BAG Hosts Information Session on Updated Work Permit Regulations for Foreigners
16 Jul '26
Organized by the Business Association of Georgia (BAG) and with the involvement of the State Employment Support Agency, an information meeting was held with representatives of the business sector. The meeting aimed to discuss the significant amendments made to the Law of Georgia "On Labor Migration" and the Resolution No. 70 of the Government of Georgia "On Approving the Rule for Issuing the Right to Labor Activity to a Labor Immigrant and a Self-Employed Foreigner." The meeting was attended by Giorgi Tsagareishvili, Deputy Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia; Vakhtang Tsintsadze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; Ekaterine Surmava, Director of the State Employment Support Agency; and Giorgi Bunturi, Deputy Director of the Agency.
Participants of the meeting were introduced in detail to the updated rules, deadlines, and procedures for issuing labor activity permits, which were specified by the Government of Georgia under Resolution No. 70, in accordance with the amendments adopted on April 15, 2026. As noted during the meeting, the main goal of the changes is to refine the norms regulating labor migration and ensure their effective implementation in practice.
According to the updated legislation, exceptional categories have been significantly clarified, and the exact list of foreign citizens who are no longer subject to the obligation of obtaining a labor activity permit has been defined. Among them are individuals holding special residence permits, those employed in public institutions and state-owned enterprises, members of the managerial and governing bodies of Category I, II, and III enterprises, fully remote foreign workers who work for a local employer without entering Georgia, providers of services to non-resident entities, individuals involved in cultural heritage restoration works, and other designated categories.
Within the framework of the changes, the procedure for carrying out short-term professional activity without a permit has been defined for the first time, which is possible for a total period of no more than 4 months during a calendar year. In this case, before starting the activity, the employer/self-employed person is obliged to pre-register on a special electronic portal, completely free of charge. Significant changes also affected the rule for companies to obtain labor activity permits for their employees. Specifically, if an employer plans to employ more than 5 foreigners during a calendar year, they must agree on an annual quota with the Agency via a special electronic system at least 10 working days prior to requesting the labor activity permit. When determining the quota size, the company's annual turnover will be taken into account, which must amount to at least 50,000 GEL per employed foreigner.
"Receiving timely and comprehensive information regarding the new labor migration regulations is extremely important for business, as it is directly linked to the uninterrupted operation of processes. Meetings of this format allow us to hear practical explanations directly from decision-makers, which will help companies quickly and effectively adapt to the new rules," stated Levan Vepkhvadze, Executive Director of the Business Association of Georgia.
After the presentations concluded, the meeting continued in a Q&A and active discussion format, where business sector representatives received answers to all practical questions of interest to them. The complete list of documents and additional informational materials related to the new labor migration rules are available on the official portal: labourmigration.moh.gov.ge.