Georgia

01The country in 30 seconds

Georgia is cheap living, great food, a real sea coast, and real mountains — all close together. Tbilisi already has a working remote-work scene.

• Russians can enter without a visa — 365 days per entry
• No dedicated digital-nomad visa. The real path is visa-free entry plus a 1% business tax registration
• Local currency is the lari (GEL), timezone UTC+4
• Facts checked as of September 2026 — rules change, check official sources before you travel

02Who it's for

Georgia is a good fit if:

• you work remotely and want to pay almost no tax (1% turnover tax as an IE)
• you want both a sea coast and mountains, without choosing one
• you're fine handling paperwork yourself, without a fancy visa agency
• you like good food and wine and don't mind cooking less at home

Not for you if:

• you need a bank account open on day one
• you're counting on free public healthcare
• you want a huge, mature nomad scene like Bali or Thailand

03Entry & visa

Russian citizens don't need a visa. You enter on your passport and can stay 365 days. The clock resets every time you enter again.

Want to stay longer? A short trip to Armenia, Turkey, or Azerbaijan and back resets the count. There's no official minimum time you must spend outside, but border officers may push back if it looks like an obvious same-day visa run.

There's no dedicated visa for remote workers or digital nomads in Georgia. A program called "Remotely from Georgia" (required about $2,000/month income) used to exist, but it's mostly pointless now — the free visa-free year already covers the same need.

04Residency & legalization

There's no dedicated residence permit for remote workers in Georgia. If the 365-day visa-free year is enough for you, you don't need one. Many people instead register as an Individual Entrepreneur (IE) or "Small Business Status" — this is a tax registration, not a visa.

The tax rate is 1% on turnover up to 500,000 GEL a year (about $180,000), 3% above that. You can register an IE remotely, by power of attorney, without visiting Georgia.

A new labour migration law takes effect March 1, 2026, with enforcement for freelancers from May 1, 2026. Freelancers who only work for foreign clients are formally exempt from needing a work permit. But lawyers admit the exact scope of that exemption isn't fully clear yet in practice — worth watching for updates.

05Work & taxes

You can legally work remotely or freelance for foreign clients in Georgia — nothing in Georgian law stops this, and you don't need a separate work permit for it.

Most remote workers register as an Individual Entrepreneur (IE) / "Small Business Status" instead of paying regular taxes:

• 1% tax on turnover up to 500,000 GEL (about $180,000) a year
• 3% above that threshold
• income from foreign clients is taxed at the same low rate under this regime

You can register an IE remotely, by power of attorney, without ever visiting Georgia — it's the most common route for freelancers and IT workers.

A new labour migration law takes effect March 1, 2026, with enforcement for self-employed freelancers from May 1, 2026. Remote workers serving only foreign clients are formally exempt from needing a work permit, but lawyers say the exact scope of that exemption isn't fully clear yet in practice.

06Banks, cards & money

Mir cards don't work in Georgia — local banks don't accept them. Bring a different card, one not issued in Russia, or plan to open a local account.

Opening an account at a Georgian bank (Bank of Georgia and TBC are the two main ones) has gotten noticeably harder specifically for Russians and Belarusians. Banks now follow FATF rules — they ask you to prove where your money comes from, explain why you chose Georgia, and can refuse if funds were cashed out anywhere along the way.

What actually works for the first weeks:

• an international card not issued in Russia
• cash for your first few weeks
• opening an account through an agency or consultant who helps prepare documents for a specific bank

07Renting a place

Most people search for housing on myhome.ge and ss.ge — the two main listing sites in Georgia. Expat Facebook groups and Telegram chats are also popular, often for renting without an agent.

A 1-bedroom outside the centre of Tbilisi runs about $300-500 a month. Vake (a district popular with remote workers) and the city centre cost more. Batumi is similar or a bit pricier, especially by the sea in summer.

The usual deposit is 1 month's rent on top of your first payment. Leases are typically 12 months, but shorter terms are realistic too, especially off-season.

Rents in Tbilisi have gone up since the 2022 wave of Russians and Belarusians moved in — negotiate, especially for a longer lease.

08SIM card & internet

Three carriers: Magti, Silknet (which also does home internet), and Cellfie (formerly Beeline). All three sell eSIMs.

A tourist package with unlimited data for 7-30 days costs about 15-30 GEL ($6-11). A regular monthly SIM plan costs roughly the same.

Home internet is cheap and fast, especially in Tbilisi — around $10-15 a month for a solid connection. In smaller mountain and coastal towns outside the main cities, coverage and speed can be weaker.

09Healthcare & insurance

Georgia's free public healthcare is mainly for citizens and residents. As a foreigner without residency, don't count on it — get private insurance or plan to pay out of pocket.

Since January 1, 2026, insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover is required just to enter Georgia, for every foreigner including Russians (see the Entry & Visa section).

Private clinics in Tbilisi and Batumi are solid. A regular doctor visit costs $20-40, and insurance for one person runs about $30-70 a month depending on age and coverage.

10Transport

Tbilisi has a metro (two lines), buses, and minibuses (marshrutkas). Bolt and Yandex Go both work here and show the price upfront — the easiest way to get around, especially from the airport.

Minibuses and trains connect cities (like Batumi or Kutaisi) — tickets are cheap, comfort varies.

Driving is trickier: a foreign licence is valid for 1 year after your last entry into Georgia. After that you need a Georgian licence, and to even take the exam you must have lived in the country legally for at least 185 days in the past 12 months.

11Safety & important laws

Georgia is a calm country. Crime against foreigners is low, and it regularly ranks well on Numbeo's Safety Index. The real risks are small scams, not violence.

Common scams:

• overpriced taxis at Tbilisi airport and tourist spots — use Bolt or Yandex Go instead
• restaurants with no prices on the menu in tourist areas of Tbilisi and Batumi
• unlicensed "cheap tours" and guides near popular sites

Don't photograph military sites or the border, especially near Abkhazia and South Ossetia — these territories aren't under Georgia's control, and entering them from the Russian side counts as an illegal crossing of Georgia's border.

Emergency numbers — see the Health section above.

12How much money you need per month

Total: Roughly $900-1,350 a month per person in Tbilisi (Batumi is similar, pricier in summer)

13Step-by-step moving plan

1. Check your passport is valid for your whole trip.
2. Get health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover — you may be refused entry without it.
3. Book a flight and fly in — no visa needed, 365 days visa-free.
4. Use Bolt or Yandex Go from the airport to short-term housing booked in advance.
5. Get a local eSIM or SIM card on day one.
6. Find longer-term housing on myhome.ge, ss.ge, or in Telegram groups, and check the ownership documents before paying.
7. If you work remotely, register as an IE with the 1% tax rate — you can do this remotely, even before you arrive.
8. Try opening a local bank account, with your source-of-income documents ready in advance.
9. Visit Batumi and Kazbegi to feel the difference between the coast and the mountains, and pick where you want to stay.

14Useful links & Telegram

• Georgia visa-free entry for Russians — visago.dev
• 1% Individual Entrepreneur tax regime — Andersen Georgia
• Georgia's 2026 labour migration law reform — Mondaq
• Why Georgian banks reject accounts in 2026 — legal.ge
• Cost of living for digital nomads in Tbilisi — Tbilisi Expat
• 365-day visa-free rules, insurance, overstay — Expat Hub Georgia
• Numbeo — Cost of Living in Tbilisi