Georgia (GE)
Caucasus gateway with long visa-free stays for many nationalities, low business taxes, mountain-and-wine culture, and a fast-changing 2026 work-permit environment.
Social Security in Georgia
Benefits, contributions, and how the system works for expats.
Georgia does not operate a German-style comprehensive contribution-based social insurance system. Instead, it combines a funded individual pension scheme (SSTG), a basic state pension, targeted social assistance for vulnerable households, and state healthcare programmes — all administered through separate agencies. Most foreign expats are not automatically enrolled in the funded pension scheme unless they are Georgian citizens or meet specific residence and employment criteria. Private health insurance, home-country pension continuity, and emergency savings are the practical social protection strategy for most expats in Georgia.
Personal Identification Number
Piradi saidentipikatsio nomeri (PIN)
Georgian citizens receive a PIN with their national ID card from the Civil Registry Agency. Foreign nationals who obtain a Georgian residence permit receive a personal number on the residence card itself. Those registered as Individual Entrepreneurs or LLC directors for tax purposes receive a taxpayer identification number (TIN) through the Revenue Service (rs.ge). Foreign nationals without residence permits will use passport number as identifier in many interactions.
- Residence card and immigration status
- Revenue Service (rs.ge) tax registration and filing
- NAPR (napr.gov.ge) property and company registration
- Banking KYC and account opening at TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia
- Healthcare records at private and state-linked clinics
- SSTG pension fund account (for eligible participants)
- Civil Registry — marriage, birth, death registration
- Public Service Hall (psh.gov.ge) for official services
- Utility account registration (Telasi, Tbilgazi)
- Vehicle registration at Service Agency (sa.gov.ge)
Benefits & Support Payments
SSTG Accumulative Pension (Funded Pension Scheme)
Dagrovebiti sapensio gegma / SSTG
Georgia's mandatory accumulative pension scheme, introduced in 2019 under the Law on Accumulative Pension, creates individual pension savings accounts managed by the Pension Agency (pensions.ge). Contributions flow into individual accounts invested across moderate and aggressive fund options. Employees born after 1 January 1967 who are Georgian citizens employed under Labour Code contracts are mandatory participants. Voluntary participation is available for others including some foreign nationals.
Mandatory for Georgian citizen employees born after 1 January 1967 employed under Georgian Labour Code contracts. Optional opt-out was available only for those born before that date. Foreign nationals are generally not mandatory participants but may participate voluntarily if registered as taxpayers and employed in Georgia.
Mandatory participants are enrolled automatically through their employer. Voluntary participants apply through the Pension Agency portal at pensions.ge. Self-employed persons (Individual Entrepreneurs) may make voluntary contributions directly.
Basic State Pension (Old-Age Pension)
Sakhelmtsipo pensia / mokhucheobis dakhmareba
A flat-rate monthly benefit paid to Georgian citizens and qualifying permanent residents who reach retirement age. It is not earnings-related and does not depend on a contribution history — it is a universal flat benefit funded from general tax revenues. The basic pension was GEL 270 per month in 2026 and is adjusted periodically by the government.
Georgian citizens and qualifying permanent residents who are: women aged 60+, men aged 65+. Non-citizens or temporary residents generally do not qualify. Expats should not plan financially around receiving the Georgian state pension.
Apply through the Social Service Agency (ssa.gov.ge) or at a Public Service Hall branch. Required documents include Georgian ID, civil status certificate, and bank account for payment.
Targeted Social Assistance (TSA)
Miznobrivi sotsialuri dakhmareba
Means-tested cash assistance for the poorest and most vulnerable Georgian households, administered through the Social Service Agency. Households are assessed using a complex scoring system that considers income, assets, household size, employment status, and living conditions. Cash amounts are proportional to the level of poverty identified. The programme is not designed for or accessible to foreign expats.
Primarily Georgian citizens and long-term permanent residents who meet the means-test poverty threshold. Foreign nationals are not eligible. Requires Georgian citizenship or permanent residence and an unfavourable household score on the assessment.
Apply at the Social Service Agency (ssa.gov.ge) with national ID, household composition documents, and asset declarations. Assessment officers visit the household.
Universal Healthcare Programme (UHP)
Universaluri janmrtelobis programa (UJP)
A state-funded programme providing subsidised access to primary healthcare, emergency services, maternal and child health services, and targeted disease programmes (tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis C) for eligible Georgian citizens and some qualifying residents. Coverage includes GP visits, certain specialist referrals, hospitalisation subsidies, and some medicines. The programme does not cover dental, optical, elective procedures, private room, or non-programme medicines.
Georgian citizens registered with the programme, certain permanent residents with Georgian ID, and specific vulnerable groups (children under 6, pensioners, persons with disabilities, IDPs). Foreign nationals on visa-free stays or temporary residence permits are generally not eligible for UHP — they should rely on private insurance.
Eligible persons are often automatically enrolled via Civil Registry records. Register through the Social Service Agency or present Georgian ID at a contracted polyclinic or hospital.
Maternity Leave Pay
Dekretuli shvebuleba / akhalshobilobis dakhmareba
Under the Georgian Labour Code, female employees are entitled to 126 calendar days of maternity leave (183 days for complicated births or multiple births). Maternity pay has two components: an employer-paid period (the employee's full salary for the duration they are covered under the employment contract) and a state benefit for the remaining period. The state maternity benefit is a capped daily rate funded by the Ministry of Labour budget.
Employees under Georgian Labour Code employment contracts. Individual Entrepreneurs and freelancers do not receive state maternity pay. Foreign national employees on Georgian employment contracts are entitled to the same maternity leave rights as Georgian citizens.
Notify employer of pregnancy and expected due date. Apply for state maternity benefit through the Social Service Agency (ssa.gov.ge) with maternity certificate, employment certificate, and bank account details.
Disability Assistance
Shezghudulobis mqone piris dakhmareba
Monthly cash benefits for Georgian citizens and qualifying residents with certified disabilities. The benefit amount depends on the disability category (severe, significant, moderate) as classified by the Medical-Social Expertise Commission (MSEC). Disability status must be assessed and certified by MSEC before any benefit is payable.
Georgian citizens and qualifying permanent residents with MSEC-certified disability. Foreign nationals generally not eligible unless they have permanent residence and meet citizenship-equivalent criteria.
Apply through the Social Service Agency with MSEC certificate, Georgian ID, and medical documentation.
Child Allowance and Social Assistance for Children
Bavshvis dakhmareba
State child allowance programmes exist for low-income families with children, including enhanced targeted assistance payments for eligible households with children under 6 years and subsidised school meals, textbooks, and healthcare for certain categories. The amounts are modest by Western standards.
Georgian citizens and permanent residents in low-income households meeting means-test criteria. Not accessible to expats on temporary visas or visa-free stays.
Apply through the Social Service Agency with family composition documents, household score assessment, and children's birth certificates.
Contribution Overview
Georgia's contribution system is minimal by EU standards. The primary payroll deduction is the 20% personal income tax withheld at source by employers. For eligible employees (Georgian citizens born after 1967), the 2% SSTG pension contribution is also withheld, with the employer matching 2% and the state adding another 2%. There is no broad employee-paid social insurance contribution for health, unemployment, or long-term care. The effective payroll cost for an employer of a GEL 5,000/month employee is approximately: GEL 5,000 gross + GEL 100 employer pension contribution = GEL 5,100 total, with the employee receiving approximately GEL 3,900 net (after 20% PIT and 2% pension contribution, where applicable).
International Social Security Agreements
Georgia has a small number of bilateral social security agreements, primarily with CIS countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus) covering limited pension portability. Georgia does not have comprehensive totalization agreements with EU member states, the US, UK, or most OECD countries. This means: (1) periods of SSTG pension contribution in Georgia generally do not count toward home-country state pension entitlements, and (2) expats from countries without an agreement may face double pension contribution obligations if their home country continues to require contributions while they work in Georgia. US citizens working in Georgia may owe US self-employment tax on Georgian business income — consult a cross-border tax specialist.
For expats relocating to Georgia, social protection planning should prioritise: (1) comprehensive private health insurance with medical evacuation coverage (ALC, Cigna, Allianz Care, or local GeoMed/Imedi L plans); (2) continuation of home-country pension contributions if portable and affordable; (3) voluntary SSTG pension participation if you plan to stay long-term and are eligible; (4) an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses held in a currency-diversified account; and (5) cross-border tax and pension advice to understand the interaction between Georgian and home-country obligations. Do not assume Georgia will provide a safety net — it will not for most foreign nationals.
Social Security
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