Germany to Allow Georgian Seasonal Workers

Georgian citizens will be able to legally apply for seasonal harvest jobs in Germany, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze and Berlin’s Tbilisi envoy Hubert Knirsch announced after their meeting today.

“This is not a migration project in Germany, this is temporary seasonal work,” Ambassador Knirsch said, adding that he is convinced that Georgians will “contribute to the development of the German agricultural field and will use the experience for the employment in their country upon return.”

According to the Georgian Health Ministry, eligible applicants will be persons aged 18 to 60 years, with no travel history to the Schengen area for three months prior to entering Germany. The applicants, who can register starting from February 15, also need to demonstrate physical fitness as well as experience and motivation in harvesting.

The seasonal harvest works open on April 1 and last for one to three months, with a workload of 5-6 days per week and 8-10 hours per day. The gross minimum wage is EUR 9,50 per hour, including taxes. The wage should also cover food and accommodation expenses, the Ministry added.

Today’s announcement follows the January 2020 agreement between the two countries’ employment agencies, which paved the way for the legal basis of the program.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)