Georgia Digital Nomad Visa: Everything you need before you travel!

Georgia is a popular destination for digital nomads looking to work somewhere different while exploring a fascinating country with relatively low costs of living. Georgia has a great selection of places to discover depending on what you enjoy doing, with a liberal visa policy which makes it a good pick for adventurous types¹. If you’re considering getting a Georgia digital nomad visa this guide is for you.

We’ll walk through how to get a digital nomad visa in Georgia - if you need a visa to cover your planned activities - and also introduce Wise as a great way to spend in foreign currencies with low fees. Wise multi-currency accounts and cards can hold 40+ currencies and be used for spending and withdrawals in 160 countries, with the mid-market exchange rate every time.

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What is a Digital Nomad?

Before we look in detail at the digital nomad visa in Georgia program and who needs a visa, let’s start with some basics: what is a digital nomad after all?

A digital nomad is usually someone working remotely for an employer, their own business or as a freelancer, who can be based anywhere as long as they’ve got their laptop and an internet connection.

With the rise of remote working during the global pandemic, many employers have come to realise that location independent staff can add value, leading to a rise in the number of digital nomads across diverse sectors including creative industries, finance and administration, programming and graphic design. Pretty much any job you can do from a laptop may be suitable for a digital nomad, making this an exciting option for a broad range of people.

Working Remotely vs Making Money in Georgia

One common question is about the difference between working remotely while being physically in Georgia, and working for an employer who is registered in Georgia.

While it can be a little complicated to unpick, if you’re working remotely in Georgia this usually means you’re limited to doing work with companies and employers based outside of Georgia itself. On the other hand, if you want to work with a company which is physically registered in Georgia, the chances are that you’ll need a work permit or pass to cover your activities. Visa issues can be complex - so if you’re at all unsure which visa type will work for your time in Georgia you’ll need to reach out to a visa agent or the local Georgian embassy or consulate wherever you are.

One other thing to look out for is how your time spent working in Georgia impacts your tax liabilities. As we’ll see in a moment, under the Georgia digital nomad visa scheme you may be able to stay in Georgia for as long as a year. However, if you’re there for 183 days or more, the chances are that you’ll be considered a Georgian tax resident². In this case you’ll have to pay income tax to Georgia on eligible earnings. As with all things tax, it’s important to understand your obligations in your country of residence, and anywhere else you earn money, to stay on the right side of the law.

Visa types for Digital Nomads in Georgia

In 2020, as one way to allow workers into Georgia despite the borders being closed to many because of the pandemic, the Georgian government launched the Remotely from Georgia program. This allowed remote workers the opportunity to enter Georgia for a period of 180 days to 360 days, as long as they were able to fulfil eligibility requirements³.

As the world has started to open up, Georgia has returned to its fairly liberal visa policy, which allows citizens of almost 100 countries - including the UK - to enter the country visa free to live, work or study, without any need for a visa or permit⁴. This may mean that if you’re working remotely in Georgia for an employer or client based outside the country, you don’t need a specific visa at all.

The exact details of the visa waiver programmes, or the visa you’ll need if you’re working for companies based in Georgia, can vary based on your specific situation and plans. However, there’s a handy visa wizard tool on the Georgian consular information website⁵ which lets you enter details of your citizenship, planned stay and what you want to do in Georgia to check if you need a visa - and if so, which one may suit you. You can then generally apply for your visa online to save time on administration.

Georgia Digital Nomad Visa

Whether or not you need a visa to enter Georgia as a digital nomad will depend on the policies in place at the time you want to travel, and on your personal circumstances. As a quick guide let’s walk through how the Georgian digital nomad visa, Remotely from Georgia, worked.

When the Georgian digital nomad visa was launched back in 2020, it was reported that applicants would be required to show they had a minimum monthly salary of 2,000 USD or more, and plan to stay in the country for at least 180 days. At the time the program was launched mandatory covid quarantine was also in place, along with the requirement for health insurance, although these rules may no longer apply.

The Georgian digital nomad visa proved popular, with a reported 2,700 applicants after launch. For the most up to date rules and requirements to enter Georgia as a digital nomad it’s important to check the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or to get in touch with the consular service at your closest Georgian embassy.

Georgia Visa: Durations and Fees

As we’ve seen, UK citizens can enter Georgia visa free for up to 1 year, and study or work while there. Unlike many other countries, where fairly steep visa fees apply, as Georgia offers this visa waiver, there’s no cost to the individual, either.

If you’re applying to enter Georgia under a different programme, for example because you intend to immigrate permanently, there are likely to be fees to pay. You can find out up to date information on the Georgian authorities’ website.

Using Wise for Visa Payment and Currency Abroad

Wise offers multi-currency accounts and cards you can use to hold, exchange, send and spend in 40+ currencies, including British pounds and Georgian lari.

Open your Wise account online or in the Wise app, and add money in GBP before converting to GEL using the mid-market exchange rate. You’ll only pay a low conversion fee from 0.43%, and there’s then no foreign transaction fee when you spend in Georgia with your linked Wise card. If you don’t want to convert your funds ahead of time, the card can also automatically switch for you, with the mid-market rate and low fees every time⁶.

Open a Wise Account Today 🚀

Georgia is an attractive destination for digital nomads from all over the world who are looking for an adventure somewhere new, with relatively low costs of living, interesting towns and beautiful natural scenery. And because Georgia has a pretty liberal visa policy, UK digital nomads may even be able to enter with no visa for stays of up to 1 year. Whether or not the visa waiver applies may depend on your plans and your own citizenship - but there’s plenty of helpful resources on the Georgian government website, as well as agents who can support your application if a visa is needed.

Use this guide to figure out the best option for you - and don’t forget to take a look at Wise as a cheaper way to convert currencies for people living and working abroad.

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Sources last checked: 18.05.23