Your U.S. passport is good for 365 days in Georgia, as long as you're insured
No application and no visa fee. Since January 2026 you need health and accident coverage of at least 30,000 lari for every day you're there, and since March the rules on working got stricter.
Georgia's government lists the U.S. among the countries whose citizens can enter and stay one full year without a visa. This page covers what that year allows, what it takes to stay on the right side of the 2026 rules, and what to do when 365 days isn't enough.
The basics
A year in Georgia with nothing to file
Bring a passport that's valid on the day you land, with one blank page for the entry stamp. There's no application and no visa fee.
The year suits retirees trying Georgia before they commit and remote workers paid from outside the country. It doesn't cover a job with a Georgian employer: that takes a contract, a right-to-work permit, and a residence permit or D1 visa, with no visa-free exception.
The 2026 numbers behind a year in Georgia
365 days
Visa-free stay per entry
U.S. is on Georgia's list
30,000 lari
Minimum insurance coverage
about $11,000, whole stay
$2.90
A day of compliant coverage
8 lari at one Georgian insurer
183 days
Georgian tax residency
in any 12-month period
2,000 lari
Fine for working without a permit
about $750, more for repeats
$132,900
2026 U.S. earned income exclusion
330 full days abroad to qualify
Before you fly
Insurance became an entry requirement in January 2026
Georgia's Law on Tourism made health and accident insurance mandatory for foreign visitors on January 1, 2026, and Government Decree No. 602 set the details. Buy it before you go: one Georgian insurer reports that travelers who arrive without a policy pay a premium at a border kiosk or get turned back. Most Georgian clinics also want cash up front, so the policy isn't just paperwork.
- At least 30,000 lari of coverage
- Valid from your arrival date through your departure date
- Paper or electronic, in Georgian or English
- From a Georgian or foreign insurer licensed for health and accident coverage
If you work remotely, read this
Since March 1, 2026, foreigners without permanent residence who work in Georgia, including the self-employed, need a right-to-work permit. TK Counsel and other advisers read the rules as exempting people who only serve employers and clients outside Georgia, but Fragomen calls that point uncertain. Registering a Georgian individual entrepreneur for the 1% tax does bring you in: the permit costs 200 lari for a 30-day decision or 400 lari for 10 business days, plus a video interview.
Staying longer
When 365 days isn't enough
Leave and come back
Expat guides and Georgian insurers report that a new entry starts a new 365 days. The ordinance doesn't address re-entry, so treat it as practice, not a written right.
Buy property
A home appraised at $150,000 or more supports a residence permit since March 1, 2026. Property registered before then still qualifies at $100,000.
Invest $300,000
The investment residence permit runs five years, a longer runway than the property route.
IT residence permit
Three years for IT workers, with at least 183 days a year spent in Georgia.
File from inside Georgia
Visa-free visitors apply at the Public Service Hall: 300 lari for a 30-day decision, 450 for 20 days, 600 for 10. Work and study permits need filing 40 days before your stay ends.
Don't overstay
Expat guides put the fine at 180 lari for up to 90 days over and 360 lari beyond that. Rare expulsions can bring a two- to five-year ban.
Taxes
Tax residency arrives before the year is up
Spend 183 days in Georgia within any 12-month period and you're a Georgian tax resident, whatever your immigration status. The good news is that Georgia's flat 20% income tax exempts residents on income without a Georgian source. Whether remote work done while you're in Georgia counts as Georgian-source is a question for a tax adviser.
You still file a U.S. return. Wages and self-employment income can use the foreign earned income exclusion if you're abroad 330 full days in 12 months; pensions and Social Security can't. MyExpatTaxes handles the U.S. side, and Flamingo Compliance counts your days.
Help for a year in Georgia
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who helps you work out where you'll get care and how you'll pay for it before you land.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Arranges international health insurance for people living outside the U.S.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Files the U.S. returns Americans still owe from abroad, exclusion claims included.
Flamingo Compliance | Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
Logs where you are each day, so the 183-day and 365-day lines don't sneak up on you.
Georgia visa-free stay: questions Americans ask
Can I work remotely for a U.S. company while in Georgia visa-free?
Probably, but it isn't settled. Since March 1, 2026, foreigners who work in Georgia need a right-to-work permit, and advisers such as TK Counsel read the rules as exempting people who only provide services to foreign employers and clients. Fragomen calls the treatment of remote work for foreign employers uncertain. Registering as a Georgian individual entrepreneur does require the permit.
Can I get a job in Georgia on the visa-free stay?
No. Working for a Georgian employer takes an employment contract, a right-to-work permit and a residence permit or D1 visa, and there's no exception for the visa-free stay. Working without the permit can bring a 2,000 lari fine (about $750), with larger fines for repeat violations.
What happens if I overstay in Georgia?
You'll be fined. Expat guides put it at 180 lari for an overstay of up to 90 days and 360 lari beyond that. In rare cases people are expelled, which can bring an entry ban of two to five years.
Can I drive in Georgia on my U.S. license?
Yes, for a year. A foreign license is valid for one year after your last entry into Georgia, and you can exchange it for a Georgian license without taking a driving test.
Will I owe Georgian taxes during a year there?
You may. Spending 183 days in Georgia in any 12-month period makes you a Georgian tax resident. Georgia taxes income at a flat 20% but exempts residents on income without a Georgian source. You'll still file a U.S. return, and the 2026 foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900 for those who qualify.
Do I need health insurance to enter Georgia?
Yes. Since January 1, 2026, Georgia's Law on Tourism requires foreign visitors to hold health and accident insurance with at least 30,000 lari (roughly $11,000) of coverage for the whole stay, including arrival and departure days. The policy can come from a Georgian or foreign insurer and can be on paper or electronic, in Georgian or English.
How long can a U.S. citizen stay in Georgia without a visa?
One full year. Georgia's Government Ordinance No. 255 lists the United States among the countries whose citizens can enter and stay one full year without a visa, and the U.S. State Department describes it as up to 365 days. There's no application or visa fee.
Does leaving Georgia and coming back reset the 365 days?
Expat guides and Georgian insurers report that it does: each new entry starts a new 365-day period. The government ordinance that sets the one-year stay doesn't address re-entry, so treat it as current practice rather than a written right.
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