JUST Advisors · Work residence permits in Georgia

Georgian residency
for your new business

Registering as an Individual Entrepreneur (IE) or setting up an LLC in Georgia? Eligible applicants may obtain a six-month right to work and a six-month work residence permit without the usual GEL 50,000 turnover certificate. We assess your circumstances and guide you through the application.

Discuss my application See the conditions

For qualifying new businesses · Financial and other application requirements apply

Up to 3 monthssince business registration

Up to 3foreign employees

6 monthsright to work and initial residence permit, if granted

A starting point for a new business

You may be able to apply
before building turnover

Georgia's new-business exception can apply to an individual entrepreneur or an employee. These three conditions must be met together.

01 / Business age

Registered no more than three calendar months ago

We check the date your IE or company was established or registered and plan the application timing.

02 / Foreign employees

No more than three foreign employees

The limit concerns foreign employees. The business provides a certificate confirming their number.

03 / First use of the exception

First issuance without the turnover certificate

The work residence permit must be issued to you for the first time without that certificate. We review your previous permits.

Legal basis: Government Ordinance No. 317 of 9 July 2026, adding Article 5(5) to the residence permit procedure ↗

A useful first check

Could this fit your situation?

Answer three questions to see what we should review first.

Send us your registration date, foreign-employee count and previous permit details. Discuss your circumstances on WhatsApp ↗

Your application, prepared properly

A clear checklist
for your circumstances

The exception removes the requirement to submit the specified turnover certificates. We help you prepare the remaining documents and explain how they fit together.

Discuss my documents

Your identity and lawful stayPassport and evidence of a qualifying lawful-stay basis. For this work residence route, plan to apply at least 40 calendar days before your permitted stay expires.
Your business and activityRegistration details and documents supporting your entrepreneurial activity or employment, together with the certificate of foreign-employee numbers.
Your financial evidenceEvidence of the required income. Where the rules allow, funds on your personal bank account can be considered, with the amount assessed against the permit period.
Your right to workFor applicants covered by the Labour Migration Law, obtain the right to work before filing the work residence permit application. If a statutory exception applies, prepare the documents proving that exception.
Your complete applicationThe application form, photo, fee payment and supporting documents, including the translations and formalities your case requires.

Legal support from the start

From your business plans to a prepared application

Our team connects the registration, work and residence steps. You receive a clear scope, document list and costs before we start.

Not registered yet?

We can help with IE or LLC registration and assess the residence conditions before you choose your next steps.

Tell us your starting point

Share whether you have an IE or LLC, its registration date, your status and where you are now. We also review any previous residence permits.

Confirm the requirements

We assess the exception, your activity and funds, and confirm whether the right to work must be obtained before filing the residence application.

Prepare and submit

We agree the service scope, coordinate the documents and support the application. We help address additional requests during its review.

Plan beyond the decision

Following approval, we can assist with the residence card and registration formalities. We also explain what to prepare for a later application.

Plan the next six months

Six months for your right to work and residence.
Your next steps.

6months for the right to work
and initial residence permit

For a qualifying new IE, both the right to work and the initial work residence permit are issued for six months. Use that period to build the required turnover and maintain the records needed for the next application.

For the next application, the business must generally show the required turnover: GEL 50,000 per foreign applicant, or GEL 35,000 for educational and medical institutions. For a newly registered IE using this exception, that turnover must be generated during the six-month period of the right to work and residence permit. Your activity, income and other residence conditions also remain relevant.

Discuss my application and renewal plan

Before you apply

Your residence questions, answered

A few details can change the application route. We review them before preparing your file.

Can I apply if my new IE has no turnover yet?

Yes, if the new-business exception applies. A newly registered IE can apply without the usual turnover certificate, provided the other conditions are met. This exception is relevant to individual entrepreneurs and employees; company business owners as such do not need a right to work merely because they are business owners. The IE must still show actual business activity, sufficient means of subsistence and the other documents required for the residence application.

Is there a fixed amount I must keep in my bank account?

For the residence permit, even a newly registered IE must show sufficient means to live in Georgia. Based on the benchmark of five times the subsistence minimum and a six-month permit period, the indicative amount is GEL 7,600 (GEL 15,200 ÷ 2). The authority may assess the evidence and calculation in the context of the specific application.

Do I need to obtain the right to work before applying for a work residence permit?

Yes, as a rule, a work residence permit requires a valid right to work first where the Labour Migration Law applies. The right to work and the residence permit are separate procedures, and the work authorisation is obtained before filing the work residence application. Statutory exceptions exist for certain persons and activities, so we first check whether an exception applies to your case.

What if I have held a Georgian residence permit before?

The provision refers to the first issuance of a work residence permit without the specified turnover certificate. We review the type and basis of your earlier permits to assess how this condition applies.

Can I start preparing while I am outside Georgia?

Yes. We can review your circumstances and prepare your business and document plan in advance. Your location, lawful-entry basis and any work authorisation affect the filing route and deadlines. We confirm the steps that need to take place in Georgia.

What if my business is more than three calendar months old?

The registration-age condition for this particular exception would not be met. We can assess the ordinary work residence requirements and any other residence basis relevant to your circumstances.

What does the service cost?

We provide a quote based on the registration, document preparation and representation you need. Our service fees, state fees and costs such as translations or notarial formalities are explained separately before work begins.

Based on Georgian law

The official sources behind this page

Legal basis: the principal laws and ordinances governing the right to work and residence permits in Georgia, including the 2026 amendments listed below.

View the legal basis

Law of Georgia on Labour Migration Regulates employment and entrepreneurial activity of foreigners in Georgia: obtaining the right to work, exemptions from this requirement, employers’ obligations and liability for violations. Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons Defines the grounds for entry and stay in Georgia, types of visas and residence permits, conditions for obtaining and terminating them, and grounds for expulsion. Government Ordinance No. 70 · 20 February 2026 Establishes the procedure for obtaining the right to work for foreign employees and self-employed foreigners: documents, procedures, timelines, extension and grounds for refusal. Government Ordinance No. 520 · 1 September 2014 Establishes the procedure for obtaining and extending residence permits in Georgia, the required documents and application-review rules. Ordinance No. 109 · 13 March 2026 Introduces a special review procedure where a state institution petitions and substantiates the need for a particular foreigner to perform the work. Ordinance No. 321 · 9 July 2026 Amends the rules for granting the right to work: clarifies exceptions, introduces a procedure for short-term professional activity, and updates document and turnover-confirmation requirements. Ordinance No. 146 · 2 April 2026 Updates documents for work and IT residence permits to reflect the right-to-work requirement. It also changes requirements for real-estate residence permits and certain investment residence rules. Ordinance No. 317 · 9 July 2026 Clarifies turnover evidence for work residence permits and, subject to the established conditions, allows the first six-month work residence permit through a recently registered business without turnover evidence. Ordinance No. 416 · 26 August 2026 Updates rules for study and permanent residence permits, documents for a residence permit of a Georgian citizen’s spouse, and IT-residence documents for persons outside the Labour Migration Law.

The links lead to the official Georgian-language texts. The principal ordinances should be read together with their subsequent amendments.

Let's review your starting point

Your business is new.
Let's plan your residency.

Send us your registration date, business type and current location. We will help you understand the documents and next steps for your circumstances.

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General information for an initial discussion. The competent authority decides on each application after reviewing the relevant facts and documents.

Discuss my residence application

You may be able to apply before building turnover