Working Remotely from Georgia: Your Complete Guide to Long-Term Stay

Visa-Free Stay & Legal Basis for Staying Long-Term

Georgia’s visa-free policy is one of the most generous in the world, but in 2026 a lot of remote workers still arrive with fuzzy ideas about how it actually works in practice. The rules have not changed dramatically, but border enforcement has tightened slightly compared to 2023–2024, and showing up without a clear plan can cause headaches at Tbilisi or Kutaisi airports.

Citizens of over 95 countries — including all EU member states, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and most of Asia — can enter Georgia and stay for up to 365 days within a calendar year without a visa. This is not a tourist visa with a fixed expiry date. You simply enter, your passport is stamped, and you can stay for one continuous year from that entry date.

A few important details that trip people up:

• You do not need to leave and re-enter to reset any clock. The 365-day allowance runs from your entry date. Leaving and coming back starts a new 365-day window, so frequent travellers actually accumulate time faster than they expect.
• Your home country’s passport matters. Check the State Security Service of Georgia’s official list before you travel. Some nationalities receive 90 days, not 365. Citizens of countries not on the visa-free list must apply for a Georgian e-visa, which is issued online and takes 5 business days in 2026.
• There is no formal registration requirement for stays under 180 days for most nationalities. Stays beyond that may require registration with the Civil Registry Agency (LEPL), though in practice enforcement is inconsistent for visa-free nationals.
• Working remotely for a foreign employer while staying visa-free is legally unambiguous: you are not employed in Georgia, so no Georgian work permit is required.

If your nationality requires an e-visa, the 2026 system processes applications at visa.gov.ge. The standard e-visa allows 90 days per visit. There is no long-stay digital nomad visa category separate from the Remotely from Georgia programme, which has its own application track (covered in the next section).

The Remotely from Georgia Programme (2026 Update)

The Remotely from Georgia (RFG) programme was launched in 2020 and has gone through several rounds of revision. As of 2026, it operates as a streamlined administrative track for remote workers who want official recognition of their status and, crucially, access to a local bank account with less friction.

Who it is for: The programme is designed for people who work for a foreign company or have foreign-sourced freelance income and want to live in Georgia for an extended period. It is not for people seeking Georgian employment. Monthly income must be at least 2,000 USD (equivalent in any currency) to qualify, verified through bank statements or contracts.

What the 2026 programme provides:

• A letter of participation that Georgian banks accept as supporting documentation for opening a current account — this is the single biggest practical benefit, since banks tightened KYC requirements significantly in 2024–2025.
• Access to a simplified residence confirmation document useful for signing long-term leases and registering with the Revenue Service.
• No pathway to permanent residency on its own — the RFG is a facilitation programme, not an immigration category.

How to apply in 2026: Applications go through the Enterprise Georgia portal (enterprisegeorgia.gov.ge). You submit proof of income, a copy of your passport, and a brief description of your remote work. Processing takes 10–15 business days. There is no application fee. Once approved, your participation status is valid for one year and can be renewed.

One honest caveat: the RFG letter is helpful but not magic. Some Georgian banks still request additional documentation regardless of your RFG status. TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia are the two main retail banks in 2026, and their account-opening procedures differ. TBC has a more streamlined process for non-residents through its TBC Pay app, but full current accounts still require an in-branch visit.

Tax Status: The 1% Small Business Regime Explained

This is where Georgia genuinely stands apart from most countries, and it is the section most remote workers either get wrong or overlook entirely until their second year here.

If you earn income from foreign clients or employers and you are based in Georgia, you have two realistic tax structures:

1. Do nothing (tax resident of your home country): If you maintain tax residency elsewhere and spend fewer than 183 days in Georgia in a calendar year, you may have no Georgian tax obligation. This is a legal path for people doing shorter stints.
2. Register as a Georgian Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Small Business Status: This is the 1% regime and it is the main reason long-term remote workers choose Georgia as a base.

How the 1% regime works in 2026:

• You register as an Individual Entrepreneur at the Revenue Service of Georgia (rs.ge). The process takes one business day and can be completed in person at any Revenue Service office. You need your passport and a Georgian address.
• You then apply for Small Business Status. To qualify, your annual turnover must be under 500,000 GEL (approximately 180,000 USD at 2026 exchange rates).
• You pay 1% of gross turnover in tax. There is no income tax on top of this. No corporate tax. No dividend tax on money you withdraw from the business.
• You file a monthly turnover declaration and pay monthly. The declaration is submitted online through rs.ge.
• If you earn income in foreign currency, you convert to GEL at the National Bank of Georgia rate on the day of receipt for declaration purposes.

There is one critical condition in 2026 that was tightened in late 2024: Small Business Status can be revoked if the Revenue Service determines that more than 80% of your income comes from a single source that could be characterised as disguised employment. This means contractors who work exclusively for one foreign company should document the independence of their work carefully — varied project invoices, written contracts specifying deliverables rather than hours, and so on.

Georgia also has a 183-day residency threshold for becoming a Georgian tax resident. Once you spend more than 183 days in Georgia in a calendar year, you are technically a Georgian tax resident. For people using the 1% IE regime, this is generally good news — the 1% rate is lower than almost anywhere else. But it does mean you should understand your home country’s exit tax rules before you move.

Health Insurance: What You Actually Need

Georgia’s public healthcare system exists but is not what you want to rely on for anything beyond basic emergencies. Private healthcare in Tbilisi and Batumi is genuinely good — hospital infrastructure improved significantly after the 2022–2024 investment wave — and it is affordable by European standards. But you need insurance.

Your options in 2026:

• International travel insurance extended for long stays: Providers like SafetyWing, Cigna Global, and Allianz Care all cover Georgia. SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance runs approximately 50–65 USD per month for adults under 40 in 2026. It covers hospitalisation and emergency care but has caps and exclusions worth reading carefully.
• Georgian domestic health insurance: Local providers like Imedi L, Aldagi, and GPI Holding offer annual policies. A solid mid-range plan with outpatient coverage and hospitalisation costs between 800 and 1,500 GEL per year for a healthy adult under 45. These plans are accepted at all major Georgian private hospitals and clinics.
• No insurance: Technically legal for visa-free entrants. Not recommended. An appendectomy at a Tbilisi private clinic costs around 4,000–6,000 GEL out of pocket. A broken leg treated and cast runs roughly 1,200–2,000 GEL.

For stays of three months or more, a Georgian domestic policy almost always makes more financial sense than an extended international travel policy. The paperwork to get one is straightforward — passport, address, and payment. Most insurers issue the policy digitally within 24 hours.

Finding Long-Term Accommodation (Costs by City)

Rental prices in Georgia’s main cities have stabilised in 2026 after the sharp spike of 2022–2023, when a large wave of Russian and Ukrainian arrivals pushed rents up 60–80% in central Tbilisi. The market has rebalanced, though prices are still higher than they were in 2021.

For long-term rentals (one month or more), the primary platforms are MyHome.ge and SS.ge. Both are in Georgian but navigation is simple with a browser translation tool. Airbnb is available but priced for short-stay tourists — monthly rates on Airbnb run 30–50% higher than the local market for equivalent apartments.

Typical monthly rental costs in 2026 (unfurnished or furnished, one-bedroom apartment):

• Tbilisi (central districts — Vake, Saburtalo, Vera): 1,200–2,200 GEL per month
• Tbilisi (outer districts — Gldani, Didi Dighomi, Isani): 700–1,100 GEL per month
• Batumi (city centre, sea view): 1,400–2,500 GEL per month
• Batumi (non-sea-view, residential areas): 800–1,300 GEL per month
• Kutaisi: 500–900 GEL per month

Utility bills (electricity, gas, water, internet) add approximately 150–300 GEL per month depending on season — heating costs spike in January and February. Internet quality has improved substantially: fibre connections at 100 Mbps are available in most urban apartments for 25–40 GEL per month through providers like Silknet and Caucasus Online.

Negotiating a three- or six-month lease upfront usually gets you 10–15% below the advertised monthly price. Landlords in Georgia generally prefer cash payment in USD or EUR, though GEL payment is fully acceptable and increasingly common.

2026 Budget Reality: Monthly Cost of Living Breakdown

The numbers below reflect a single adult living comfortably in Tbilisi in 2026 — not roughing it, not living in a luxury serviced apartment. Think: good neighbourhood, reliable internet, eating out several times a week, occasional weekend travel inside Georgia.

Budget tier (1,800–2,500 GEL / month):

• Accommodation (outer Tbilisi, 1-bed): 750–900 GEL
• Utilities + internet: 180–250 GEL
• Food (mostly home cooking, local markets): 400–500 GEL
• Transport (metro, minibus, occasional taxi): 80–120 GEL
• Health insurance (basic domestic plan): 70–90 GEL
• Misc (phone, personal care, entertainment): 200–300 GEL

Mid-range tier (3,000–4,500 GEL / month):

• Accommodation (central Tbilisi, good 1-bed): 1,400–1,800 GEL
• Utilities + internet: 200–300 GEL
• Food (mix of home cooking and restaurants): 600–900 GEL
• Transport (Bolt, metro, occasional car rental): 200–300 GEL
• Health insurance (mid-range domestic plan): 100–130 GEL
• Misc: 400–600 GEL

Comfortable tier (5,000–7,000 GEL / month):

• Accommodation (large, central, renovated apartment): 2,200–3,000 GEL
• Utilities + internet: 300–400 GEL
• Food (frequent restaurant dining, imported goods): 1,000–1,500 GEL
• Transport (own car or frequent Bolt): 400–600 GEL
• Health insurance (comprehensive domestic or international): 150–250 GEL
• Misc: 600–900 GEL

For context: a flat white at a Tbilisi specialty café costs 7–9 GEL. A full lunch at a Georgian restaurant — the kind where bread arrives warm and the bean soup is thick enough to stand a spoon in — runs 20–35 GEL. A monthly metro pass in Tbilisi is 30 GEL in 2026 following the fare restructuring introduced in January of that year.

Banking, Money Transfers & Getting Paid

Getting money in and out of Georgia is functional but requires some setup time. The Georgian lari is a non-convertible currency, meaning it is not freely traded on international forex markets. This creates a particular situation for remote workers getting paid in USD, EUR, or GBP.

Opening a bank account: As noted, TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia are the dominant retail banks. Both now offer multi-currency accounts (GEL, USD, EUR) as standard. To open an account in 2026 as a non-resident, you will typically need your passport, proof of Georgian address (a signed lease is sufficient), and — increasingly — proof of income source. RFG programme participants have a smoother experience, but even without RFG status, account opening is possible. Allow 1–3 business days for full account activation.

Receiving foreign payments: SWIFT transfers to your Georgian bank account work reliably. TBC and BoG both accept international SWIFT transfers in USD and EUR. Fees vary: incoming transfers typically cost 5–15 GEL flat fee plus a currency conversion spread of 0.5–1.5%.

International transfer services: Wise (formerly TransferWise) operates in Georgia in 2026 and is widely used for receiving payments from foreign clients into a Wise account and then transferring to a Georgian bank account. Payoneer is also accepted by most freelance platforms and transfers cleanly to Georgian bank accounts. PayPal’s Georgia functionality remains limited — receiving payments is possible but withdrawal options are still restricted compared to EU countries.

Withdrawing cash: ATMs are widespread in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi. Mastercard and Visa are accepted at most ATMs. Withdrawal fees from Georgian banks on foreign cards run 3–5 GEL per transaction plus your home bank’s foreign transaction fee. Keeping a local bank account for daily GEL spending and using Wise or your home bank card only for larger transfers is the most cost-efficient setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I legally work remotely for a foreign company while staying in Georgia on a visa-free basis?

Yes, absolutely. Working remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients while living in Georgia on a visa-free stay is legal. You are not performing work within the Georgian labour market, so no Georgian work permit is required. Most nationalities can stay up to 365 days visa-free. Your tax obligations depend on where you are tax-resident and how long you stay.

Do I have to pay Georgian taxes if I am only staying for two or three months?

If you spend fewer than 183 days in Georgia in a calendar year, you do not become a Georgian tax resident. For stays under that threshold, most remote workers continue paying taxes in their home country. Registering as a Georgian Individual Entrepreneur only makes sense if you plan a longer stay and want to optimise your tax situation using the 1% small business regime.

Is the Remotely from Georgia programme mandatory for long-term remote workers?

No, it is optional. The RFG programme is a facilitation tool, primarily useful for opening a Georgian bank account with less friction and having a recognised status document. Many long-term remote workers operate in Georgia without ever applying for it. It becomes more valuable if you plan to register as an Individual Entrepreneur and need banking access quickly.

How good is internet connectivity for remote work across Georgia?

Excellent in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi. Fibre broadband at 100 Mbps or faster is standard in most urban apartments and costs 25–40 GEL per month. Mobile data is reliable and fast — 4G coverage is widespread and 5G has been rolling out in central Tbilisi since 2025. Outside major cities, speeds drop significantly and satellite options may be needed in very remote areas.

What happens when my 365-day visa-free period expires?

Your legal stay in Georgia ends. The practical options are: leave the country (even briefly, to a neighbouring country like Armenia or Turkey), which resets your 365-day window from the new entry date; apply for a Georgian residence permit before your visa-free period ends, which requires meeting separate eligibility criteria; or transition to a different visa category if your situation qualifies. Overstaying is treated seriously — fines apply and future entries can be complicated.

📷 Featured image by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash.