Citizens from foreign countries who wish to move to Georgia and take up employment in the country are required to observe the general rules for legal employment and obtaining a work permit in Georgia. For foreigners, the first step will be to determine if they require a visa to enter the country. Secondly, they will need to apply for a residence permit in Georgia for employment purposes, one that will allow them to work as well as stay in the country during its validity period. Our team of Georgia immigration agents can provide adequate assistance for obtaining a work permit irrespective of your country of origin.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Validity of work visa |
6 months – 1 year, with the possibility of extension for up to 5 years |
|
Other types of work visas |
– D2 visa (freelancers/ cultural activities/ press), – D3 visa (research & scientific activities) |
|
Visa issuance |
By diplomatic missions and consular offices in the applicant’s country of origin |
| Required documents for freelancers |
– application form, – passport, – company registration license, – company’s bank account statement (from the last 6 months), – income tax return, etc. |
| Required documents for foreign employees |
– application form, – passport, – employment contract, – proof of sufficient monthly income, – proof of paid visa fee, etc. |
| Documents language |
Georgian |
| Visa processing time |
30 days (approx.) |
| Mandatory employment contract/offer (YES/NO) |
YES |
| Grace period if work contract ends prematurely |
30 days |
| Overstaying work permit | Can lead to serious consequences, including deportation. |
| Restricted jobs | Generally, government or security services are restricted from foreigners. |
| Permanent residence permit |
Applicants must hold a temporary residence permit and live continuously in Georgia for 6 years. |
| Residence permit for family members | Spouses and dependent children need to obtain their own residence permit. |
| Working on tourist visa (YES/NO) | NO |
| Assistance |
Our Georgian immigration specialists will help you prepare and submit the required documents for the work visa. |
While some foreign nationals may enter the country without a visa and stay for a maximum period of one year (for example, most European nationals, American citizens, or Canadians) when engaging in remunerated work for a longer period individuals need to apply for a Georgia work visa.
Many foreign citizens who choose to take up employment opportunities in Georgia come from surrounding countries such as Russia.
Table of Contents
The Georgia work visa
A work permit in Georgia or an immigration visa is the one that allows the holder to take up work as an employed or self-employed individual as well as an entrepreneur. This is one of the available permits, along with the one for study residence or for family reunification residence. The permit is issued based on the purpose of stay and in the case of work activity, it is common for the applicant to have secured a job before the application moves forward or at least have determined an entrepreneurial activity in the country.
Remaining in the country for work purposes will also mean that the employee will obtain temporary residency in Georgia. The permit will have a certain validity, in most cases, for the duration of the employment agreement, and the holder is liable for its renewal, as well as for making other mandatory registrations with the Georgian authorities upon his arrival in the country.
The D1 category visa (D being the category for the immigration visa) is the one that is used by individuals who come to the country for work purposes, be it for contracted work or for entrepreneurial activities. When the foreigner has already established that he or she will start work in the country (a work agreement has been reached), then the employer will be required by law to notify the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the employment of an immigrant. This notification is to be sent to the Ministry within 30 days from concluding the employment contract.
One of our Georgia immigration agents can provide foreign nationals with more details on the steps that they need to complete themselves as well as the steps that are to be handled by the employer.
Obtaining a work visa can be the first step for an individual who is interested in acquiring Georgian citizenship.
Georgia immigration categories
Other categories of professionals may come to work in Georgia, however, depending on the nature of their work they may need to request another type of D visa for immigration. The other categories for the D-visa type are the following:
- D2 visa: for individuals who will engage in freelancing work (different from the entrepreneurial one included in the category D1), or in scientific, sports, cultural or educational activities; interns and press workers also apply for this visa;
- D3 visa: for individuals who come to a Georgian research center or authorized educational institution in order to engage in research activities;
- D4 visa: for the purpose of family reunification in Georgia; one of our agents can provide more details on this particular situation;
- D5 visa: this category is issued to individuals who have the right to immovable property, under certain conditions.
Obtaining Georgia permanent residence is possible after a certain amount of time and by complying with the general conditions for having held a residence permit in Georgia for a minimum number of years.
Procedures related to obtaining a Georgia work visa
The visas described above are all used for immigration purposes. They are issued by the diplomatic missions and consular offices in the applicant’s country of origin and an electronic version of the visa may be issued by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision for the D-type visas, including the one for employed work purposes, is issued within 30 calendar days from the submission date. Foreign nationals living in countries where a Georgian embassy or consular office is not in place may apply in a neighboring state.
Foreign nationals employed in Georgia who have relocated to the country permanently for employment purposes (often times with their families) can also think about applying for Georgian citizenship after an uninterrupted stay of ten years in the country. If, during this time, the foreign employee marries a Georgian citizen, the minimum uninterrupted time in the country is shorter.
One of our agents can provide more details about the documents required when applying for a Georgia work visa. We recommend getting in touch with our agents in order to make sure that all of the required documents are properly submitted – this allows the applicant to be sure that his approval chances are high and the application will not be rejected because of incomplete documentation.
The data available on the immigration trends to Georgia shows that foreign nationals from neighboring countries make up the largest percentage of foreign nationals. Below, our team of Georgia work visa specialists highlights these trends:
- 11,185 Russian nationals came to the country in 2016 and the data shows that most of them were men, 6,262 individuals;
- in 2015, the number of Russian nationals was slightly lower, at 10,552 (both men and women);
- after Russia, Turkey and Armenia are other countries from which many foreign nationals choose to come to Georgia – there were 5,810 immigrants from Turkey in 2015 and 4,143 from Armenia in the same year.
Our team of Georgia immigration agents can help Russian, Turkish, and other foreign nationals who are interested in coming to the country for work purposes. Contact us for more details on how we can assist you in applying for a work immigration visa.
