Georgia labour law and work permits for foreigners in 2026: updated guide

Why 2026 matters

From 1 March 2026, Georgia introduced a new right-to-work framework for many foreign nationals without permanent residence. It is based on the Labour Migration Law and Government Ordinance No. 70, which was amended several times during 2026, including March and July amendments.

Working time and rest

Standard working time generally must not exceed 40 hours a week. Certain industries with specific operating conditions may use a 48-hour ceiling. Employees normally require at least 12 hours of uninterrupted rest between workdays/shifts and at least 24 hours of uninterrupted weekly rest in each seven-day period.

Overtime

Work beyond standard hours may be overtime and must be compensated under the law and the parties’ agreement. Recorded extra presence should not automatically become payable overtime. Rigi24 can retain the extra time and allow an authorised manager to approve only the payable part.

Right to work

Where the Labour Migration Law applies, a foreign employee obtains the right to work through the local employer; an applicable self-employed foreigner applies directly. In relevant cases, lawful work also depends on the employment agreement and the required visa/residence basis.

2026 exemptions and amendments

The 2026 amendments refined scope and exceptions, including certain residence statuses, short-term professional activity, some work for public bodies/state-participated enterprises, selected management roles in large/PIE entities, specific cultural-heritage work and some fully remote situations.

Fees and service periods

Ordinance No. 70 sets GEL 200 for the standard route with issuance by the 30th calendar day, GEL 400 for the expedited route by the 10th working day and GEL 200 for a standard extension. For an employed labour immigrant, the local employer pays the service fee.

Official portals

The operational Labour Migration portal is labourmigration.moh.gov.ge. Worknet is also part of Georgia’s labour-market ecosystem. Employers should check current portal instructions and the latest Matsne text immediately before filing.

Transitional rules

The law contains transitional provisions for certain workers who were already active in the Labour Migration database before the new regime, and 2026 amendments also addressed enforcement timing for existing self-employed foreigners.

Rigi24 for international employers

Rigi24 HR Manager can keep contracts, documents, hire dates, departments, attendance, leave, payroll and important expiry dates in one employee dossier.

Eight languages

The module supports Georgian, English, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Armenian and Azerbaijani.

Labour law is more than hiring

Georgia’s Labour Code regulates working time, rest, overtime, leave and core employment rights. Employers should not treat these as isolated legal topics: contracts, schedules, attendance, leave and payroll need to tell the same story.

For multinational employers, immigration status adds another layer. HR therefore needs both employment data and the dates/documents connected with a foreign worker’s lawful activity in Georgia.

40 hours, 48 hours and 12 hours of rest

Standard working time generally may not exceed 40 hours per week. Certain enterprises with specific operating conditions requiring more than eight hours of uninterrupted production/work may use a 48-hour ceiling. That is not a blanket option for every employer.

There must normally be at least 12 hours of uninterrupted rest between working days or shifts. Schedule design therefore needs to validate gaps between shifts, not only weekly totals.

Breaks and weekly rest

Where the working day exceeds six hours, the employee is entitled to a break, with duration determined by agreement. The Code also provides weekly rest. Breaks are not the same as net working time.

For accurate payroll and work-time reporting, time physically present at the workplace should not automatically be treated as payable working time.

Overtime: recorded time is not the same as approved pay

Overtime is work beyond standard working time by agreement between the parties and is paid at an increased hourly rate, the amount of which is agreed. The parties may also agree on proportional compensatory rest within the legal framework.

Rigi24 can preserve recorded extra time while requiring management approval before it becomes payable. Partial approval matters—for example, two recorded hours but only one hour approved.

Public holidays and holiday work

Work on statutory holidays can be treated as overtime under the Labour Code. HR therefore needs both the holiday calendar and the individual employee schedule.

A static calendar alone can misclassify a day for shift workers, so attendance and schedule data should be evaluated together.

What changed from 1 March 2026?

Georgia’s new right-to-work framework became operational for many foreign nationals from 1 March 2026. Government Ordinance No. 70 was issued on 20 February and then amended by Ordinances No. 85, 109 and 321 during the year.

Any guide that only reads the initial February version can miss later changes. Real filings should be checked against the latest Matsne text and the current official portal.

Who falls within the main scope?

Broadly, the rules concern foreign nationals without permanent residence who work for a local employer or carry out self-employed activity for financial benefit. The July 2026 amendments further refined scope and exceptions.

Each case depends on residence status, employer, place of work, type of activity and whether the work is actually performed in Georgia or fully remotely.

Important 2026 exemptions

The amended rules include special treatment or exclusions for certain residence statuses, some short-term professional activities, work for public bodies or state-participated enterprises, selected management roles in large or public-interest entities, certain cultural-heritage activities and some fully remote work that does not require entry into Georgia.

An exemption must be matched to the exact statutory conditions. Job title alone—manager, contractor or remote worker—is not enough.

Fees and service periods

Ordinance No. 70 sets a GEL 200 fee for the standard service and GEL 400 for the expedited service. The standard route provides for a decision by the 30th calendar day, while the expedited route targets the 10th working day. A standard extension also has a defined fee.

For an employed labour immigrant, the local employer bears the service fee under the rules. That fee is separate from other immigration or residence costs.

Work right is not the same as residence

A frequent mistake is to treat a right to work as the same thing as a visa or residence permit. These are different legal layers, and an applicable case may require both work authorisation and appropriate immigration status.

HR should track the end date of the work right, residence/visa and employment agreement separately because those dates may differ.

Labour Migration and Worknet portals

The Labour Migration portal is central to relevant right-to-work procedures. Worknet is also part of Georgia’s labour-market ecosystem. Portal instructions can contain important operational details.

Employers should assign ownership of these files so that status information does not exist only in one HR employee’s email account.

Transitional cases

The law created transitional arrangements for some people who had active Labour Migration database status before the new regime took effect. An existing worker may therefore not follow exactly the same path as a new applicant.

For transitional cases, keep a timeline of prior registration, active status, historical documents and new deadlines.

Example: an employer with 10 foreign workers

Imagine a Georgian company employing ten foreign nationals from several countries. Contracts start on different dates, residence documents expire at different times and some staff work remotely. A set of disconnected spreadsheets makes missed deadlines likely.

Rigi24 can keep each employee’s dossier, contracts, documents and important dates beside attendance, leave and payroll. It does not replace legal counsel or the state portal; it makes the employer’s internal compliance workflow controllable.

Employer checklist before hiring a foreign worker

Before work starts, review residence status, whether a right to work is required, the employment relationship, work location, start date, contract term and identity documents. If an exemption is relied on, retain the basis for it.

During employment, track expiries, role changes, employer changes, work-location changes and other events that may affect status.

Rigi24 for multinational teams

An eight-language interface matters when a Georgian manager, Russian-speaking employee and Persian-speaking specialist use the same HR system. Everyone can understand the workflow while working on one central data source.

Rigi24 HR Manager supports Georgian, English, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Armenian and Azerbaijani across the Workforce experience.

Official sources and further reading

• Labour Code of Georgia
• Law on Labour Migration
• Government Ordinance No. 70 — 20 Feb 2026
• Amendment No. 85 — 26 Feb 2026
• Amendment No. 109 — 13 Mar 2026
• Amendment No. 321 — 9 Jul 2026
• Official Labour Migration portal
• Worknet Georgia

Legal information is general guidance. For a real case, verify the current Matsne text and the relevant official portal.

Frequently asked questions

What is standard working time?

Generally up to 40 hours per week; up to 48 in certain specific operating conditions.

Minimum rest between shifts?

At least 12 uninterrupted hours.

Does every foreign national need a work right?

No. Scope and exemptions depend on the person’s actual status and the current rules.

What is the standard service fee?

GEL 200 under Ordinance No. 70.

Does a work right replace residence status?

No. Work authorisation and immigration status are separate layers.