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Georgia, a nation smack-dab between Europe and Asia, has announced the official launch of their much-anticipated Digital Nomad Visa program, called “Remotely From Georgia.”
If 2020 brought us anything beneficial, I would have to say it’s the new global excitement of being able to work remotely, and not necessarily having to be chained to one office. Many nations are starting to realize just how big the remote working community is, and with the latest changes to all our lifestyles, how much bigger it will grow.
Georgia, a country who has always been attractive for slow travelers due to their long-stay rules, has now officially launched their Digital Nomad program.
“Remotely From Georgia” will allow remote workers to stay and legally work their online businesses for at least 180 days and up to 1 year, with no annoying visa runs. It also works well for entrepreneurs, business owners, and even salaried employees who are cleared to ‘work from home’.
This program also has a major perk that allows applicants to circumvent the current covid-related entry-requirements that ban most of the world from entering Georgia at the moment.
Since only 5 nations (Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) can enter Georgia right now for tourism, the Digital Nomad Visa will allow residents from countries like USA and Canada to gain permission to go.
The Prime Minister himself, Giorgi Gakharia, even tweeted about the program earlier today:
Happy to announce the launch of a new state program "Remotely from Georgia", allowing citizens of 95 countries to travel & work remotely from 🇬🇪. As one of the safest countries in the world during the pandemic, we are ready to safely host int'l guests. https://t.co/nc9qjOAIGJ
— Giorgi Gakharia (@GakhariaGiorgi) August 27, 2020
Below we have all the information you need to know about Georgia’s new Digital Nomad Visa “Remotely From Georgia”, how to apply, who can apply, the requirements, and all other important details.
Which Countries Can Apply for the “Remotely From Georgia” program?
There are 95 countries welcome to apply. (USA, Canada, UK and more included!)
Like we said above, Georgia is currently only allowing 5 countries to visit due to covid-restrictions, but a resident from one of these 95 countries will circumvent the entry rules if they are approved for the visa.
The 95 countries are:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- French Polynesia
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
Requirements for ‘Remotely From Georgia’:
There are some requirements all applicants will need to fulfill before getting approved for the program
Income
You will need to show a minimum monthly income of at least $2000 USD. You can prove this with pay-stubs, employment contracts, investment income and/or bank statements for the last few months.
Insurance
Proof of health insurance for the entire duration of the stay is required. If you plan on staying the full year, you will have to pre-pay for insurance for that entire year.
Passport
A valid passport with more time left on it than you intend to stay, with a digital copy uploaded on your application form.
Wait
You’ll need to wait up to 10 business days to see if you are approved or not. Once approved, you can fly in immediately.
Quarantine/Testing
After approval for the program, and upon arrival into Georgia, you must quarantine at one of the 19 pre-approved hotels for 12 days at your own expense. On the 12th day, a PCR test will be given and if the results negative, you are free to move around Georgia.
Cost For the “Remotely From Georgia program
From the information given to us by the government of Georgia, we cannot find a cost for the program at all. Bonus!
This highly contrasts the massive $2000 price tag on Barbados’ similar digital nomad visa program that launched last month.
Why Work Remotely from Georgia?
Cost of Living
Georgia has a super low cost of living compared to many European countries, even when considering the Balkans. Some digital nomads who’ve been in Georgia for a while now compared the cost of living to some South East Asian countries, or the lower cost Latin American countries. Your dollar will go super far here.
Flights
There are lots of direct flights in and out of Tbilisi daily. You can easily fly direct to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Athens, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Doha and Dubai, giving any nomad some convenient connections to the rest of the world.
Internet Speeds/Cost
Both mobile data and home internet is fast and cheap in Georgia. There is fibre optic in some neighborhoods that will easily reach over 100 Mbps, and you shouldn’t pay more than around $10 for a good mobile data package.
Weather
Okay, this one might be subjective. If you live in Minneapolis, a winter in Georgia might be a treat. However, if you are a digital nomad who is used to going to Thailand, you might want to invest in a sweater or two. Here are some general averages (in Celsius) for Tbilisi:
Winter: high of 8, low of 0
Spring: high of 19, low of 8
Summer: high of 30, low of 19
Fall: high of 20, low of 10
Nomads Stuck Abroad
When the world shut down in March, many nomads got stuck abroad, and their visas are running out, leaving them without a place to go. For any nomads that got locked down in expensive European nations, Georgia will be a welcome relief. For others that have been stuck in places like Thailand, Malaysia, Argentina, etc, will find the cost of living comparable in Georgia.
How To Apply
Read More Related Articles:
- See everything we know about Georgia Reopening For Tourism
- Barbados’ “12 Month Barbados Welcome Stamp” visa
- Bermuda’s “Work From Bermuda” visa
Sources: agenda.ge / registration.gov.ge / matsne.gov.ge / direct interview with their PR company
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Attie
Monday 1st of February 2021
Hi Kashlee
Me and my husband and some friends visit Georgia 2019 and we fell in love with Georgia and his people. We decided to sell our house and move to Georgia in 2020 but all countries close their borders as a result of the covid. The time we was there we open an bank account at TBC Tbilisi. My Husband transfer some of his money to his TBC account end last year, he wants to invest his money for a period and earn interest, he all ready have his own private banker from TBC, That interest that my husband will earn will be spend in Georgia. We also want to transfer my money but we can not, because of the new regulations. We can not inter Georgia without the course of the vaccine, and here in South Africa it going to be a long period before we can received the vaccine and go to Georgia. Is there a possibility that we can maybe inter Georgia with the remote workers visa, because we invest in Georgia and spend the interest in Georgia. We did not want to be dependent on the state, our money will be enough to survive and like I said we will spend our money in Georgia.
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 1st of February 2021
I really don't have enough insight into Georgia's legal system to comment, sorry. The best you can do is contact the embassy or consulate and hope they can help you at this time. I wish you luck
Alan E
Saturday 28th of November 2020
I'm applying for this visa - love the country as I visited in February just before the Covid thing took off.
Zoe
Wednesday 2nd of December 2020
Could you please keep us updated if and when they approve your application? Just curious how long it would take them to process it! Thank you so much Alan!
John
Saturday 7th of November 2020
Hi Kashlee, I believe the link you attached for the visa application is not working! Could you please update it? Thank you!
Kashlee Kucheran
Sunday 8th of November 2020
Hi John. I just tested the link at the very bottom of the article (in hyper text saying "Georgia is now taking applications here") and it seems to be working just fine for me! Maybe try it again?
Denis
Saturday 7th of November 2020
Hi,
I have a question, what if I'm a freelancer already residing in Georgia with my wife who is not a freelancer, can I still apply? I can provide a copy of my contract, income statement etc.. do I have to cross the boarder? I would not want cross the boarder to be honest, I mean what is the point if I'm already in Georgia, do you agree? it does not make sense, right?
and another question I have, if my wife is not a freelancer, can she stay with me? : )))
It's ok if you do not have answers to all my question, my case is special, because I'm now in Georgia and my wife is not a freelancer, I would appreciate if you could provide me with telephone number or government agency that takes care of all FREELANCER applications, so that I could check with them directly to confirm.
Thank you in advance for your support and answers.
Best regards, D. Traveler
Kashlee Kucheran
Sunday 8th of November 2020
Hello - I don't have specific answers like if you will have to cross the border or not, sorry!
As for your wife, yes I am sure that will be fine, they just will want you to prove you make enough to support you both.
I don't have a direct contact but at the bottom of the article under my sources, there is a hyper link to "matsne.gov.ge" which might lead you to some contact info. You could also start filling out the application form and perhaps someone will contact you with next steps and you can ask them questions then.
John
Monday 2nd of November 2020
Great article! Can I submit the application if I want to travel with my spouse and she is a housewife?
Kashlee Kucheran
Monday 2nd of November 2020
Yes I believe you can, you will just have to show proof of being able to adequately support both of you with your income