Georgia's migration rules from 1 September 2026: marriage residence, work permits and the 365-day visa-free stay

The second wave of Georgia's migration reform is now in force. What has changed for spouses, students and workers, who needs a work permit, and whether the 365-day visa-free stay survives.

On 1 September 2026, the second wave of Georgia's migration reform came into force. Amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, passed in their third reading on 25 June, change the route to residence through marriage to a Georgian citizen, tighten student permits and widen the grounds for refusing entry and for deportation. The first wave - a mandatory work permit and a higher property threshold - has applied since 1 March. Here is what applies now. Our spring overview is in Georgia in 2026: residence, the 1% tax and the new rules.

What came into force on 1 September 2026

• Marriage no longer means instant permanent residence. Previously, a foreign spouse could get permanent residence almost at once. Now a one-year temporary spouse permit comes first, renewed in two-year steps. Permanent residence follows only after five years of continuous residence with the marriage intact. Processing takes up to 90 calendar days; the fee is about $200.
• Marriages are checked. On 26 August the government approved rules for an inter-agency commission that can hold joint and separate interviews, inspect the home and question neighbours. Failing to appear or refusing entry counts as a sign of a sham marriage. The sham marriage itself has been a crime since 1 July, punishable by deportation with a 2-10 year entry ban or a fine, up to house arrest or up to two years in prison.
• Student permits only via accredited universities and colleges, with a language certificate or exam. A permit can end for academic failure, breach of work conditions or long absence.
• New grounds for refusal and deportation. Entry, a permit or the right to remain can now be refused for administrative offences too: drug use, drink-driving, disobeying the police, hooliganism, sexual harassment, carrying a knife. Threats to Georgia's foreign relations and links to intelligence services, terrorist or criminal groups are listed separately. Appeal deadlines are shorter.

Easy to miss: from 1 September working without a required permit is a ground for deportation, not just a fine.

The work permit, six months in

Since 1 March 2026, a foreign national without permanent residence needs a right to work before taking a job or running a business in Georgia. The basis is the 26 June 2025 amendments to the labour migration and aliens laws, plus Government Decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026.

• How it works. Via the labourmigration.moh.gov.ge portal: employers file for staff, the self-employed file themselves and sit a video interview. The fee is about $80 for 30 calendar days or about $160 for 10 working days.
• It is not a residence permit. You still need a D1 visa from abroad, or a work or IT residence permit within 10 calendar days if already in Georgia legally.
• Validity and quotas. A first permit runs six months to a year, up to three years for IT. Couriers, passenger drivers and tour guides face a zero quota.
• Fines. about $770 for both worker and employer, about $1,600 for a second offence, then up to $4,700.

Transition: the self-employed already active on 1 March had until 1 May 2026, which has passed. Labour immigrants actively registered with the Labour Ministry on 1 March have until 1 January 2027 to get a permit and residence permit. That grace period does not automatically cover everyone living in Georgia.

The rules have been amended twice since launch. On 16 April parliament approved exemptions for remote work and short-term projects. On 9 July the government amended Decree No. 70: short-term professional activity, up to four months per calendar year, needs only a free registration, and employers no longer have to advertise on Worknet first. In return, firms hiring more than five foreigners a year, or over 5% of staff, must show $20,000 of turnover per foreign employee, $14,000 in education and healthcare.

Remote workers and 1% sole traders: do you need a permit?

After the April amendments, people who work for or serve a non-resident - a foreign company or client - are exempt, provided the activity relates to business outside Georgia. In substance this covers remote employees of foreign companies and sole traders with small business status who serve only foreign markets. LLC partners with no management role are exempt too.

The uncomfortable part: the line is drawn by what you do, not your tax status. Take on Georgian clients and the exemption falls away. For the tax side, see our Georgia taxes page and the guide to the 183-day rule; for the set-up, our review of working remotely from Georgia.

No permit is needed at all for holders of permanent or investment residence, refugees and people under protection, diplomatic and international organisation staff, and accredited journalists.

Residence permits available in September 2026

Permits are issued by the Public Service Development Agency through Public Service Halls. The standard fee is about $120 for 30 calendar days, about $180 for 20 days and about $240 for 10 days.

On property: since 1 March 2026 the threshold is USD 150,000, up from USD 100,000. Appraised market value counts, not the contract price, and properties can be combined. Those who qualified under the old threshold renew without a new appraisal while they keep the property. See our Georgia real estate page and the global catalogue of residence permits.

The 365-day visa-free stay for Russians: still in place

Yes. Russia remains on the list of countries whose citizens may stay in Georgia visa-free for a full year under Government Resolution No. 255 of 5 June 2015, and the September amendments left it untouched. But the law's default is 90 days in any 180, and the one-year list is set by the government, so it can change without amending the law.

• Insurance. Since 1 January 2026, under the Law on Tourism, every foreign tourist needs health and accident insurance for the whole stay with at least $12,000 of cover. The policy, in Georgian or English, may be checked at the border, and you can be turned away without it.
• Visa-free is not a right to work. Outside the exemptions you cannot work in the local market, and from 1 September doing so risks deportation.
• Visa-free is not a path to permanent residence. That generally takes 10 years on a temporary permit; visa-free years do not count.

What to do now, by situation

• Visa-free with foreign clients. Keep your work clear of the Georgian market, keep client contracts to hand and insure every entry.
• Sole trader with Georgian clients. The 1 May deadline has passed, so you face fines and deportation risk. Get the permit and a residence permit; if the business needs restructuring, see company registration in Georgia.
• Employee of a Georgian company. If you were in the Labour Ministry database on 1 March, your deadline is 1 January 2027. IT staff should aim for the three-year IT permit.
• Spouse of a Georgian citizen. Prepare for an interview and a home visit, and gather evidence of your life together early.

If Georgia no longer fits: alternatives

The paperwork has arrived, so compare Georgia honestly with its neighbours: Armenia residence, Serbia residence, Kazakhstan residence, or a status built for remote work from our nomad visa section. And the insurance against the visa-free regime for Russian passports changing one day is a second passport, such as Paraguayan citizenship or Kyrgyz citizenship for people born in the USSR.

Our services for Georgia

From choosing the basis to renewal, under the new rules.

All programmes are on our Georgia overview, with city guides to Tbilisi and Batumi.

FAQ