שינויים בחקיקה להגירת עבודה והשפעתם על מהגרים המעוניינים לבצע פעילות כלכלית בג'ורג'יה

With the legislative amendments adopted by the Parliament of Georgia on 12 June[1] 2025 ו-26 ביוני[2] 2025 to the Law of Georgia “On the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons” and the Law of Georgia “On Labor Migration,” a fundamentally new regulatory framework has been established in the areas of the legal status of foreign migrants, the control of economic migration, והסדרת תחום זה.

A substantial part of these amendments will enter into force on 1 March 2026. לְפִיכָך, it is important that both foreign nationals who intend to be employed in Georgia and/or engage in other economic activities, כמו גם מעסיקים מקומיים, are properly informed about the new legal framework.

The Institution of the Right to Engage in Labor Activity

The most significant aspect of the legislative amendments is the introduction of the institution of the right to engage in labor activity, שייכנס לתוקף ב-1 במרץ 2026.

באופן ספציפי, under the current version of the law, a foreign national who is lawfully present in Georgia has the right to be employed by a local employer and to carry out paid labor activities. The only existing regulation in this area is the registration of a labor migrant by the local employer in the Unified Database of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, עֲבוֹדָה, Health and Social Protection of Georgia.

As described in the explanatory note to the legislative package registered in the Parliament of Georgia, although the introduction of the registration requirement significantly improved[3]  the situation compared to the period before its implementation (prior to 1 September 2023), practice has shown that a substantial portion of labor relations involving foreign migrants remained beyond the scope of state regulation and effective oversight. באופן ספציפי, based on border-crossing data, 239,334 foreign nationals entered Georgia in 2022–2023 and stayed in the country for at least 6 months plus 1 day, while according to the statistics available in the Ministry’s system, רק 42,000 נרשמו מהגרי עבודה[4]. This discrepancy created the need to introduce a more effective mechanism for regulating labor migration, which would enable the state to manage migration flows more efficiently and obtain accurate information about the needs of the labor market.

כתוצאה מכך, the legislative amendments introduced the obligation for a foreign national to obtain the right to engage in labor activities if they wish to carry out labor (including any paid activity) או פעילות יזמית בגאורגיה. החל מה-1 במרץ 2026, only a foreign national who holds the following will have the right to engage in labor or entrepreneurial activities in Georgia:

 

1.      The right to engage in labor activity in Geogria

ו

2.      A labor residence permit, אשרת הגירה מקטגוריית D1, ו/או כל סוג אחר של היתר שהייה[5] defined under Georgian legislation has been issued in accordance with Georgian law.

 

It should also be noted that the obligation to obtain the right to engage in labor activity will apply not only to individuals employed under a labor contract, אלא גם ליחידים המבצעים בתשלום (כַּלְכָּלִי) פעילויות במסגרת חוזה שירות או כל צורה אחרת, as well as to self-employed persons (יזמים בודדים) engaged in entrepreneurial activities. לפי החוק, a self-employed person is considered a foreign national who does not have a permanent residence permit in Georgia and who participates in entrepreneurial or labor activities in Georgia as a service provider, שׁוּתָף, קבלן עצמאי, או בכל תפקיד אחר, with the aim of generating[6] financial gain.

כָּך, the right to engage in labor activity now encompasses all economic activities (כולל פעילות יזמית) carried out by an individual for remuneration and is not limited solely to activities arising from labor relations.

 

נוהל לקבלת הזכות לעסוק בפעילות עבודה

A labor migrant who is engaged in an employment relationship with a local employer will obtain the right to engage in labor activity through the employer. במקרים כאלו, the employer is responsible for submitting the required documentation to the relevant authorities, justifying the necessity of employing the labor migrant, and ensuring compliance with the prerequisites established by law. In the case of a self-employed foreign national, the individual themselves is responsible for collecting and submitting the documentation necessary to obtain the right to engage in labor activity.

בשלב זה, the procedures for receiving applications, דמי שירות, מסגרות זמן, and other administrative details still need to be regulated by a Government Decree of Georgia. למרות זאת, the law stipulates that the overall timeframe for reviewing an application for the issuance of the right to engage in labor activity must not exceed,[7] 30 calendar days. The service fee for issuing the right to engage in labor activity to a labor migrant— including cases of issuance under an expedited administrative procedure— must not exceed 500 GEL[8].

במסגרת הנוכחית, there are no substantive criteria that would prevent the registration of a foreign national as a labor migrant. למרות זאת, with respect to the right to engage in labor activity, רשאית רשות הביקורת, במקרים מסוימים, refuse to issue the permit if it determines that the relevant sector does not require foreign labor and such a decision is based on the needs of the labor market. These intervention and control mechanisms serve the very objectives outlined in the explanatory note. באופן ספציפי, the amendments proposed by the draft law will enable the relevant state agencies to systematically collect and analyze statistical data related to the labor market, which will form the basis for developing targeted and flexible labor policies. יתר על כך, studying the dynamics of labor supply and demand across different sectors of the economy will support the development of targeted policies and allow the state to act proactively, while safeguarding the interests of the domestic labor market[9].

It should also be noted that the right to engage in labor activity is not general and is issued as follows:

1. In the case of a migrant engaged in an employment relationship with a local employer – specifically in relation to that employer.

2.      In the case of a self-employed person – specifically in relation to a defined field of activity[10].

מהגר עבודה, after obtaining the right to engage in labor activity, מחויב:

א) If not yet present in the territory of Georgia – apply to the competent authority for a D1 category immigration visa in accordance with Georgian legislation no later than 30 calendar days after obtaining the right to engage in labor activity;

ב) If already present in the territory of Georgia – apply to the competent authority for a labor residence permit or an IT-specialist residence permit in accordance with Georgian legislation no later than 10 calendar days after obtaining the right to engage in labor activity.

A labor migrant is not required to fulfill these obligations if they already possess any type of residence permit defined by Georgian legislation or if they carry out their labor activity fully remotely and such activity does not require their entry into the territory of Georgia.

 

השפעה רטרואקטיבית של החוק וחריגים

החוק נכנס לתוקף ב-1 במרץ 2026, and from that date, foreign nationals wishing to engage in relevant labor or entrepreneurial activities in Georgia will be required to obtain the right to engage in labor activity. למרות זאת, החוק כולל הוראת מעבר. באופן ספציפי, a labor migrant who is registered in the Unified Database of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, עֲבוֹדָה, בריאות והגנה חברתית של גאורגיה (Labourmigration.moh.gov.ge) and who has an active registration status as of 1 March 2026 must obtain the right to engage in labor activity and the corresponding residence permit, in accordance with Georgian legislation, לא יאוחר מ-1 בינואר 2027[11].

היקף חוק זה, and therefore the obligation to obtain the right to engage in labor activity, does not apply to a person who:

א) Is a refugee, אדם שניתנה לו הגנה משנה, or temporary protection under Georgian law;
ב) Is registered in Georgia as an asylum seeker;

 

ג) Works at an accredited diplomatic mission in Georgia, עמדת קונסולרית זרה, a legal representation of an international organization, ו/או הגוף שלו;
ד) Is a journalist accredited in Georgia by a foreign mass media outlet operating in Georgia on a legal basis;
ה) האם אדם שחלה עליו אמנה בינלאומית של גאורגיה, providing rules for labor placement different from those established by this law;
ו) בעל היתר שהייה בתוקף להשקעה[12].

 

תיקונים לגבי היתרי מגורים

החל מה-1 במרץ 2026, the market value of real estate (למעט חלקות קרקע חקלאיות) required for a foreign national to obtain a short-term residence permit or a D5 category visa will increase from USD 100,000 עד 150 דולר,000. בנוסף, it is important to note that the law introduces a completely new type of residence permit: a temporary residence permit for individuals employed in the information technology (זֶה) מִגזָר, which will be issued for the first time for a period of three years[13].

The temporary residence permit for individuals employed in the information technology (זֶה) sector is issued to a foreign national who is registered in Georgia as a self-employed individual with small business status and engages in activities in the IT sector as defined by a Government of Georgia decree, כמו גם לבני משפחתם. It is also issued to the head or authorized representative of an international company operating in the IT sector and their family members. In order to obtain this permit, the individual must provide documentation confirming at least two years of professional experience in the IT field, and their annual income must be no less than the equivalent of USD 25,000 ב-GEL[14].

This residence permit is already in effect and has been in force since 1 September 2025.

 

סנקציות ואחריות

Alongside the legislative framework reforms and the strengthening of state regulation, sanctions and liability have been significantly increased for violations of the requirements of the Law of Georgia “On Labor Migration” and the Law of Georgia “On the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.”

Engaging in labor activity without the right to do so by a self-employed foreign national, or by a foreign national employed by a local employer without the right to engage in labor activity, or performing any activity without the right to engage in labor activity for which the labor migrant receives remuneration, יגרור קנס של 2,000 GEL for the self-employed individual or the local employer (applied individually for each labor migrant). Repeat violations will result in a fine double the original amount, ובמקרים מסוימים, a subsequent violation following a repeated offense will result in a fine triple the doubled amount—meaning the maximum sanction can reach 12,000 לְהַגלִיד.

Regarding violations of the legal stay period in Georgia:

• A foreign national or stateless person staying in Georgia up to 3 months beyond the expiration of their legal stay will be fined 1,000 GEL and banned from entering Georgia for 6 months.
• The same violation for a period of up to 1 year will result in a fine of 2,000 GEL ואיסור כניסה לשנתיים.
• Staying in Georgia for more than 1 year beyond the expiration of the legal stay will result in a fine of 3,000 GEL ואיסור כניסה ל-3 שנים[15].