Georgia digital nomad visa 2026: requirements, tax & how to apply

Overview

Georgia is one of the most quoted "digital nomad" destinations, but the picture is often misreported. There is no permanent, formal digital nomad visa on the books today. What Georgia offers instead is unusually generous visa-free access and a tax system that many remote workers find far more valuable than any dedicated visa.

Citizens of more than 90 countries — including the US, UK, all EU member states, Canada and Australia — can enter Georgia visa-free and remain for up to 365 days in any rolling period. That single rule does most of the work a nomad visa would do elsewhere, without an application, fee or income proof.

The two things that changed in 2026 and that you must understand before relocating are (1) new labour-migration rules that took effect on 1 March 2026, and (2) Georgia's territorial tax system combined with the 1% Individual Entrepreneur regime. Both are covered below.

Who it's for

The Georgia route suits remote workers and self-employed people who want a low-cost, low-friction European-adjacent base and who are comfortable structuring their affairs deliberately rather than relying on a packaged visa.

• Freelancers and solo consultants who invoice foreign clients and want a legitimate 1% tax structure
• Remote employees of a foreign company who want a long visa-free stay without paperwork
• Location-independent business owners testing a base before committing to residency
• People who want fast bank access and cheap cost of living within a two- to four-hour flight of Europe and the Gulf

Income requirement (exact)

For simply entering and living in Georgia under the 365-day visa-free rule, there is no legal income requirement and no minimum-balance test. You are admitted at the border with no financial proof.

The commonly cited figure of $2,000/month (or $24,000 in savings) comes from the old 'Remotely from Georgia' program, which is now obsolete. Treat that number as a practical budgeting guideline, not a current legal threshold. There is no official income floor to enter or stay under visa-free access today.

Tax treatment: does it make you tax-resident?

This is where Georgia is genuinely attractive, and where mistakes are expensive. Physical presence of 183+ days in any continuous 12-month period makes you a Georgian tax resident. There is also a high-net-worth route to residency without 183 days, and an alternative test based on paying at least GEL 25,000 in Georgian personal income tax in the prior year.

Georgia taxes on a territorial basis: foreign-sourced income of individuals is generally exempt. The standard personal income tax rate is a flat 20%. The catch that trips up nomads is sourcing — income can be treated as Georgian-source based on where the work is physically performed, not only where the client sits. Work done while you are physically in Georgia can be Georgian-source even if the payer is abroad.

The headline structure most remote earners use is Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Small Business Status: 1% income tax on gross turnover up to GEL 500,000 per year (roughly US$180,000), rising to 3% on turnover above that cap. This is registered through the Revenue Service (rs.ge), separate from any immigration step.

For the full residency and tax picture — the 183-day test, the HNWI route, and how the 1% regime is actually filed — see our dedicated guide on tax residency in Georgia.

Duration & renewal

Visa-free stay is up to 365 days in any rolling period for eligible nationalities. There is no formal renewal: many people leave and re-enter to reset the clock, though repeated 'visa runs' are increasingly scrutinised and are not a substitute for proper residency if you intend to settle.

If you want a stable, renewable footing beyond visa-free stays, the durable routes are a residence permit (for example a short-term residence permit tied to owning property or to your Individual Entrepreneur activity) or a work residence permit under the new rules. These are issued through the Public Service Hall and are the correct long-term answer rather than continuous border-hopping.

Family

Because the primary route is visa-free entry, family members who are themselves nationals of eligible countries simply enter under the same 365-day rule — there are no dependants to 'add' to a visa that does not exist. Where family inclusion matters is at the residence-permit stage: spouse and minor children can generally be included as dependants on a residence permit granted to the main applicant, subject to standard documentation and proof of relationship.

How to apply

There is no nomad-visa application. The practical sequence to set up a compliant remote-work base in Georgia is:

1. Confirm your nationality qualifies for 365-day visa-free entry, then enter Georgia — no pre-approval needed for eligible passports.
2. Check the March 2026 labour rules against your situation (see the section below) and secure a Special Labour Permit or work residence permit if your income has a Georgian economic footprint.
3. Open a Georgian bank account (bring passport and proof of address; some banks ask for a local reason such as IE registration).
4. Register as an Individual Entrepreneur at the Revenue Service or Public Service Hall, then apply for Small Business Status to access the 1% turnover rate.
5. If you intend to stay long-term or bring family on a stable basis, apply for the appropriate residence permit at the Public Service Hall before your visa-free period lapses.
6. Track your day count carefully — crossing 183 days makes you a Georgian tax resident with worldwide filing obligations under the territorial rules.

New 2026 rules you must not skip

Labour-migration amendments took effect on 1 March 2026. They introduce a work-permit layer that can apply to remote workers, the self-employed and entrepreneurs. The exemption is narrow: it broadly covers people whose income comes only from clients or employers outside Georgia with no local economic footprint. If your work touches Georgian clients, employers or a local business, you may need Ministry approval and a Special Labour Permit or D-category work residence permit. Non-compliance carries fines (around GEL 2,000, doubled or tripled for repeat offences), and existing workers have a transition window to comply. Confirm your exact position before you start invoicing from Georgian soil.

Cost & timeline

Figures are indicative and change; confirm current fees on the official portals in the sources below before you file.

How Expectat helps you get there

Georgia is easy to enter and easy to get wrong. The gap between "I fly in visa-free" and "I'm paying 1% legally and won't trip the 183-day or sourcing rules" is where you need a plan, not a program. We build that plan around your actual numbers and passport.

• We map your situation and numbers — nationality, day count, income mix and where your work is physically performed — so you know your real tax exposure before you move.
• We pressure-test whether the 1% Individual Entrepreneur route fits you, or whether the new March 2026 labour-permit rules or a residence permit are the safer footing.
• We execute on the ground with vetted local partners — bank onboarding, IE and Small Business Status registration, and residence filings — so nothing stalls at the counter.

Ready to set up Georgia the right way? Book a strategy call.