Georgia's parliament has approved a digital nomad visa in its final reading, Caliber.Az reports, moving the country closer to a formal long-stay residence route for foreign remote workers.

The bill has cleared the third and final stage in Georgia's three-reading legislative process. It now requires presidential signature and official publication in Georgia's legislative gazette before taking effect.

What does the bill do?

The measure creates a dedicated residence category for non-Georgian nationals whose income comes from sources outside the country. It targets remote employees of companies headquartered abroad and freelancers with non-Georgian clients. The visa does not grant holders the right to take up local employment; status is tied to foreign-source income.

Who does it cover?

The programme addresses foreign remote workers who want a legal long-stay base in Georgia. Eligible applicants typically include:

• Employees of multinational firms permitted to work remotely
• Freelancers and contractors with non-Georgian clients
• Entrepreneurs running businesses registered outside Georgia

Family members — spouses and dependent children — are usually eligible to accompany the primary applicant under derivative residence permits in similar schemes.

What does the applicant have to show?

Digital nomad visas in other jurisdictions follow a common template. Applicants usually need to submit:

• Proof of active remote employment or freelance contracts with overseas clients
• A minimum monthly income paid from sources outside the host country
• Health insurance valid for the full intended stay
• A valid passport with sufficient remaining validity

The initial permit commonly runs for one year and is renewable, subject to the holder continuing to meet the income and insurance thresholds.

What remains to be confirmed

The Caliber.Az report does not specify the income threshold, the length of the initial permit, the renewal procedure, or the application fee. These details are usually set out in implementing regulations issued by the Georgian government after the law is published.

The effective date depends on the date of official publication following presidential signature. Prospective applicants should monitor Georgia's official legislative gazette and the Public Service Hall website for the published text and accompanying rules before filing.

Why the route matters

Georgia has hosted large numbers of foreign residents since 2022, particularly from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, following the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Many remote workers arrived on visa-free stays of up to one year and renewed them on departure.

A statutory framework would convert that informal practice into a clear legal status and give the authorities a defined route to track and regulate remote-worker migration. The bill also gives Tbilisi a tool to attract new remote workers and their spending, anchoring them to a defined residence category rather than rolling border renewals.

What applicants should do now

Until the implementing regulations appear, no new application channel exists. Foreign nationals considering relocation should continue to rely on Georgia's current visitor-visa-free regime, which permits stays of up to one year. Once the regulations are issued, the Public Service Hall will publish the application form, list of accepted supporting evidence, and the standard processing time.