Who can work as an agent in Georgia: the 2026 work permit

For years, Georgia was the easy country: arrive visa-free, open a small business and start working. That changed on 1 March 2026. Today the question before your first viewing is simple: do you hold the right to work? If you are a Georgian citizen or a permanent resident, you do. If you are a foreigner, you almost certainly need a work permit, even if you work for yourself. This lesson explains the rule and the paperwork.

If you are Georgian

There is no licence, no exam and no registration as an individual agent (lesson 1). You can join an agency, a developer’s sales team or start your own business from day one (lesson 3). Voluntary certification with GNARE helps your credibility.

If you are a foreigner: what changed in 2026

Amendments to the labour migration and aliens laws were passed in June 2025 and took effect through Government Decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026. According to Fragomen (November 2025) and Legal.ge (February 2026):

• Most foreigners without permanent residence now need a “Right to Engage in Labour Activity”, in practice a work permit, for paid work, freelancing or running a business.
• This includes self-employment and activity as an individual entrepreneur (IE).
• A visa, a visa-free stay or a temporary residence card alone no longer gives the right to work.
• The old labour migrant registration system was abolished.

What it means for agents. Whether you are an agency employee, a freelancer on commission or the owner of your own IE, if you are a foreigner you need the permit before you take listings or show flats.

Visiting is not working. Citizens of many countries can stay in Georgia for up to a year without a visa (Wikipedia, checked October 2026). Since 1 January 2026, visitors must also hold travel medical insurance with cover of at least 30,000 GEL. None of this gives a right to work.

How the permit works

Legal.ge and AttorneyAtLaw.ge describe the process:

Point	Detail
Issued by	The State Employment Promotion Agency, through the labour migration portal
Processing	30 calendar days standard, or 10 working days expedited
Employees	The employer applies, after posting the vacancy on Worknet for 10 working days (the labour market test)
Test exemptions	Companies with International Company status, and roles paying over 15,000 GEL a month (Legal.ge)
Self-employed and IEs	Apply themselves, with a business plan or proof of activity, and a video interview
Fees	Legal.ge gives 200 GEL standard and 400 GEL expedited. Nomos Georgia says fees are capped at 500 GEL. Check the current fee before you apply

The work residence permit is now tied to the work permit. Foreigners already in Georgia must apply for it within 10 days of getting the right to work (AttorneyAtLaw.ge).

Deadlines and fines

• Self-employed people already working faced enforcement from 1 May 2026 (Legal.ge; Legalese).
• People registered as active labour migrants by 1 March 2026 have until 1 January 2027 to get the permit.
• The fine is 2,000 GEL per violation, for both the worker and the employer, doubled for a second offence and tripled after that (Fragomen; Legal.ge).

An agency that “lets you start while the permit comes” is putting both of you at risk.

Who is exempt

• Permanent residents are exempt.
• Investment residence permit holders are listed as exempt by Legal.ge and AttorneyAtLaw.ge, but Nomos Georgia, a law firm, does not mention them. Treat this as unconfirmed and get written advice before you rely on it.
• Nomos Georgia also mentions a follow-up law, No. 1509 of 15 April 2026. We did not read its text, so ask a lawyer whether it changes your case.

Residence permits and property

Many foreign agents also sell residence to their clients, so know the two property routes:

• Property-based temporary residence. Since 1 March 2026 the threshold is 150,000 USD of market value, up from 100,000 USD, valued by a certified appraisal. Several properties can be combined. Existing holders can keep renewing under the old rules while they keep the property (Erickson Immigration Group, February 2026; YB Case, February 2026).
• Investment residence permit, from 300,000 USD, which can include real estate valued by an auditor. It is issued for 5 years and can then be converted to permanent residence (Legal.ge, October 2026).

Never tell a buyer that property residence lets them work. A residence permit and the right to work are now separate.

Your quick check

You are	You need
Georgian citizen	Nothing beyond your employment contract or your own business registration
Permanent resident	The same as a Georgian citizen
Foreigner offered a job at an agency	A work permit applied for by the employer, then a work residence permit within 10 days
Foreigner working on commission or as an IE	Your own work permit application, with a business plan and a video interview
Foreigner with investment residence	Written advice on whether you are exempt, since sources disagree

What is not allowed

• Working on a visa-free stay, even “just helping a friend’s agency”.
• Assuming your IE registration is enough. Self-employed foreigners need the permit too.
• Telling clients that residence by property includes the right to work.

Practise these points in client skills.

This lesson is general information, not legal or immigration advice. CloserPass is not affiliated with the State Employment Promotion Agency or any government body in Georgia. Immigration rules changed in 2026 and may change again, so check the official source before you act.