Foreign motorcycle couriers in Georgia

Under Georgia’s 2026 labour-migration regime, the annual quota for courier services is zero for foreign nationals without a permanent residence permit. It covers the actual delivery activity, not merely the vehicle: motorcycle, car, bicycle and on-foot couriers fall within the courier-services category.

Effective date

The new right-to-work system and Government Resolution No. 70 took effect on 1 March 2026. The 2026 quotas for courier services, passenger transport and ordinary tourist-guide services are zero.

Who is outside the restriction?

The principal exception is a foreigner holding a valid Georgian permanent residence permit. Refugees, persons with supplementary or temporary protection, registered asylum seekers and specified diplomatic, international-treaty and investment-residence categories are also outside the ordinary regime. Temporary residence, student or work residence, an individual-business registration, or ownership of a company is not the same as permanent residence.

Existing workers

A general transition provision gives migrants with active registration on 1 March 2026 until 1 January 2027 to obtain the right to work and the relevant residence document. Because the courier quota is zero, that clause does not guarantee a courier permit; the prior registration and exception status must be checked individually.

Penalties

Working without the right to work carries a GEL 2,000 fine for the worker or self-employed foreigner and GEL 2,000 for the employer/service organiser per foreigner. A repeat is GEL 4,000; a subsequent offence after those sanctions can reach GEL 12,000. Using another person’s delivery-platform account is not a lawful workaround.

Permanent residents

A permanent resident is not blocked by this quota, but still needs lawful contractual and tax arrangements, the correct motorcycle licence category, valid vehicle registration and insurance, and compliance with road-safety rules.