Work residence permit, grounded by Individual Entrepreneur economic activity.

What you get#

A Georgian residence permit grounded by your Individual Entrepreneur economic activity. The permit grants long-term lawful residence in Georgia, first for six months to a year and then extended on the same conditions, with the IE structure as the qualifying configuration. For foreign-client freelancers, IT contractors, and consultants running Georgian-registered IE+SBS structures, work residence is typically the natural pathway — your existing IE configuration grounds the residence permit cleanly without requiring property purchase or substantial investment commitments.

The structure has four other clean properties:

Article 15(a) framework. The work residence permit operates under Article 15(a) of the Georgian residence permit framework — IE economic activity as the qualifying configuration. The IE itself must be operating, generating income, and meeting Georgian tax compliance (typically the 1% Small Business Status filings). The residence and right-to-work rules also set two financial tests: a minimum monthly income (or equivalent funds in a bank account), and annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000. The turnover test is waived for a first application filed within three months of registering the IE, and the first permit then runs for six months.

Extensions under Power of Attorney. The first permit runs six months to a year; extensions follow the period you expect to stay, on the same conditions, up to 12 years in total. We file each extension under Power of Attorney while you are in Georgia; SDA's rules also allow an electronic extension application from abroad. The extension file shows continued IE operation (NAPR registration current, tax filings current, business activity continued). Each extension needs a new residence card: we confirm whether yours can be requested electronically, using the data on your current electronic card, or has to be requested in person.

A route toward permanent residence. A permanent residence permit is available after 10 years living in Georgia on temporary residence permits, and the work residence permit is a temporary permit; we confirm how your years count for your situation. The IE-grounded pathway is operationally simpler than property purchase or substantial investment, making it the most accessible long-term residency pathway for foreign-client freelancers building Georgian footprint.

Cleanly compatible with IE+SBS configuration. The work residence permit builds on the IE+SBS configuration — 1% turnover tax up to 500,000 GEL/year, foreign-client revenue, simple Georgian tax compliance. IE+SBS plus work residence plus Georgian banking covers the typical foreign-freelancer Georgian footprint cleanly. See Individual Entrepreneur for the IE+SBS setup.

The combined effect: a residence permit grounded in your existing business activity, operationally efficient for foreign-client freelancers, and integrated with the Georgian IE structure.

What we do#

We coordinate IE setup and residence permit application as a single coordinated engagement when both are in scope. For clients who already operate a Georgian IE, we handle the residence permit application alone. The IE itself is the qualifying configuration; the residence permit is built on top.

Step 1 — IE setup or verification. If you don't already operate a Georgian IE+SBS, we coordinate the IE setup as the prerequisite — IE registration with the National Agency of Public Registry, Small Business Status application with the Revenue Service, Georgian banking account opening. The IE setup itself runs via Power of Attorney; you don't travel for the IE registration. See Individual Entrepreneur for the IE+SBS setup mechanics. For clients who already operate an IE, we verify the configuration meets the residence permit application requirements (current NAPR registration, current tax filings, demonstrable economic activity).

Step 2 — Residence permit application file preparation. With the IE configuration confirmed, we prepare the residence permit application file under Article 15(a): IE registration documentation, tax filings demonstrating ongoing economic activity, supporting documentation, the standard SDA application pack. We file the application under Power of Attorney while you are in Georgia (SDA's online channel with a video call is an alternative where available).

Step 3 — Your time in Georgia. The application is filed while you are in Georgia, and SDA can ask an applicant to attend in person. Once SDA grants the permit, plan to request the residence card in person at an SDA office or a Public Service Hall branch; the card carries your fingerprints and signature, and the law requires it to be taken out within one month of receiving the permit. Depending on how long the decision takes, that can be one stay or a return trip timed to the deadline. Some clients combine the residence permit visit with IE-related operational milestones (banking activation, business meetings, property viewings) to make the trip multi-purpose.

Step 4 — Residence card and extensions. We confirm the hand-over arrangements for the finished card when you request it. For each extension we prepare the file showing continued IE operation and file it under Power of Attorney while you are in Georgia, then arrange the new card with you.

What's included#

• Pathway confirmation in the consultation (work residence vs property, investment, IT residence)
• IE setup coordination if not already in place (IE registration, Small Business Status application, Georgian banking) — see Individual Entrepreneur for IE setup details
• IE configuration verification for clients with existing IEs (NAPR current, tax filings current, economic activity demonstrable)
• Power of Attorney drafting and notarisation coordination for the residence permit application
• Residence permit application file preparation under Article 15(a)
• Coordination of the initial Georgia visit (timing, scheduling, accompanying you through SDA interactions)
• Residence card request preparation (you request the card in person after the permit decision)
• Extension filings under Power of Attorney
• Briefing on how the right to work fits your work residence application, HNW Tax Residency Layer 3 satisfaction, and longer-term residence options

What you'll need to qualify#

Three things. We confirm all three before recommending the structure.

An operating Georgian IE with Small Business Status. The IE must be registered with NAPR, have valid Small Business Status, and demonstrate ongoing economic activity through monthly tax filings. New IE setups satisfy this naturally during the engagement; existing IEs need to be verified for current compliance. It also needs to meet the financial tests: annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 (waived for a first application within three months of registration, which gives a six-month first permit) and a minimum monthly income. We check both before recommending this pathway.

Genuine foreign-client business activity. The IE's qualifying activity is foreign-client work — services or products provided to non-Georgian clients. This is the same configuration that grounds Small Business Status itself (1% turnover tax for solo professionals serving foreign clients). Whether the work also needs the right to work is a separate question, covered below. IEs with predominantly Georgian-domestic clients fit a different residence permit pathway.

Valid passport and supporting documentation. Standard SDA documentation pack — passport with adequate remaining validity, IE-related documentation (NAPR registration, tax filings, foreign-client documentation), and the application materials specific to the work residence category.

We work through all three in the consultation and confirm the application is solid before submission.

How work residence interacts with the broader structure#

Work residence permit is one piece of the typical foreign-client-freelancer Georgian footprint. Three other pieces typically run alongside:

The IE+SBS itself. The IE is the operational structure (1% turnover tax up to 500,000 GEL/year on foreign-client work) and the qualifying configuration for the residence permit. Setting up the IE first or alongside the residence permit makes operational sense; running the IE in isolation without residence permit is also possible (the IE doesn't require a residence permit to operate). See Individual Entrepreneur.

The right to work. Under Article 15(a) of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, a work residence permit is issued to a foreigner who has obtained the right to work. Since July 2026, Government Ordinance No. 520 also allows it on proof of an activity covered by Article 1(4) of the Law on Labour Migration, without the right to work. For an IE billing foreign clients, the relevant ground is Article 1(4)(k), which Government Ordinance No. 70 does not extend to an individual entrepreneur who needs a residence permit to stay in Georgia lawfully. If your stay in Georgia depends on the work residence permit, plan for the right to work as part of the application. We confirm your position before filing. See Work Permit.

Georgian banking. Personal and corporate banking for the IE operations — typically opened via Power of Attorney at Bank of Georgia or TBC Bank as part of the IE setup. The corporate account handles foreign-client revenue, Georgian tax payments, and operational expenses. See Personal Account and Corporate Account.

Tax residency. Work residence permit grounds Layer 3 of HNW Tax Residency programme if you're pursuing HNW. For clients reaching 183 days in Georgia organically through their work residence stay, standard tax residency applies via the 183-day rule. Work residence doesn't make you a tax resident automatically; it grounds the residency status from which tax residency planning proceeds.

The four pieces together — IE+SBS, work residence permit, a settled right-to-work position, Georgian banking — cover the typical Berlin/Tel Aviv/Singapore foreign-client-freelancer Georgian configuration cleanly.

When work residence is the right pathway#

Work residence fits readers who:

• Operate (or plan to operate) a Georgian IE with Small Business Status for foreign-client work
• Want long-term Georgian residency grounded in their existing business activity rather than property purchase
• Don't have or don't want Georgian real estate worth more than USD 150,000 (the property residence threshold)
• Have or will have demonstrable IE economic activity as the qualifying configuration

If you want residency grounded in property ownership rather than business activity, Georgian property worth more than USD 150,000 can support a one-year, renewable Property Residence permit; above USD 300,000 — or with a qualifying investment of at least USD 300,000 in Georgia — a five-year Investment Residence permit may fit better. If you only need short-term presence with visa-free entry adequate, no residence permit is needed at all.

Why Happy Georgia#

Independent advisory. We coordinate IE setup and residence permit as a single engagement focused on what fits your situation. No tied immigration services, no upsell pressure toward more substantial residency engagements when work residence is the actually-correct answer for your configuration.

Foreign clients only. Our entire practice is foreigners setting up in Georgia. Every engagement starts from your own situation: where you live and pay tax, who your clients are, and what you plan to do in Georgia.

Fixed pricing, no tourist tax. IE setup + work residence engagement quoted as a coordinated package or as separate engagements depending on scope. We quote in EUR, we honor the quote, no surprises later.

Frequently asked questions#

Can I get the work residence permit if my IE is brand new?#

Yes, with the standard sequence. We coordinate IE registration first (typically 2 weeks for the IE registration and Small Business Status), then file the residence permit application within the IE's first three months. At that stage the turnover certificate is waived and the first permit runs for six months; from the first renewal, the IE needs to show annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000. The application doesn't require years of operating history — it requires genuine ongoing operation, documented by NAPR registration, tax filings and foreign-client work evidence, plus the minimum monthly income.

Do I need to spend minimum time in Georgia under work residence?#

There is no general annual minimum-stay rule for the work residence permit, subject to its eligibility conditions and the SDA's procedural requirements — including being in Georgia when the application is filed and requesting the residence card in person. One condition sits on the work side. If you hold the right to work as a self-employed foreigner, that right ends if you leave Georgia for more than six months (Article 13⁷(1)(b) of the Law on Labour Migration).

How does work residence interact with the work permit?#

They are distinct mechanisms, but linked. Work residence governs your right to reside in Georgia long-term as an IE operator; the right to work governs labour activity. Under Article 15(a) of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, the work residence permit is issued to a foreigner who has obtained the right to work. Since July 2026, Government Ordinance No. 520 also allows it on proof of an activity covered by Article 1(4) of the Law on Labour Migration. The non-resident-client ground in Article 1(4)(k) of that Law does not extend to an IE who needs a residence permit to stay in Georgia lawfully, under the implementing rules. So if your stay depends on the residence permit, expect the right to work to come first. See Work Permit for the framework.

What if my IE income is under SBS thresholds — does it still ground work residence?#

Not automatically. Small Business Status thresholds (1% on turnover up to 500,000 GEL/year) describe the tax treatment; the residence rules set their own tests. Outside the first three months after registration, a work residence application needs annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000, and every application needs a minimum monthly income (or equivalent funds in a bank account). If your IE's turnover is lower, another pathway may fit better; we check the figures before recommending this one.

Can I switch from work residence to property residence later?#

Yes. Clients who start with work residence (because they registered an IE first) and later add Georgian property at qualifying value (above USD 150,000) can apply for a property residence permit once they meet its requirements (Aliens Law Art. 14(2)), or hold both pathways' qualifying configurations in parallel for additional flexibility. How years on each permit count toward permanent residence depends on the permit type, so we check it before you switch.

What happens if I close the IE while holding the residence permit?#

The permit rests on the activity that grounds it. If that activity stops — for example, the IE is closed without a replacement — the permit can be terminated before its term ends, and it can't be extended on that ground. Clients planning IE closure (often when moving to an LLC for a software company) should brief us before the change so we can plan continuity through another permit ground you qualify for.

Does work residence permit grant Georgian tax residency?#

Not automatically. Work residence permit grants residency rights; tax residency is a separate determination based on either the standard 183-day rule (qualifying days in Georgia) or HNW programme three-layer satisfaction. Work residence holders who don't reach 183 days don't become tax residents through residency alone. For tax residency planning, see Tax Residency.

How long does the full setup take?#

For a new engagement, we coordinate the IE setup under Power of Attorney, the residence permit application, your time in Georgia for filing and the card request, and the residence-card arrangements, and we advise on the timetable for your case. For clients with an existing IE, we start from the residence application. We don't promise a fixed duration: timing depends on your documents, including the home-country apostille chain, and on the authorities involved.

Can my family come on the work residence permit?#

Family members apply for their own family-reunification residence permits, based on their relationship to you as the permit holder — your spouse, minor children and certain other dependants can qualify. The permit doesn't extend to them automatically. We can assist with family members' applications on request, subject to eligibility and the agreed scope. The primary IE's economic activity grounds the primary holder's permit; the family members' permits ground in family relationship to the primary holder.

What about home-country tax interaction?#

Work residence permit doesn't change your home-country tax residency directly. Your tax residency in your country of residence depends on that country's residency tests (physical presence, centre of vital interests, habitual abode), which are independent of the Georgian residence permit. Foreign-client freelancers operating Georgian IEs typically need to consider their home-country tax position alongside Georgian-side compliance — this sits in detailed consultation territory rather than body content.

Ready to set up?#

A free consultation maps whether work residence fits your situation, the IE setup scope (new registration vs existing IE), and the residence permit timeline. The IE setup runs via Power of Attorney while you stay in your country; the residence permit needs you in Georgia when the application is filed and in person for the residence card. Extensions follow under Power of Attorney. Pricing follows the engagement scope — typically IE setup + residence permit engagement quoted as a coordinated package, or residence permit alone if your IE is already operating.