On April 15, the Georgian Parliament passed a law in its third reading to introduce a new C5 visa category; the text of the law, published in the Official Gazette, stipulates that it takes effect upon publication.
The new C5 visa will be a multiple-entry short-term visa valid for up to 5 years, granting the holder the right to stay in Georgia for up to 1 year. The visa is intended for foreigners visiting the country for tourism purposes and who are permitted to work only on behalf of a non-resident, provided such work is related to that non-resident’s employment outside Georgia. In essence, this establishes a legal framework for remote work for foreign companies or clients.
The law also explicitly provides for the extension of this visa to the spouse and minor children of the primary applicant. Additionally, the regulations allow for expedited processing of applications by separate government decision.
For the C5 visa and its electronic version via a special website, a fee range of $20 to $500 has been established, but the specific amount must be further determined by a resolution of the Georgian government.
According to the drafters of the law, the new visa is intended as a tool to attract high-income, low-risk foreigners from “safe countries.”
