Georgia has historically been a place of cultural and geographical diversity, referred to as a European, Central Asian, or Middle Eastern country, depending on the source. This country's climate and scenery form a crossroads between East and West, and its history is littered with empires, invasions, skirmishes, battles, and atrocities.
Depending on the purpose of your journey to Georgia, you will require one of the various types of visas. Whether you want to visit, study, work or reside in Georgia permanently, you'll need to apply for a different Georgian Visa, but today we'll focus on the Georgia freelance visa.
Tbilisi - ranked second among the world's 50 cities to work remotely in 2021 by international travel portal Big7. The ranking evaluated the Remotely from Georgia program, which is available to freelancers, self-employed people, and businessmen from almost all 95 countries of the world. The portal journalists praised Georgia visa policy, the accessibility of accommodation, and the availability of telecommuting facilities.
Georgia freelance visa
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the employment landscape dramatically. Most companies have started to use remote working. In turn, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and businessmen who are not tied to a workplace have started to look for jurisdictions with optimal living and working conditions:
- low cost of living;
- fast and accessible internet;
- well-developed social infrastructure;
- no restrictions on foreigners' stay;
- favourable tax system;
- beautiful nature and interesting culture.
Georgia meets all the above requirements. The country used to be very popular among tourists, and the closure of the borders was very painful for its economy.
Therefore, to attract foreigners to the country, who could support its economy by working remotely, the Georgian government developed the "Remotely from Georgia" program. The application platform updating Georgia visa policy was launched on 27.08.2020, and more than 350 foreigners from different countries of the world benefited from it during the first two months.
What is freelance visa?
The Freelancer Permit is for those who are self-employed or operate as freelancers and wish to enter Georgia. Those who intend to stay for a minimum of six months will be able to do so with this permit. Many countries' nationals can stay in Georgia for 360 days with a visa. So, what is freelance visa? It is a work visa, however, in a much more liberal and easy format.
How to apply for Georgia visa and remotely from Georgia
The programme is open to solvent foreigners who can work and earn remotely. The obligatory requirement is the stay in Georgia after arrival at least 180 days.
Georgia visa requirements/ Georgia visa price:
Affordability and simplicity is one of the main reasons for the popularity of the Remotely from Georgia program among freelancers and businessmen working remotely. Citizens from 95 countries can apply if they meet the following requirements:
- A monthly documented income of $2,000 for the last 12 months;
- Presence of a valid insurance contract for the period of stay in Georgia (from 180 days), which must cover COVID-19.
After arrival in Georgia a foreigner must undergo an 8-day quarantine period in one of the selected hotels and pay for all PCR-tests: upon arrival and after the quarantine expires.
The list of available hotels can be found on the website of the program "Remotely from Georgia".
As you can see the Georgia visa requirements are pretty basic and easy. When it comes to the cost of Georgia visa, if a tourist visa costs around 160 USD, the cost of a Georgia visa for freelancers equals the amount of time you plan to spend in the country and your occupation, as it's not about one time classic payment.
How to apply for Georgia visa
The application for the telecommuting program is submitted online at a dedicated website. Georgia visa application form is filled out in English and at some points, you should upload pdf-files of the supporting documents.
The Georgia visa application form itself for the "Remotely from Georgia" program consists of the following sections:
Type of applicant
You should choose Freelancer, Salaried Worker or Businessman.
Personal information
Information: name, surname; passport number; nationality; country of residence; phone number; e-mail; date of birth; marital status.
Here you also need to upload a scanned copy of all pages of your passport and answer the question: are you planning to travel alone to Georgia? It is intended for applicants who wish to travel here as a family or with a significant other.
Remotely from Georgia allows you to bring your spouse, children, partners etc. They do not need a separate permit and do not have to show their income. The application is approved all at once: the applicant and his/her companions. The application must state the first and last name, nationality, passport number, country of residence, contact details and attach a scanned copy of the passports.
If the trip is organized by a travel company - information about the company should be provided additionally: name, contact e-mail and phone number.
Employer's data
Here you will need to enter the following information depending on the type of employment:
Freelancer
- choose a business profile: IT, sales, finance, marketing, etc;
- attach a scanned copy of the contracts for the last 12 months confirming income. Each individual document is attached in a separate field;
- LinkedIn Account;
- attach scanned copies of documentary proof of income (bank statements, rental agreements, deposit agreements, letter of recommendation from a bank, etc.)
- indicate the length of stay in days.
Employee
The following information about employer should be given:
- name;
- ID-number;
- address;
- telephone number and e-mail;
- web page.
Provide information about current position and LinkedIn Account and attach files:
- a letter of confirmation from the employer;
- documentary proof of income.
Businessman
In these fields you will need to enter the following information:
- The position in the employing company;
- LinkedIn Account;
- name of the company owned;
- business entity profile;
- web page;
- e-mail.
Completing the application
At the end you should:
- stamp your consent to undergo an 8-day quarantine;
- attach a scanned copy of medical insurance valid for at least 6 months (insurance must be purchased in advance);
- indicate the estimated date of arrival (you are allowed 10 calendar days to enter Georgia);
- choose point of arrival: airport (Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi), sea port (Batumi or Poti), checkpoint - Kazbegi (Russia), Sadakhlo (Armenia), Sapri (Turkey), Tsiteli Hidi in Russian - Red Bridge (Azerbaijan).
Receiving a response to the application
According to the terms of the programme, an application should be processed within 10 working days. In practice, however, it takes much longer to process an application. Often applicants receive an email requesting additional documents. If there is no reply for a long time, you must apply again.
The answer comes by email, after which it is necessary to book a hotel.
How to enter Georgia
Travel is significantly limited during the pandemic. Options for entering the country depend on the location of the participant
- Foreigners from the EU can fly into one of the airports of Georgia. Information on flight schedules should be found on the website of the Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia. However, flights are frequently cancelled;
- from Ukraine can be reached by using the ferry crossing: Chernomorsk-Batumi;
- from Russia, the most popular option is to fly to Vladikavkaz and then get to checkpoint "Upper Lars" with the help of a carrier (a taxi driver can be found through the Telegram channel with the same name). Please note, that the Georgian border is only open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m;
- From Istanbul, one can either fly to Tbilisi airport or cross the land border at the Sarpi checkpoint.
Documents for entry
For the "Remotely from Georgia" program, you only need to bring your passport, a printed approval on the application, and pet permit documents (if you have pets). However, if you are crossing the border through Upper Lars, you will need a more extensive package of documents:
- employment contract with the company;
- an email of approval to enter Georgia;
- letter of invitation from the Georgian company for entry.
All documents must be translated into Russian and bear the seal of the translation agency.
Although the program is meant for freelancers, working remotely and they can not have most of the a priori mentioned documents, they are required at the Russian border.
Accommodation
After passing the border, a foreigner takes a PCR test and goes to a pre-booked hotel. If they have their transport, they can either travel on their own in convoy or take a bus provided by the Georgian government. The convoy will consist of buses and vehicles, accompanied by police, and will go to the hotels.
At the hotel, it is recommended to choose a room with a balcony and comfortable area, as during the quarantine it is forbidden to go outdoors. It is allowed to buy food and other necessities and hotel meals, using delivery services such as: Glovo, Wolt. You can, however, only buy a Georgian Sim-card. You can buy a Sim-card at the border or agree with the hotel staff.
At the end of the quarantine, a PCR test is performed, and depending on the speed of obtaining the result, you can check out from the hotel on 8th or 9th day.
Approximate costs except for Georgia visa price
After crossing the border under the program "Remotely from Georgia" the foreigner has to bear the following expenses:
- Transfer from the checkpoint to the hotel - tentatively from $60;
- Hotel accommodation - from $38 to $500 per day, depending on the hotel and room;
- PCR tests: from $50 for the test.
