Remotely from Georgia was a government initiative launched in August 2020 by the Georgian National Tourism Administration for remote workers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs from visa-free countries. Introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it let qualifying remote workers bypass pandemic-era border restrictions and enter Georgia for extended stays. It was never a visa or residence permit in its own right — it was an administrative registration built on top of Georgia's existing one-year visa-free regime.
This program has been phased out. With COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted, the separate registration is no longer needed, and Georgia's official tourism portal now refers to the initiative in the past tense. Citizens of 90-plus visa-free countries (including the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea) can already enter and stay in Georgia for up to one full year with nothing more than a valid passport.
The practical pathway that this program offered still exists through the standard visa-free regime. A remote worker employed by a foreign (non-Georgian) employer or serving foreign clients can simply enter Georgia visa-free and live there for up to a year.
Georgia's labour-migration law was overhauled in 2025, introducing a mandatory "right to work" system that took effect on 1 March 2026. Importantly, this requirement targets work for a local (Georgian) employer and self-employment or business activity carried out inside Georgia. Remote work performed for a foreign employer or foreign clients falls entirely outside the scope of the law and does not require any Georgian work permit.
When the program was active, applicants needed:
No specific educational or professional qualifications were required.
The program required a minimum intended stay of 180 days and allowed stays up to the full one-year (365-day) visa-free period. There was no formal renewal: to stay beyond a year, individuals exit and re-enter to reset the clock, or apply for a separate temporary residence permit.
The program included no special provisions for dependants. Family members who are citizens of visa-free countries can enter Georgia independently under the same one-year visa-free regime. Family from non-visa-free countries follow standard Georgian visa and residence-permit procedures.
Georgia levies a flat 20% personal income tax. Anyone present for 183 or more days in any continuous 12-month period becomes a tax resident. Residents are generally exempt from tax on foreign-source income, though income earned while physically present in Georgia may be treated as Georgian-source regardless of the employer's location. Remote workers who register as Individual Entrepreneurs may qualify for Small Business status (1% tax on turnover up to GEL 500,000) or Micro Business status (exempt on business income up to GEL 30,000).
While active, applicants completed an online registration form on the stopcov.ge portal, providing personal details, proof of employment or self-employment, financial documentation, and health insurance. There was no application fee, and decisions were returned by email within 7 to 14 days. Approved participants then entered Georgia under the standard visa-free regime.