To combat illegal labor migration, the ruling Georgian Dream party is introducing tighter regulations on the employment of foreign nationals in Georgia.
A draft law, already submitted to the one-party parliament and under urgent review, proposes the creation of a new mechanism for issuing special work permits for foreign employees. The amendments also introduce stricter penalties for violations, including increased fines for employers.
According to the explanatory note accompanying the draft, under current legislation, employing a foreign citizen in Georgia requires only their registration in the electronic labor migration system, which is completed by the employer. However, the state currently lacks the authority to refuse employment to a foreign national in the interest of protecting the domestic labor market.
“This has led to an influx of unqualified or surplus labor, negatively impacting both the local workforce and overall labor market conditions,” the document states.
Additionally, under the current framework, foreigners entering Georgia under visa-free travel who later find employment are not required to obtain either a work permit or a labor residence permit, provided they are registered in the labor migration system.
Citing official statistics, the document notes that 239,334 foreign nationals entered Georgia and stayed for at least six months between 2022 and 2023, a key threshold used by Geostat to define immigrants. While employment and economic opportunity are believed to be primary drivers of this migration, only 42,000 labor immigrants are formally registered in the labor market.
“This discrepancy shows that the current system fails to capture the actual scale of labor migration in Georgia, making it difficult to implement targeted policies, safeguard labor rights, and understand the real market dynamics.”
The draft law proposes the following reforms:
- Creation and implementation of a special work permit system for foreign employees
- Definition of clear criteria for issuing work permits
- Regulation of self-employed foreign workers and those involved in entrepreneurial activity
- Introduction of new monitoring and enforcement mechanisms
- Designation of responsible agencies for enforcement
- Increased fines for employers hiring foreigners without proper authorization
- Penalties for unauthorized employment or entrepreneurial activity by foreign nationals
Full regulation of labor migration processes and clarification of agency responsibilities for policy management
The law is expected to take effect on March 1, 2026. Foreigners with active registration in the labor migration system at that time will be required to obtain both a special work permit and an appropriate residence permit by January 1, 2027. The law will not apply retroactively.
The following fines are proposed for violations:
- 2,000 GEL per foreign labor migrant working for a local employer without proper work authorization
- 2,000 GEL for employers employing a labor migrant without the necessary permit
- 2,000 GEL for self-employed foreigners operating without a valid work right
Repeat violations will result in double fines.
According to the draft, the core objective of the reform is to protect domestic labor resources by ensuring that the employment of foreign nationals is fully regulated, transparent, and aligned with Georgia’s labor market needs.
