Georgia’s government has again fine-tuned the mechanics of the labour residence permit. Government Decree No. 317, adopted on 9 July 2026, amends the procedure for reviewing and deciding residence permit applications set out in Decree No. 520 of 1 September 2014. For international investors, HR teams, and foreign employees already adjusting to Georgia’s 2026 labour migration overhaul, the amendment brings both new flexibility and new documentary obligations.
What the Amendment Actually Changes
Four changes stand out.
First, a foreigner carrying out the categories of activity defined in paragraphs 4 and 5 of Article 1 of the Law of Georgia on Labour Migration must now submit a document confirming that specific activity alongside the standard application and supporting documents.
Second, the decree refines the turnover test used as an alternative to the standard income certificate. Where an employer cannot produce that certificate, it may instead submit any other convincing evidence that its annual turnover is not less than GEL 50,000 per foreign employee seeking a labour residence permit – or not less than GEL 35,000 per foreign employee where the employer is an educational or medical institution.
Third, a targeted exemption now applies to genuinely new businesses. An enterprise no more than three months old, employing no more than three foreigners, and applying for a labour residence permit for the first time without the usual certificate may instead submit its own internal certificate confirming the number of foreign staff. A permit issued on this basis is valid for six months only.
Fourth, the amendment cross-references Government Decree No. 70 of 20 February 2026, which governs the labour activity right for labour immigrants and self-employed foreigners. For the specific scenario addressed in sub-paragraph “m” of Article 1(3) of that procedure, applicants must now submit information on their enterprise’s size category or public interest entity status, drawn from data the Service for Accounting, Reporting and Auditing Supervision publishes on reportal.ge.
Why It Matters
The start-up exemption is the most commercially significant change. Newly incorporated Georgian entities – a common entry vehicle for foreign founders – can now bring in a small number of foreign staff or founders without first assembling a full financial track record, provided the six-month limitation is acceptable at the initial hiring stage.
The revised turnover thresholds give employers a clearer, quantified fallback where standard documentation is unavailable, replacing what was previously a more open-ended evidentiary standard and reducing uncertainty at the review stage.
The reportal.ge cross-reference adds a compliance dependency between immigration filings and a company’s accounting classification under Georgian law – meaning HR and finance functions will need to coordinate before submission.
Practical Recommendations
Employers relying on the start-up route should track incorporation date and foreign headcount carefully, since eligibility is lost once either threshold is crossed. Businesses invoking the turnover alternative should assemble documentation aligned to the GEL 50,000 / GEL 35,000 thresholds well before filing. Companies affected by the Decree No. 70 cross-reference should confirm their reportal.ge classification in advance. Because the decree entered into force immediately upon publication, pending and upcoming applications should be reviewed against the new requirements without delay.
Nomos Georgia’s immigration and corporate team advises investors, employers, and foreign nationals on labour residence permits, labour migration compliance, and the broader regulatory framework for doing business in Georgia.
Contact Nomos Georgia to assess how Decree No. 317 affects your pending or upcoming applications.
