— Before You Fly

Before you fly to Georgia

Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.

Check your offer Destination guide

Step 1 · Check the offer

Who to check with in Georgia.

Georgia

Public Service Development Agency (residence permits) and the labour ministry where labour immigrants register

A work residence permit is issued to a labour immigrant registered with the ministry responsible for labour, and the employer must meet an annual-turnover requirement per foreign worker. Check the current conditions on the agency page.

Official site ↗

Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.

Your Rights, From Official Sources

What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.

Who can apply

A work residence permit is issued to a foreigner who has obtained the right to labour activities in Georgia. The documents needed are set by a government ordinance, and the right to work itself is governed by Georgia's labour legislation. Check with the employer that this right has been obtained before you travel.
Georgia: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Articles 15(a) and 29 (English text on the Legislative Herald, consolidated version of 25 June 2026), read 8 October 2026
A foreigner who carries out labour activities without the right to work can be expelled from Georgia. Do not start work before the right to work and the residence permit are in place.
Georgia: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Article 51(1)(i) (English text, consolidated version of 25 June 2026), read 8 October 2026

Contract and pay

When labour relations with an employee who holds a residence permit end, the employer must tell the Public Service Development Agency within 5 days, and is liable if it does not report or reports wrongly. A permit holder must also tell the Agency at once if their mobile number or address changes.
Georgia: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Article 20-1, paragraphs 5 and 6 (English text, consolidated version of 25 June 2026), read 8 October 2026

If something goes wrong

The Ministry of Internal Affairs may inspect a foreigner's place of work to identify illegal migration, and can ask the employer to show the documents that give a legal basis for the foreigner's work. Employers must give information about labour relations with a foreigner when the Ministry asks.
Georgia: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Articles 52 and 53-3 (English text, consolidated version of 25 June 2026), read 8 October 2026

Checked against the linked pages on 2026-10-08. This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 2 · Carry

What goes in your hand luggage.

Papers, originals

Your passport, with your visa or entry documents ready
Your medical and any clearance certificates your destination required
Your flight details and the address you are going to

Papers, copies

The employment contract exactly as you signed it, printed and on your phone
Education and trade certificates, kept apart from your main folder
A photo of your passport photo page saved where your family can also reach it

People and health

Phone numbers for your specialist, your employer contact and your family, written down
Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription
A small amount of cash for the first day, not a large sum

Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.

Step 3 · Get it in writing

Ask these before you board, and keep the answers.

Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.

Who meets me at the airport? A name, a phone number that works from abroad, and where they will be standing.
Where will I sleep on the first night, and after? The address, who pays for it, and whether it matches what the contract says.
Who is my contact on the first day? A named supervisor or HR contact, not just a company name.
How and when is my salary paid? Into which bank account, on which date, and in which currency. Paid to you directly, not to someone else.
Who pays for the flight, the visa and the medical? It should match your contract. If something is charged to you that the contract does not mention, ask why before you pay.
What happens if the job is not the one in my contract? Know who to call first, and keep the authority above and your specialist's details to hand.

Step 4 · When you land

Your first days.

Tell your family you have arrived, and send them the address you are staying at.
Check what you were given against your contract: job, pay, hours, housing. If they differ, tell your specialist the same day.
Keep every document you are given, and take a photo of each one.
If something is wrong, contact your specialist first, then the authority in Step 1.

Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.

Go Deeper

Routes into Georgia

Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family