Georgia's One-Year Visa-Free Stay: What It Does and Does Not Cover

Georgia's immigration law allows citizens of countries designated by the Government to enter Georgia without a visa and stay for one full year.

The legal structure has two parts:

1. Article 10(3) of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons provides for the one-full-year visa-free category; and
2. Government Ordinance No. 255 contains the list of countries whose citizens fall within that category.

Because the country list can be amended, travellers should check the current consolidated list rather than relying on an old blog list.

One year visa-free is a right of stay, not a universal work permit

Visa-free entry answers the question of whether a qualifying traveller needs a Georgian visa for that stay.

It does not, by itself, answer every question about:

• the right to work in Georgia;
• self-employment or labour-migration requirements;
• eligibility for a particular residence permit;
• tax residence or tax liability; or
• regulated professional activity.

Those issues are governed by separate legislation.

Remote work may fall under a labour-migration exemption

The current Labour Migration Law includes an exemption where an alien carries out labour activity or provides services for a non-resident person and that work or service relates to the non-resident's activities outside Georgia.

That exemption can be important for some remote workers, but it should not be turned into a general rule that every person staying visa-free may work in Georgia without further analysis.

Local-employer work, self-employment directed at the Georgian market, and other arrangements may fall under different rules.

Tourist insurance is a separate requirement

Georgia's 2026 mandatory health-and-accident insurance ordinance applies to incoming tourists, subject to the ordinance's express exemptions.

The minimum insured amount under that ordinance is 30,000 GEL. See our current tourist-insurance guide for the scope and exemptions.

Visa-free status does not itself remove an insurance obligation where the traveller falls within the ordinance.

Residence permits use separate eligibility rules

A person who can stay visa-free for one full year does not automatically qualify for a Georgian residence permit.

Residence categories—such as work, study, spouse, property-based, investment, or other permits—have their own statutory eligibility, documentation and procedural requirements.

For current residence-permit changes, see Georgia Residence Permit Rules: Key 2026 Changes.

Check the current country list before travel

Before relying on the one-year rule, verify that:

• your citizenship is currently listed under Ordinance No. 255;
• your travel document is valid for the intended entry;
• you meet any other applicable border-entry conditions; and
• you have separately checked any work, residence, insurance, or tax rules relevant to your intended activity.

For an inbound status assessment, see Global Mobility & Visa Advisory or contact TK Counsel.