Georgia Residence Permit in 2026: Routes, Thresholds and Process

Do you need a residence permit? A year without a visa

Citizens of Russia and many other countries can enter Georgia without a visa and stay for one full year. This follows from Article 10 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons and Government Ordinance No 255 of June 5, 2015, which lists the countries whose citizens get the one-year visa-free stay (list as amended on 24.02.2026). For other visa-exempt foreigners, the general rule is 90 days in any 180-day period.

So a Georgian residence permit is less about simply staying legally and more about the following:

• Work and business. Since March 1, 2026, a foreigner needs both a right to work and a residence permit or a D1 visa for paid activity (details below).
• Entry without counting days. A permit holder enters Georgia visa-free for the whole validity of the permit (Article 10(4) of the law).
• A path to permanent status. Permanent residence and citizenship require years of lawful residence.
• Family. A spouse and children get permits through family reunification or together with an investor.

Types of Georgian residence permits and their conditions

Article 15 of the law lists the permit types. For people relocating by choice, seven matter.

All amounts in the law are stated as the "equivalent in GEL": you do not pay in dollars, but valuations and proofs are calculated at the exchange rate.

Residence by property: $150,000 since March 1, 2026

Short-term residence permit

A short-term permit is issued to the owner of property in Georgia with a market value above $150,000 in GEL, and to their spouse and children (Article 15(j)). Agricultural land does not qualify. The $150,000 threshold was set by Law No 863 of June 26, 2025 and applies from March 1, 2026; before that date it was $100,000.

What matters:

• Market value counts, not the contract price. It is set by a certified assessor of a body accredited by Georgia's national accreditation centre. Paying $150,000 is not enough if the assessor values the property lower.
• Renewal every year. The permit is extended for one year at a time while you keep ownership (Article 16(1)(f)). No new valuation is needed on renewal if the property is the same (Article 16(3)).
• Sell the property and the permit ends. The law says so directly.
• No right to work. Paid work requires a separate right to work (see the work permit section).

Investment permit and permanent status

An investment permit is issued for 5 years in two cases (Article 15(h)):

1. An investment of at least $300,000 in the Georgian economy under the investment promotion law (confirmed by an audit report).
2. Property with a market value above $300,000.

The application also needs a written reference from a member of the Georgian government or from three Georgian citizens representing a Georgian company (SDA document list).

A business investor must confirm turnover every year: at least $50,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and $120,000 in years three to five. If turnover is not confirmed, the permit ends. A property owner must keep the property (or replace it under Article 21).

After 5 years, if these conditions are met, the holder can get a permanent (unlimited) residence permit (Article 15(k)). The application is filed before the five-year term ends. A practical advantage: the labour migration law does not apply to investment permit holders (Article 1(4)(f)), so they need no separate right to work.

If you are choosing a property for residence, browse property in Georgia in our catalogue and budget for an independent valuation from the start.

Work permit and work residence since March 1, 2026

A new version of the Law on Labour Migration has applied since March 1, 2026. A foreigner without permanent residence may work for an employer or run a business for profit only if they hold all of the following (Articles 13¹ and 13³):

• a right to work, a decision of the Labour Ministry issued through the State Employment Support Agency;
• a work residence permit, a D1 visa or another residence permit under Georgian law;
• for employees, an employment contract with a Georgian employer, fixed-term only, in writing, in Georgian and a language the worker understands.

How it works:

• Who applies. An employer applies for an employee; a self-employed person, including an individual entrepreneur, applies themselves.
• Processing time. No more than 30 calendar days after a complete file is submitted. Gaps must be fixed within 10 days, or the application is refused.
• Fee. No more than GEL 500 (the exact amount is set by the government).
• After approval. Someone already in Georgia applies for a work permit (or IT permit) within 10 days. Someone abroad applies for a D1 visa within 30 days.
• Transition period. Workers actively registered in the Labour Ministry database on March 1, 2026 must obtain the right to work and a residence permit by January 1, 2027 (Article 17(2²)).
• Fine. Working without the right costs GEL 2,000 for the worker and the same for the employer per worker; double for a repeat offence.

To get the work residence permit itself, the SDA document list requires monthly income of at least five times the subsistence minimum for an average consumer (published monthly by Geostat). You also need proof of the employer's or your own company's annual turnover: at least GEL 50,000 per foreign worker (GEL 35,000 for schools and clinics).

Who does not need a right to work

The law expressly excludes several groups (Article 1(4)). Three matter for people relocating:

• Holders of an investment residence permit (point f).
• People working for or providing services to a non-resident in connection with that non-resident's activities outside Georgia (point k). A typical case is a remote employee of a foreign company or a freelancer with clients abroad.
• People working fully remotely for a Georgian employer without entering Georgia (point j).

If you have clients in Georgia, a Georgian individual entrepreneur status with local revenue, or a job at a Georgian company, the exemptions do not apply.

IT residence permit

A separate IT permit is issued for 3 years at once and extended by 3 years at a time, up to 12 years (Article 15(l), Article 16(3¹)). It is open to three categories:

1. An IT employee with a right to work.
2. An individual entrepreneur with small business status and IT activity codes: 58.21, 58.29, 62.01–62.09, 63.1, 63.12.
3. A manager of an international IT company.

Employees and entrepreneurs must prove:

• IT experience of at least 2 years;
• IT income of at least $25,000 over the last year, received in at least two payments at least 30 days apart.

Foreign documents must be apostilled. Family members receive IT permits along with the applicant.

Study permit and family reunification

• Study permit: for adults studying in a higher or vocational education programme at an authorised Georgian institution. You need a certificate from the institution with the expected length of study and proof of funds.
• Family reunification: for family members of a foreigner holding a residence permit. You need proof of kinship and income.

In both cases money in a personal bank account counts as income: it must cover at least twice the subsistence minimum per month for the whole term of the permit. The first term is 6 months to 1 year.

For the spouse of a Georgian citizen, the law as amended on 25.06.2026 provides a separate permit: one year, then 2-year renewals, up to 5 years in total. An interagency commission checks that the marriage is genuine; it may interview the spouses and inspect their home (Article 16¹). Refusing to cooperate with the commission is grounds for refusal.

How to apply: step by step

1. Pick a ground and check that you meet its conditions on the date of filing. For work, obtain the right to work first.
2. Stay in Georgia lawfully. Permits are issued to foreigners staying in the country lawfully. As a general rule, you must apply 40 calendar days before your lawful stay ends. This does not apply to short-term, investment, IT and permanent permits.
3. Prepare documents. The basic set: the application form, a copy of your passport, proof of lawful stay, documents for your ground, a 3×4 colour photo in electronic form and a payment receipt. The application and documents are filed in Georgian. A passport is accepted without translation if it shows your data in Latin script.
4. Apply at a Public Service Hall, a territorial office of the SDA or online, in person or through a representative (Article 17).
5. Wait for the decision, which is sent electronically. After approval, the agency issues a residence card.

Processing times and fees

The fee depends on how quickly you want a decision. Amounts are from the SDA list, checked on 25.10.2026.

Add the right-to-work fee (up to GEL 500), the property valuation, translations and apostilles.

Why permits are refused

Article 18 of the law lists the grounds for refusal:

• Security. There are grounds to consider the foreigner's residence undesirable for state security or public order.
• The ground no longer exists. For example, the property was sold or the job ended.
• Criminal record or wanted status. A conviction in Georgia for a less serious crime (unless expunged), or for a serious or especially serious crime (regardless of expungement); being wanted or under ongoing criminal prosecution.
• Documents. Forged or invalid documents, false or concealed material information.
• Conditions not met. The Article 15 requirements for the chosen permit are not met.
• Expulsion. Expulsion proceedings have begun or an expulsion decision has been made.

You can reapply on the same ground no earlier than one month after a refusal (Article 19).

Permanent residence and Georgian citizenship

• A permanent permit is issued after 10 years on a temporary permit. Years of study and medical treatment do not count (Article 15(g)). The spouse of a Georgian citizen can get it after 5 years on a spouse permit.
• An unlimited permit is for an investment permit holder after 5 years, if the turnover or property conditions are met.
• Citizenship under the regular procedure goes to an adult who has lived in Georgia lawfully and continuously for the last 10 years. They must pass an exam on the Georgian language, history and basics of law and must work, run a business or own property in Georgia (Article 12 of the Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship). "Continuously" means no more than 90 days outside Georgia a year. A decree granting citizenship to a foreigner takes effect after they renounce their previous citizenship (Article 15).

Taxes: when you become a Georgian tax resident

Tax residence does not depend on a residence permit. A person is a Georgian resident for the whole tax year if they actually stayed in the country for 183 days or more in any continuous 12-month period ending in that year (Article 34 of the Tax Code). Any day of presence counts as a full day. So a person on the one-year visa-free stay can become a Georgian tax resident without a permit. Also check the rules of your home country.

Common misconceptions about Georgian residence

1. "Any flat over $100,000 gets you a permit." Since March 1, 2026, the threshold is a market value above $150,000 as set by an accredited assessor (Law No 863 of 26.06.2025).
2. "From 2026 every remote worker needs a work permit." No. The law does not apply to work for a non-resident in connection with its activities outside Georgia (Article 1(4)(k) of the Law on Labour Migration).
3. "A Georgian permit opens the Schengen area." No. It gives the right to live in Georgia and enter it visa-free. A foreign holder still needs a Schengen visa under EU rules.
4. "After 5 years you get a passport." No. Citizenship requires 10 years of continuous lawful residence, an exam and renouncing your previous citizenship. After 5 years an investor can get permanent residence, not citizenship.

How we check the data

We checked thresholds, terms and grounds against the texts of Georgian laws in the official Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge):

• the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, as amended on 25.06.2026;
• Law No 863 of 26.06.2025;
• the Law on Labour Migration, as amended on 25.06.2026;
• Government Ordinance No 255, as amended on 24.02.2026;
• the Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship and the Tax Code.

Fees and document lists are from the Public Service Development Agency website (sda.gov.ge), checked on 25.10.2026. The Georgian text prevails over translations. Fees and document lists change by government ordinance, so check them on the agency's website before applying.

FAQ

How long can I stay in Georgia without a residence permit?

Citizens of the countries in Government Ordinance No 255 (including Russia, the US, the UK and EU countries such as Germany and France) can stay one full year from the date of entry. Since 2026 this is not enough for paid work: you need a right to work and a permit or a D1 visa.

What property qualifies for a Georgian residence permit?

Any property except agricultural land, if an accredited assessor values it above $150,000 (short-term permit) or above $300,000 (5-year investment permit).

Can I work with a property-based permit?

Not automatically. Paid work in Georgia requires a separate right to work. The exceptions are investment permit holders and people working for foreign clients on their activities outside Georgia.

How much does a Georgian residence permit cost?

The agency fee is GEL 300, 450 or 600 for a decision in 30, 20 or 10 days. An IT permit costs GEL 500, 750 or 1,000. The right to work (up to GEL 500), property valuation, translations and apostilles are paid separately.

Does a Georgian residence permit lead to citizenship?

Not by itself. Regular citizenship requires 10 years of continuous lawful residence, an exam on language, history and law, and renouncing other citizenship.