are physically in Georgia and serve only non-resident clients, Law №1509 appears to place you outside the permit requirement. If you serve Georgian clients, you are likely still in scope. A very new business may use a temporary start-up evidence route, but the resulting permit lasts only six months.
Start Here: Which Situation Looks Like Yours?
The foreign-client carve-out in Law №1509 likely applies. Confirm your exact fact pattern.
The standard route — including some form of income evidence — likely still applies.
Decree No. 317 may allow the start-up route, but the permit lasts only six months.
The founder/director carve-out likely applies. Confirm your actual corporate role.
This exemption is aimed specifically at your situation.
For a foreign national based in Georgia and operating a Georgian Individual Entrepreneur, the key distinction is client location, not merely your own location. All-foreign clients likely place you within the exemption; any meaningful work for Georgian clients likely keeps you within the permit regime.
How the Rules Reached This Point
The Four Exemptions Under Law №1509
| Category | Who it covers |
|---|---|
| Work performed abroad | Remote employees of a Georgian company who work entirely from outside Georgia. |
| Foreign clients only | People physically present in Georgia who serve only non-resident clients. |
| Corporate office | Company founders and directors, in their capacity as such. |
| Short-term projects | Qualifying short-term project work. The specific activities list was still pending in a separate decree as of the most recent update. |
What Happened to the 50,000 GEL Test?
The safest, best-supported reading is that the 50,000 GEL annual turnover requirement was removed from the primary statute, but not abolished altogether.
Decree No. 317 retained a version of the figure at decree level as an alternative form of evidence when a standard income certificate cannot be produced. In other words, it moved from a primary universal requirement to a fallback evidentiary option.
Keep documenting turnover even if you believe an exemption applies. Describing the 50,000 GEL test as simply abolished overlooks how the July decree still uses it.
The Start-Up Route: A Six-Month Bridge
Decree No. 317 partly addresses the old catch-22: a new Individual Entrepreneur could not show revenue history without working, but could not lawfully work without authorization.
| Test | Rule |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | An enterprise no more than three months old, employing no more than three foreign nationals, applying for a work permit for the first time. |
| Alternative evidence | The applicant may submit an internal company certificate instead of the usual formal income/turnover certificate. |
| Permit duration | Six months only — not the standard longer validity period. |
| At expiry | The applicant must reapply under the standard route, which likely requires the usual evidentiary documentation by then. |
This is a practical improvement for new arrivals, but it delays rather than eliminates the evidence question. Plan for the six-month mark before relying on it.
Fees, Timing and Enforcement
| Item | Current detail |
|---|---|
| Standard self-employed application | Approximately 200 GEL; 30-day processing. |
| Expedited self-employed application | Approximately 400 GEL; 10 working days. |
| Statutory maximum fee | 500 GEL. |
| First offence | 2,000 GEL for working without authorization, applying to both the individual and, where relevant, the engaging party. |
| Repeat offences | Higher, escalating penalties. |
| Transition deadline | Those already in the labour-migration database as of 1 March 2026 had until 1 January 2027 to comply fully. |
Your Next Four Steps
Identify whether your clients are Georgian or foreign and whether you act as a founder, employee, or self-employed person.
If your business is new and lacks revenue history, ask whether the temporary route fits — and prepare for the evidence needed after six months.
Do not assume the 50,000 GEL issue disappeared merely because it left the primary statute.
The framework changed three times in 2026. A general summary cannot confirm whether your specific activity is exempt.
For the broader reform — who needs a permit, the two-stage application process, and transition deadlines — see Georgia Work Permit 2026: What Foreign Entrepreneurs Need to Know. This article focuses on what changed afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Select a question to expand the answer.
Do I still need a work permit if all my clients are outside Georgia?
Under Law №1509, people physically present in Georgia who serve only non-resident clients appear to fall outside the Right to Work requirement. This is favourable for the typical remote freelancer, but confirm your specific situation because implementation guidance was still developing at the most recent update.
Was the 50,000 GEL turnover requirement really removed?
Not entirely. It left the primary statute but remained in Decree No. 317 as an alternative form of evidence when a standard income certificate is unavailable. Treat it as repositioned, not eliminated.
Does the start-up exception solve the catch-22?
Partly. A business under three months old with no more than three foreign employees can use an internal certificate instead of standard income proof. The permit lasts only six months, so the route postpones rather than removes the underlying requirement.
What if my permit application was already in progress?
Those registered in the labour-migration database as of 1 March 2026 received a transition period to 1 January 2027. Confirm your specific transition status rather than assuming automatic coverage.
How can I receive payments while sorting out my permit status?
Payment method and work authorization are separate. See our guide to receiving payments through Stripe, Wise, and PayPal as a Georgian IE. Receiving payment does not itself resolve whether the underlying activity requires a permit.