The rules changed several times in 2026. Since 1 March, foreign nationals need the right to work to work or run a business in Georgia. In April the residence permit document list was updated, and in July the GEL 50,000 turnover threshold was extended to the right to work itself for an IE. Below are both routes, the documents, the fees and the usual reasons for refusal, as of 9 November 2026.
Can an individual entrepreneur get a residence permit in Georgia?
The Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons defines the work residence permit as a permit issued to a foreign national who has obtained the right to work (Article 15). The Public Service Development Agency states on its residence permit page that the work permit is also issued to a foreign national carrying out entrepreneurial activities in Georgia in the manner prescribed by law.
Individual entrepreneur (IE): Georgian legal acts call an IE an "entrepreneurial natural person". That is the term used in the resolutions quoted below.
The same law sets out a second route: a temporary residence permit for a person employed in IT, which an IE with small business status can also obtain. The two routes compare as follows:
| Work residence permit | IT residence permit | |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | An IE carrying out entrepreneurial activity in Georgia | An IE with small business status and an IT activity code |
| Financial test | IE turnover of at least GEL 50,000 a year per foreign national, monthly income of at least five times the subsistence minimum | IT income of at least USD 25,000 over the last year, at least 2 years of IT experience |
| First term | 6 months to 1 year | 3 years |
| Fee for a 30-day review | GEL 300 | GEL 500 |
The terms come from Article 16 of the same law, the fees from the Agency's page. Other grounds for residence, from property to marriage, are covered in our guide on how to get a residence permit in Georgia in 2026. If you have not opened your IE yet, the registration steps are in our article on how to register as an individual entrepreneur in Georgia.
No residence permit through an IE without the right to work
Under Article 13¹ of the Law of Georgia on Labour Migration, a foreign national may work or earn income from business in Georgia only if they hold a work residence permit, a D1 visa or another residence permit provided for by law, together with the right to work. A self-employed foreign national obtains that right personally (Article 13⁴).
Right to work: a decision of the State Employment Support Agency allowing a foreign national to work in Georgia in a specific speciality and field. It is often called a work permit.
The procedure for the self-employed is set by Government Resolution No 70 of 20 February 2026, as amended by Resolution No 321 of 9 July 2026:
- the application is filed in person, not through a representative, in the electronic system at labourmigration.moh.gov.ge
- a mandatory video interview follows, in Georgian or English, and an interpreter may attend. You need the original of the passport used in the application
- the passport must be valid for at least 6 more months on the day you apply
- the decision comes within 30 calendar days, or by the 10th working day under the expedited procedure
- the fee is GEL 200, GEL 400 for the expedited review and GEL 200 for an extension. The self-employed person pays it directly
- the right is granted for 6 months to 1 year, or up to 3 years in IT
Once you have the right and are in Georgia, you must apply for the work or IT residence permit within 10 calendar days. If you are abroad, the D1 visa application is due within 30 calendar days (Article 13⁵ of the law). The procedure itself is described on our work permit in Georgia page.
When all of the IE's clients are abroad
The Law on Labour Migration does not apply to a foreign national who provides services to a non-resident where those services relate to the non-resident's activities outside Georgia (Article 1(4)). Resolution No 70, as amended by Resolution No 321, adds a caveat: that exception does not apply where the foreign national is an entrepreneurial natural person who needs a residence permit to stay in the country lawfully.
At the same time, the residence permit rules let people outside the scope of the law apply without the unique code and the right-to-work decision. They submit a document confirming their activity instead, while the income and turnover requirements still apply (Article 5(1¹) of the rules as amended by Resolution No 317, and Article 12⁴(2¹) for the IT permit as amended by Resolution No 416). We have not found an official clarification of how the Agency reconciles these provisions for an IE with foreign clients. The safer plan is to apply with the right to work.
What turnover and income an IE needs for a work residence permit
The document list for the work residence permit is set by Article 5 of the rules approved by Resolution No 520, as amended by Resolution No 146 of 2 April 2026. There are two financial conditions.
- Turnover. A Revenue Service document showing that the annual turnover of the enterprise that employs or was founded by the foreign national is at least GEL 50,000 per foreign national applying for a work residence permit. For educational and medical institutions the threshold is GEL 35,000.
- Income. A certificate showing that monthly income from work or business in Georgia is at least five times the subsistence minimum for an average consumer. If the activity documents do not prove lawful income, money in a personal bank account can count instead, in the same proportion to the term of the permit.
If the IE is not a VAT payer, certificates are submitted instead, showing that it is not registered for VAT and that its turnover over the 12 consecutive calendar months before the certificate meets the same threshold. Where the standard certificates are objectively impossible to obtain, any other evidence that indisputably confirms the turnover is accepted (Article 5(4) as amended by Resolution No 317).
The residence permit rules speak of the enterprise's turnover. For the right to work, Resolution No 321 names the turnover of the entrepreneurial natural person, meaning the IE itself, and applies the same GEL 50,000 per foreign national threshold. In practice, an IE older than 3 months with turnover below the threshold is stopped at the first stage.
A new IE skips the turnover certificate only at the first stage
Since 10 July 2026, an IE registered no more than 3 months ago can obtain the right to work without a turnover certificate. This is written directly into Annex 2 to Resolution No 70.
On the residence side, Resolution No 317 introduced a similar exemption: if the enterprise has no more than 3 foreign employees, no more than 3 months have passed since it was founded or registered, and a work residence permit is issued through it without the turnover certificate for the first time, the certificate is not required and the permit is issued for 6 months. The provision lists a founder, an entrepreneur and an employee, but the conditions are framed around an enterprise, and an entrepreneurial natural person is not named directly. We have not found an official clarification of whether the Agency applies this rule to an IE. The rule is covered in detail in our article on a work residence permit for a new company.
Source note
> "An annual turnover document of the company/entrepreneurial natural person issued by the Revenue Service, confirming that the annual turnover of the company/entrepreneurial natural person (other than an educational or medical institution) per foreign national seeking the right to work is not less than GEL 50,000, and in the case of an educational or medical institution the annual turnover per such foreign national is not less than GEL 35,000. If no more than 3 months have passed since the founding of the enterprise/registration of the entrepreneurial natural person, the company/entrepreneurial natural person is not required to submit the annual turnover certificate."
Annex 2, paragraph 3, item "b.b" of the rules approved by Resolution No 70, as amended by Resolution No 321 of 9 July 2026. Our translation from Georgian. The resolution took effect on publication on 10 July 2026.
Documents for a work residence permit through an IE
Under Article 5 of the rules as amended by Resolution No 146, you file with the Public Service Development Agency:
- an application in the prescribed form with the unique code assigned by the State Employment Support Agency
- a copy of your passport
- a document confirming lawful stay in Georgia
- a document confirming entrepreneurial activity in Georgia
- the decision granting the right to work. It need not be submitted if the Agency can verify the right in the electronic system
- a certificate of monthly income of at least five times the subsistence minimum
- a Revenue Service document showing turnover of at least GEL 50,000 per foreign national, or the certificates for a non-VAT payer
- a certificate on the number of foreign nationals applying for a work residence permit through the enterprise
- a colour 3×4 photo in electronic form and the receipt for the service fee
One detail matters if you entered on a visa: the Agency's page states that a Georgian residence permit is not issued on the basis of an ordinary category C visa. This restriction does not apply to the IT permit.
IT residence permit for an IE with small business status
The IT permit is open to a foreign national registered in Georgia as an entrepreneurial natural person with small business status who works in IT under activity codes 58.21, 58.29, 62.01, 62.02, 62.03, 62.09, 63.1 and 63.12. The code list is on the Agency's page. The documents under Article 12⁴(2) of the rules as amended by Resolution No 146 are:
- an application with the unique code of the State Employment Support Agency
- documents confirming small business status and IT activity
- a copy of the passport and a document confirming lawful stay in Georgia
- a document confirming at least 2 years of combined work or economic activity in IT
- a certificate of IT income over the last year of at least the GEL equivalent of USD 25,000. The income must arrive in at least two payments at least 30 days apart
- the right-to-work decision, unless it can be verified electronically
- a colour 3×4 photo in electronic form and the fee receipt
The IT permit is issued for 3 years and extended by 3 years at a time, up to 12 years in total (Article 16 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons). The fee is GEL 500 for a 30-calendar-day review, GEL 750 for 20 days and GEL 1,000 for 10 days. The rule requiring you to apply 40 days before your lawful stay ends does not apply to the IT permit.
The IT permit itself has no turnover threshold, but the IE still obtains the right to work on the general terms, which means turnover of at least GEL 50,000 once more than 3 months have passed since the IE was registered. How to get small business status and what it means for tax is covered in our article on small business status in Georgia.
How much it costs and how long it takes
| Stage | Review period | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Right to work | up to 30 calendar days | GEL 200 |
| Right to work, expedited | up to 10 working days | GEL 400 |
| Work residence permit | 30, 20 or 10 calendar days | GEL 300, 450 or 600 |
| IT residence permit | 30, 20 or 10 calendar days | GEL 500, 750 or 1,000 |
The right-to-work fees are set by Article 11 of Resolution No 70, and the residence permit fees are listed on the Public Service Development Agency's page. Other deadlines to keep in mind:
- the work residence permit application is filed no later than 40 calendar days before your lawful stay in Georgia ends
- the Agency reviews a residence permit application within no more than 30 days of the full set of documents being submitted (Article 13 of the rules as amended by Resolution No 416)
- the residence card must be collected within one month of the residence permit decision (Article 20 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons)
- the Agency's decision can be appealed in court within 10 calendar days of receiving it
- the work residence permit is extended on the same conditions on which it was issued, with a total temporary residence term of no more than 12 years (Article 16 of the same law)
These deadlines add up to a simple calculation. The right to work takes up to 30 days, and the residence application must go in at least 40 days before your lawful stay ends. So it is best to file for the right to work no later than roughly 70 days before your visa-free period runs out.
Why an IE is refused the right to work or a residence permit
A refusal can come at either stage. The main reasons under the legal texts are:
- Turnover or income below the threshold. The Revenue Service document shows less than GEL 50,000 a year per foreign national, or monthly income is below five times the subsistence minimum.
- Activity with a zero quota. Annex 3 to Resolution No 70 sets an annual quota of 0 for courier services, passenger transport and tourist guide services, and a filled quota is a ground for refusal.
- No video interview. Resolution No 321 added a refusal ground where the self-employed person does not attend the video interview, does not confirm the application or does not present the original passport.
- Incomplete file. Missing information must be supplied within 10 calendar days of the request.
- Missing the 10-day window after the right is granted. If you do not apply for residence in time, the right to work terminates (Article 13⁷ of the Law on Labour Migration).
- Problems with documents. Article 18 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons allows a refusal where documents are forged or invalid, the application contains incorrect data, significant information is concealed or the requirements for the chosen permit type are not met.
The risks continue after the permit is issued. Article 21 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons lists ending the activity on which the permit was based among the grounds for terminating it. If the right to work ends early, the State Employment Support Agency notifies the Public Service Development Agency within 2 working days. So closing your IE while you hold a work residence permit is best planned together with a move to another residence ground.
Working without the right to work carries a fine of GEL 2,000 for a self-employed foreign national, and the amount increases for repeat offences (Article 16¹ of the Law on Labour Migration).
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a residence permit in Georgia through an individual entrepreneur in 2026?
Yes. The work residence permit is also issued to a foreign national carrying out entrepreneurial activity in Georgia. You need the right to work, IE turnover of at least GEL 50,000 a year per foreign national and monthly income of at least five times the subsistence minimum. An IE with small business status working in IT can apply for the 3-year IT permit instead.
Does an IE need a work permit to get a residence permit?
As a general rule, yes. Since 1 March 2026, a foreign national without permanent residence can run a business in Georgia only with the right to work. An IE obtains it personally through labourmigration.moh.gov.ge after a mandatory video interview. The fee is GEL 200 for a review of up to 30 calendar days, or GEL 400 for the expedited review.
Can I apply for residence through a newly registered IE?
For the right to work, an IE registered no more than 3 months ago is exempt from the turnover certificate. The residence permit rules contain a similar exemption that leads to a 6-month permit, but it is framed around an enterprise and does not name an entrepreneurial natural person directly. How the Agency applies it to an IE is worth confirming before you file.
How long is a residence permit through an IE issued for?
A work residence permit is first issued for 6 months to 1 year, or for 6 months under the rule for new enterprises. The IT permit is issued for 3 years and extended by 3 years at a time. Extensions follow the same conditions as the first issue, and the total term of temporary residence with extensions is no more than 12 years.
Does an IE on the 1% tax qualify for residence?
Small business status alone does not give you a residence permit. For the work residence permit, what matters is the IE's turnover and income, not its tax regime. For the IT permit, small business status is mandatory, along with an IT activity code, 2 years of IT experience and income of at least USD 25,000 over the last year, paid in at least two payments 30 or more days apart.
How Legalese handles this
We start by choosing the route. We look at your IE's activity, turnover, income and IT experience and tell you which path is more realistic for you: the work residence permit or the IT permit. If you do not have an IE yet, we register it. The details are on our individual entrepreneur registration in Georgia page.
Next we help you prepare the right-to-work application, which the IE files in person, collect the turnover and income certificates and the rest of the package, and file the residence permit application with the Public Service Development Agency. We plan the timing so that you apply within 10 days of getting the right and no later than 40 days before your lawful stay ends.
More about the service is on our work residence permit in Georgia page.
Key points
- A residence permit through an IE in Georgia is possible by two routes: the work residence permit or, for IT, the separate IT permit
- The right to work comes first. The IE obtains it personally, after a video interview
- The work residence permit requires IE turnover of at least GEL 50,000 a year per foreign national and income of at least five times the subsistence minimum
- The 3-year IT permit requires small business status, 2 years of IT experience and income of at least USD 25,000 a year
- Apply for residence within 10 days of getting the right to work and no later than 40 days before your lawful stay ends
To find out which route fits your IE, get in touch.