Georgia's 365-Day Visa-Free Stay: What It Allows and What Happens When Your Year Ends

Overview

Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the EU and about 90 other countries can enter Georgia without a visa and stay up to a year.
Since January 1, 2026, every tourist needs health and accident insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover for the whole stay.
The visa-free year lets you live here and work remotely for foreign clients. Since March 1, 2026, it doesn't let you work in the Georgian market without a work permit.
When the year ends, you leave, apply for a residence permit at least 40 days before the end, or overstay and pay a fine. Only the first two are good plans.

Georgia's one-year visa-free stay is one of the most generous in the world. You land, you get a stamp and you can stay for 365 days. No application, no proof of funds, no interview. That's why so many remote workers and early retirees start here.

It has limits, though, and 2026 added a few. Here's what the year covers and how to plan for its end.

Rules current as of October 28, 2026.

Who gets the visa-free year

Citizens of roughly 95 countries can stay up to a year without a visa. That includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and every EU country. If you're from somewhere else, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list before you book.

Your passport should be valid for the length of your stay. You count the year from the day you enter.

The 2026 insurance rule

Since January 1, 2026, every tourist entering Georgia must have health and accident insurance. The rules:

at least 30,000 GEL of cover.
valid for your whole stay, from the day you arrive until the day you leave.
covering Georgia by name or by region.
printed or electronic, in English or Georgian, showing your name, the dates, the risks covered and the limits.

Border officers can ask to see it. A Georgian or a foreign insurer is fine. Many travel and nomad policies qualify, but check that the dates cover your full stay. A 30-day policy on a 9-month trip doesn't.

What you can do on the visa-free year

Live here. Rent a flat, open a bank account at some banks, put your kids in a private school.

Work remotely for foreign employers and clients. An April 2026 amendment made clear that work for a non-resident, tied to their business outside Georgia, doesn't need a Georgian work permit. See whether remote workers need a permit.

Buy property. Foreigners can buy apartments and houses freely. Agricultural land has limits.

What you can't do

Work in the Georgian market without a permit. Since March 1, 2026, a job with a Georgian employer, or a business that sells to Georgian clients, needs a work permit. Visa-free status no longer covers that. See our guide to the January 1, 2027 work permit deadline.

Count it toward permanent residence. Only years on a residence permit count. The visa-free year gives you no long-term status.

When your year runs out

You have three real choices.

1. Leave before day 365

The clean option. Leave on or before the last day and you've done nothing wrong.

Many people then come back after a trip and get a new year. Georgian law doesn't promise that. Border officers decide entry case by case, and Georgia now keeps a database of foreigners who are or were here without a legal basis. A pattern of back-to-back years, with no visible reason to be here, draws more questions than it did a few years ago. If you plan to live here long term, a residence permit is the safer footing.

2. Apply for a residence permit in time

You can switch from the visa-free year to a residence permit without leaving. File at the Public Service Hall while you still have at least 40 days left on your stay. The common routes:

the property permit if you own Georgian property worth more than $150,000.
the IT permit if you work in IT and meet the income test.
a family permit if your spouse or parent already holds a Georgian permit, or you're married to a Georgian.
a work permit and work residence permit if you work in the Georgian market.

Our guide to Georgian residence permits compares them all.

3. Overstay

You'll be fined when you leave, and the fine grows with the length of the overstay. It goes on your record. With the new foreigners' database and the government's push on illegal stays, an overstay can make your next entry harder. Don't plan around it.

A simple plan

Staying less than a year? Buy insurance for the full stay, work only for foreign clients, and leave before day 365.
Staying longer? Pick your residence route in the first 6 months. That leaves time to fix problems before the 40-day cut-off.
Working for Georgian clients? Get the work permit first. The visa-free year doesn't cover it.

How we can help

We look at your plans, tell you whether the visa-free year is enough or which permit fits, and file it before your time runs out. We can start by video call before you move. Plan your move with us or see what we do.