Georgia Digital Nomad Visa: The Requirements

Georgia, one of Europe’s most majestic hidden gems, is now a growing digital nomad hub. All of this can be explained by the lucrative digital nomad visa the country is offering with only a few travel restrictions to combat during this tricky pandemic time. 

The main requirements for a Georgia digital nomad visa are:

• You must be a citizen of one of the 95 countries eligible for the visa
• A monthly income of at least $2,000 USD (€1,670) or savings of at least $24,000 USD
• Health insurance coverage for at least six months 
• You must undergo an 8-day quarantine on arrival at your own expense 

The former Soviet republic is still undiscovered by tourists, but it’s going in the direction of becoming another major digital nomad destination, along with places like Chiang Mai and Bali. In fact, many digital nomads have established themselves there already, which has helped to attract more like-minded people to the country through word-of-mouth. 

The Digital Nomad Program: Remotely from Georgia

The official name of Georgia’s digital nomad visa is “Remotely from Georgia.” It’s a state-designed program for freelancers, remote employees and entrepreneurs who want to live, travel and work in the country for an extended period of time. Foreigners from 95 countries are allowed to apply for the program if they intend to stay long term in Georgia for up to 360 days.

Although the program is relatively new, there are already over 2,700 digital nomads residing in Georgia under this visa. 

It’s not surprising as Georgia can offer some serious benefits for digital nomads, including the following: 

• There’s a very affordable cost of living. Prices are comparable to Thailand. You can live a good life earning under $1,000 USD per month. A nice one bedroom apartment in the city center is around $300 USD per month.
• There’s a big and active young digital nomad community, most of which are young entrepreneurs.
• The internet is fast and cheap. 
• The beautiful capital Tbilisi offers a wide range of entertainment and activities. It also has a unique mix of history and modernity as a convergence of Asian and European influences.
• Georgian nature is stunning and untouched by tourists.
• Food and wine are on the next level in Georgia. It’s a true paradise for foodies.
• You will have access to the sea at Batumi.

If all of these benefits have inspired you to move to Georgia as a digital nomad, you can read below about the requirements for the “Remotely from Georgia” program. 

Requirements for the Georgia Digital Nomad Visa

Luckily for you, “Remotely from Georgia,” the country’s digital nomad visa, doesn’t have many requirements. Most remote workers, entrepreneurs and freelancers should be able to fulfill them easily. Nonetheless, only citizens of 95 countries are eligible for this type of visa. 

The main requirements are:

• You must be a citizen of one of the eligible 95 countries, which are listed further along in this article.
• You must have at least $2,000 USD (€1,670) monthly recurring income.

Remote workers can prove that they have enough money to stay in Georgia by providing their bank statements from the past 12 months, or providing a contract showing future income.

However, showing you have at least $24,000 USD in savings, or the equivalent of that in any currency, will be sufficient. You don’t necessarily need to have an active income that recurs every month. 

Travel partners, even those that are not a spouse, may be approved without income requirements as long as they fulfill the following requirements: 

• They have health insurance coverage for at least six months of their stay in Georgia. Local Georgian health insurance is sufficient.
• They will undergo an 8-day quarantine upon arrival at your own expense.

The quarantine must be in a hotel. You can select from the government list of approved accommodations. After quarantining, you must undergo PCR testing. If no signs of coronavirus are apparent, you will be able to remain in Georgia.

Additional requirements for freelancers are to:

• Provide copies of contracts with clients from the last 12 months.

Additional requirements for remote employees are to:

• Provide details about your employer.
• Provide a letter of confirmation from your employer.

Additional requirements for entrepreneurs are to:

• Provide information about your role in the company.
• Provide proof of your ownership/partnership in the company.

Also be sure to check the list of government approved flights before booking a ticket to Georgia. Currently, there are only a number of flights that are allowed into the country. 

Because of the required minimum income, the government is targeting digital nomads with higher spending power. Their aim is to boost the economy of the country, which is highly dependent on tourism. 

However, the cost of living in Georgia is low, so you don’t need to spend $2000 every month. In fact, you can live like a king on $1000 USD.

Below are the required documents for the Georgia digital nomad visa: 

• Application form
• Copy of your Passport 
• A financial proof document:
  • Bank Statements
  • Stock Statements
  • Contracts with Fixed Reimbursement
  • Certificate of Employment
• Medical insurance

Below are documents needed depending on the type of the application you pursue: 

• Freelancer – Freelancing contracts from the last 12 months
• Full-Time Employee – A letter of confirmation from your employer
• Entrepreneur – A statement proving company ownership or partnership 

As we have mentioned, only citizens of the 95 countries listed below can apply for this program: 

Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Albania, Androa, Antigua and Barbuda, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, New Zealand, Barbados, Bahrain, the Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Territories of the Kingdom of Denmark – Faroe Islands and Greenland, the United Kingdom, the Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Spain, Estonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Japan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ireland, Iceland, State of Israel, Italy, Canada, State of Qatar, Cyprus, Colombia, Korea, Costa Rica, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Principality of Liechtenstein, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Mauritius, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, Kingdom of Norway, Sultanate of Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian federation, Hellenic Republic, South Africa, San Marino, Kingdom of Saudi, Arabia, France, Territories of the French Republic – French Polynesia and New Caledonia, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Armenia, Kingdom of Thailand, Tajikistan, the United States, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Hungary, Finland, State of Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Kingdom of Sweden, Swiss Confederation, Czechia, Holy See, Croatia and Honduras. 

How to apply for a Georgia digital nomad visa? 

So you’ve found that you fulfill all the requirements for a Georgian digital nomad visa. Now it’s time to apply! This can be done here on the official state website. 

While filling out the application, you should select which type of application you are filling out. You can select freelancer, full-time employee or entrepreneur. 

After that, you must provide personal information such as your name, surname, passport number, nationality, country of residence, phone number, e-mail, date of birth, passport/residency copy, marital status and whether or not you are traveling to Georgia alone.

Which duration of stay should you choose for the Georgia digital nomad visa application?

We would suggest at least 90 and a maximum of 365 days. This way, you can reduce the chances of your application getting rejected. Keep in mind that the visa allows for a stay of up to 365 days, and it was designed for someone wanting to come for an extended period of time to Georgia. 

The application will be processed within 10 business days. If additional information is requested, the process could take longer.

An added benefit of becoming a digital nomad in Georgia 

Digital nomads can greatly benefit from the taxation of Georgia. If you are making up to 500,000 GEL a year (approximately $155,000 USD), you can register as an individual entrepreneur and pay only 1% tax. 

There’s no need for accountants either. Every month, you can simply log into the revenue services website and pay with a card your 1% tax for the previous month’s income. However, to be taxed in Georgia, you need to stay there for at least 180 days in a year. 

Want to move to Georgia as a digital nomad?

To work remotely from Georgia, you will of course need a suitable job to drive some income to your wallet. As well, you will need an employer who is compliant with the fact that you are working abroad. 

Here at Support Adventure, we’re known as the expat outsourcing company as we hire talented people from around the world who want to work online from anywhere. 

We mostly have positions open for IT helpdesk support, as well as service coordinators and admin assistants. So if any of these career paths appeal to you, don’t wait Apply for a remote job with us on our IT jobs page!