How to Apply for Georgia’s Remotely from Georgia Program: A Step-by-Step Guide

What the Remotely from Georgia Programme Actually Is

If you have been researching digital nomad visas in 2026, you have probably noticed that most countries have tightened their requirements, raised their income thresholds, or introduced bureaucratic hoops that make the process exhausting before you even board a plane. Georgia’s Remotely from Georgia programme is a genuine exception to that trend. It has been running since 2020, it has been refined based on real participant feedback, and in 2026 it remains one of the most straightforward legal frameworks for working remotely from a foreign country anywhere in the world.

The programme is not a visa. Georgia allows citizens of over 90 countries to enter and stay visa-free for up to 365 days. Remotely from Georgia sits on top of that arrangement. It is a registered status that unlocks access to Georgian banking, a simplified 1% small business tax rate, and a formal relationship with the Georgian tax authority — meaning you can work legally, get paid into a local account, and not worry about your income existing in a grey area. For anyone planning to stay longer than a few weeks, that clarity is worth a lot.

The programme is administered by Enterprise Georgia, the government agency under the Ministry of Economy. Applications are submitted online, there is no interview, and approval does not require you to already be inside the country. You can apply before you arrive.

Who Qualifies — Income, Employer, and Nationality Requirements

The programme has three core eligibility conditions. Understanding all three before you gather documents saves time.

Nationality

You must be a citizen of a country that already has visa-free access to Georgia for stays of up to one year, or a country with which Georgia has a valid bilateral agreement covering extended stays. In practice, this covers citizens of the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most of South and Southeast Asia. Citizens of countries that require a Georgian visa must obtain that visa first — the programme does not substitute for it.

Income Source

You must be employed by a foreign company (one registered outside Georgia) or be a freelancer whose clients are based outside Georgia. The key word is foreign. If your work is for Georgian clients or a Georgian-registered entity, you fall under different tax rules and the programme does not apply to you. Remote employees, independent contractors, and self-employed professionals all qualify, provided their income originates abroad.

Minimum Income

As of 2026, the programme requires you to demonstrate a minimum monthly income of USD 2,000 (or the equivalent in another currency). This is assessed over the three months prior to your application. Bank statements showing consistent income transfers are the standard way to prove this. Irregular freelance income that averages USD 2,000 or more across those three months is generally acceptable, but you should present a clear summary alongside your statements to make the reviewer’s job easier.

The Documents You Need Before You Apply

Gathering documents before opening the application form prevents the most common reason for delays: incomplete submissions. The portal allows you to save a draft, but incomplete applications left open for more than 30 days are automatically closed.

• Valid passport: Must be valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in Georgia. A scan of the photo page is required.
• Proof of employment or freelance status: An employment contract from your foreign employer, or signed contracts with clients if you freelance. If you work through a platform like Toptal, Upwork, or a similar service, a statement of account activity works in place of a formal contract.
• Three months of bank statements: These must show your name, the account number, and individual incoming transactions. Statements must be in English or Georgian, or accompanied by a certified translation.
• A Georgian phone number: The portal sends SMS verification codes during registration. You can buy a Georgian SIM at Tbilisi or Kutaisi airport on arrival for around 5–15 GEL before applying if you are already in the country, or apply using an international number and update it later.
• A Georgian bank account (optional at application, required for tax registration): You do not need a Georgian account to submit your application, but you will need one to register as an individual entrepreneur under the 1% regime after approval. TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia both offer accounts to programme participants with minimal documentation.

One document that catches people off guard: if your income comes through a holding company or a personal LLC registered in your home country, you will need to show that you are the director or owner of that entity and that it has no Georgian clients or operations. A certificate of incorporation and a short cover letter explaining the structure usually satisfies this requirement.

Step-by-Step: Submitting Your Application Online

The application lives at remotelyfromgeorgia.ge. The site is in English and Georgian. Here is the process as it works in 2026.

1. Create an account. Enter your email address and a Georgian or international mobile number. You will receive an SMS code. Once verified, your account is active.
2. Fill in the personal information section. This covers your full name as it appears on your passport, date of birth, citizenship, and current country of residence. Everything here must match your passport exactly.



3. Enter your employment details. Select whether you are an employee or self-employed. Enter your employer’s name, country of registration, and your role. For freelancers, list your primary clients and their countries.
4. Upload your documents. The portal accepts PDF and JPEG files. Each file must be under 5 MB. If your bank statements are long, compress them or split them into separate uploads per month. Label files clearly — “Bank_Statement_January_2026.pdf” is better than “scan001.jpeg”.
5. Confirm your income figures. You will enter your average monthly income in USD. The portal converts this automatically for reference but the USD figure is what is evaluated against the USD 2,000 threshold.
6. Review and submit. Read through the summary page carefully before clicking submit. Once submitted, you cannot edit the application — you can only wait for a decision or withdraw and resubmit.

There is no application fee. The submission is free.

What Happens After You Apply

Processing typically takes 10 business days. In 2026, the average has been closer to 7 days for straightforward applications. You will receive an email notification when a decision is made. If your application is approved, the email contains a formal approval letter in PDF format. Print or save it — you may be asked to show it when opening a bank account or registering with the tax authority.

If your application is rejected, the notification will include a reason. Common reasons include insufficient income documentation, a mismatch between the name on your passport and the name on your bank statements, or income that appears to originate from Georgian sources. You can reapply immediately after addressing the issue — there is no waiting period between applications.

Approval does not grant you a new visa or extend your stay beyond Georgia’s standard visa-free period. What it does is register you with Enterprise Georgia as a programme participant, which is the credential you take to the Georgian Revenue Service to register as an individual entrepreneur (IE) and access the 1% tax rate. That registration is a separate step and takes roughly one additional business day in person at a Revenue Service Public Service Hall, or two to three days if done online.

The 1% Tax Regime: How It Works Once You’re Approved

Once you hold programme approval and have registered as an individual entrepreneur with the Georgian Revenue Service, your foreign-sourced income is taxed at a flat 1% under Georgia’s small business status. This is one of the lowest legitimate income tax rates available to remote workers anywhere, and it is not a loophole — it is a deliberate policy designed to attract foreign income into the Georgian economy.

Here is what 1% actually means in practice: if you earn the equivalent of 10,000 GEL in a month, your tax obligation is 100 GEL. You file a monthly declaration through the Revenue Service’s online portal (rs.ge), pay the amount due, and that is the entirety of your Georgian tax obligation for that income.

A few important clarifications for 2026:

• The 1% rate applies only to income from foreign sources. If you pick up any work from Georgian clients while living here, that income is taxed separately at standard rates (20% income tax for individuals not under IE status for that portion).
• The small business status has an annual revenue ceiling. In 2026, this is 500,000 GEL per year. If you expect to earn above that figure, you will need different tax advice.
• Georgia has tax treaties with a number of countries. Depending on where you are a tax resident, you may have reporting obligations in your home country as well. The Georgian 1% rate does not automatically exempt you from home-country obligations — this is a question for a tax professional who knows both jurisdictions.
• Monthly declarations are due by the 15th of the following month. Missing deadlines results in small but compounding penalties, so set a calendar reminder from day one.

Health Insurance: What’s Required and What It Costs in 2026

The Remotely from Georgia programme does not legally mandate health insurance as a condition of approval, but any serious plan to live in Georgia for one to six months should include it. Georgia’s public health system covers Georgian citizens through a state scheme that does not extend to foreigners. If you need hospital care without insurance, you pay full private rates — and private hospital care in Tbilisi, while cheaper than Western Europe or North America, is not trivial.

In 2026, international health insurance policies suitable for Georgia typically cost between 80 GEL and 250 GEL per month depending on age, coverage level, and the insurer. Policies from Georgian insurers — Aldagi, Imedi L, and GPI Insurance are the three main providers — are significantly cheaper than international plans and are accepted at all major private hospitals and clinics. A basic local policy covering outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care for a healthy adult under 45 runs approximately 80–120 GEL per month. A more comprehensive plan with dental and specialist coverage sits around 180–250 GEL per month.

If you already hold an international travel insurance policy through your employer or a credit card, verify that it covers stays longer than 90 days — most travel policies do not. The distinction between travel insurance and health insurance matters when you are living somewhere rather than visiting it.

2026 Budget Reality: Monthly Cost of Living as a Programme Participant

The figures below reflect actual 2026 costs for a single adult living comfortably — not luxuriously, not austerely — as a programme participant. These are not estimates from pre-2024 blog posts. They reflect the current rental market and consumer prices.

Accommodation

• Budget (shared flat or studio outside city centre): 700–1,100 GEL/month in Tbilisi; 500–800 GEL in Kutaisi; 900–1,400 GEL in Batumi during off-season
• Mid-range (one-bedroom apartment, furnished, good internet): 1,200–2,000 GEL/month in Tbilisi; 800–1,300 GEL in Kutaisi; 1,500–2,500 GEL in Batumi off-season
• Comfortable (two-bedroom or modern one-bedroom in central area): 2,200–3,500 GEL/month in Tbilisi; up to 4,500 GEL in Batumi during the June–September high season

Batumi’s rental market has a pronounced seasonal split. Prices roughly double between June and September, driven by domestic and regional tourism. If you plan to base yourself in Batumi during summer, negotiate a long-term rate and sign a contract before arriving.

Utilities and Internet

Electricity, gas, and water for a one-bedroom apartment typically add 80–150 GEL per month in spring and autumn, rising to 200–300 GEL in January and February when heating is needed. Fibre internet is widely available in Tbilisi and Kutaisi and runs 30–60 GEL per month for speeds of 100–500 Mbps. In Batumi, fibre coverage in apartment buildings is near-universal in 2026.

Food and Daily Living

• Groceries (cooking at home most days): 400–600 GEL/month
• Eating out regularly at local restaurants: Add 300–600 GEL/month
• Transport (metro, minibus, occasional taxi): 50–120 GEL/month
• Health insurance: 80–250 GEL/month depending on coverage

Total Monthly Estimate

A realistic mid-range budget for a single person living as a programme participant in Tbilisi in 2026 — including rent, utilities, food, transport, health insurance, and the 1% tax — sits between 2,800 and 4,200 GEL per month (approximately USD 1,050–1,570 at current exchange rates). That figure assumes you cook most meals at home, use public transport most of the time, and have one furnished apartment to yourself.

The warm scent of churchkhela drying in the sun at a Tbilisi market, the low hum of the city in the background — daily life here has a texture that numbers cannot fully represent. But the numbers matter too, and they remain genuinely competitive compared to most European or North American cities where remote workers might otherwise base themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for the Remotely from Georgia programme before I arrive in the country?

Yes. The application is entirely online and does not require you to be physically present in Georgia. You can apply from anywhere, receive your approval letter by email, and then register as an individual entrepreneur with the Revenue Service after you arrive. Many participants apply two to three weeks before their planned travel date.

Does programme approval extend my legal right to stay in Georgia beyond the standard visa-free period?

No. Programme approval does not alter your entry permissions. Citizens of visa-free countries can stay up to 365 days. The programme registers you for tax and banking purposes within that existing framework. If your country only has a 90-day visa-free arrangement with Georgia, you will need to apply for a visa separately if you want to stay longer.

What happens if my income drops below USD 2,000 in a given month after I’m approved?

There is no ongoing monthly income monitoring once you are approved. The USD 2,000 threshold is assessed at the point of application, not enforced every month thereafter. However, your individual entrepreneur status with the Revenue Service remains active as long as you file monthly declarations, regardless of income fluctuation.

Can my spouse or partner join me under the same application?

No. Each applicant must submit an individual application and meet the income requirements independently. There is no dependent or family extension option within the Remotely from Georgia programme itself. Your partner can enter Georgia visa-free and live with you, but they would need to apply separately if they also want programme status and the associated tax benefits.

Is the 1% tax rate still available in 2026, or has it changed?

The 1% small business tax rate for individual entrepreneurs with foreign-sourced income under 500,000 GEL annually remains in place as of 2026. There were discussions in the Georgian parliament in late 2024 about revising the threshold, but no changes to the rate itself have been enacted. Always verify current rates directly with the Georgian Revenue Service (rs.ge) before making financial decisions based on this figure.

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📷 Featured image by Mike Swigunski on Unsplash.