How to get permanent residence in Georgia in 2026
After 10 years on a temporary residence permit; spouses of citizens after 5 years; investors from $300,000 get an indefinite status after 5 years. No exam, and the fee is about $200.
| Key facts | 2026 |
|---|---|
| How long | 10 years of residence on a temporary residence permit |
| Faster | spouses of citizens and investors from $300,000: after 5 years; children of citizens and parents of minor citizens: immediately |
| Language and exam | not required |
| Income | lawful income in Georgia or money in an account no lower than the state pension |
| Fees | ~$200 for the decision and ~$25 for the card |
| Duration | indefinite; the card is replaced every 5 years |
| To citizenship | 10 years of lawful residence in the country and an exam |
Data checked: 07.10.2026
As a general rule, permanent residence in Georgia is granted after 10 years of living on a temporary residence permit. Three groups have a shorter route: spouses of Georgian citizens wait 5 years, children of citizens and parents of minor citizens apply at once, and investors with $300,000 or more get an indefinite residence permit after 5 years.
The rules changed in 2026: marriage no longer gives permanent residence at once, and foreigners without permanent residence need a separate right to work. Below: which grounds count, how the period is calculated, what documents you need, why applications are refused and how the rules differ by nationality.
We will work out online the investment or income your family needs and what the permit costs for each member.
How many years until permanent residence in Georgia
| Residence ground | Years to permanent residence | Special conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary residence permit: work, own company, family reunification | 10 years | years of study and medical treatment do not count |
| Marriage to a Georgian citizen | 5 years | on a separate spouse residence permit: first for a year, then renewals of 2 years; the marriage continues |
| Minor child of a Georgian citizen | immediately | proof of kinship |
| Parent of a minor Georgian citizen | immediately | proof of kinship and lawful income |
| Business investment from $300,000 | 5 years | investment residence permit; turnover from $50,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and $120,000 in years three to five |
| Property worth more than $300,000 | 5 years | investment residence permit; the property stays in your ownership for all 5 years |
| Information technology specialist | 10 years | a 3-year residence permit with renewals; income from $25,000 a year and 2 years of experience |
| Studies | do not count | switch the ground to work or business |
As a general rule, only years on a temporary residence permit count. The visa-free year that Georgia gives citizens of many countries does not count, nor do studies, medical treatment or work at diplomatic missions. A temporary permit is first issued for 6 months to a year and can be renewed for up to 12 years in total, so ten years can be reached. All grounds are on our Georgia residence page.
Since 1 September 2026 marriage to a Georgian citizen no longer gives permanent residence at once. The spouse gets a separate residence permit: first for a year, then renewed for 2 years at a time. After 5 years, if the marriage continues, they apply for permanent residence. A commission checks that the marriage is genuine: it may interview the spouses together and separately and visit their home.
An investor gets not ordinary permanent residence but an indefinite residence permit: first an investment permit for 5 years and, once turnover or property ownership is confirmed, an indefinite one. The investor's spouse and minor children get the status together with them.
Who can apply for permanent residence in Georgia
Four groups of foreigners can apply for permanent residence: those who have lived 10 years on a temporary residence permit, spouses of Georgian citizens after 5 years on a spouse permit, minor children of citizens and parents of minor Georgian citizens. Investors apply for an indefinite residence permit under their own rules.
General conditions for everyone:
- lawful stay in Georgia on the filing date;
- filing no later than 40 calendar days before the end of your lawful stay;
- lawful income in Georgia, your own or that of a family member who is a Georgian citizen, or money in a personal account no lower than the state pension;
- not being wanted, under criminal prosecution or with an unspent conviction in Georgia.
The application is filed with the Public Service Development Agency: at Public Service Halls, agency branches or online. A residence permit is not issued to those who entered on an ordinary short-stay visa or on a visa or residence permit of a third country.
The document list for permanent residence contains no housing or insurance requirements. A criminal record certificate is not requested, but the agency checks the applicant itself: refusal awaits those who are wanted, under criminal prosecution or convicted in Georgia.
How residence time and absences are counted
The ten years are proven with copies of your temporary residence permits for that period. The law names no maximum number of days of absence, so what matters is that the permits follow one another without gaps and that the ground for each one continues.
Years on a study permit, medical treatment and work at diplomatic missions do not count. For spouses only years on the permit for the spouse of a Georgian citizen count: a divorce before the five years are up ends both the permit and the count.
For an investor the period is tied to conditions. The investment permit is terminated if the required turnover is not confirmed for a year or the property is sold without being replaced by another.
After permanent residence is granted the law does not tie the status to the number of days in the country: it contains no rule under which permanent residence is lost because of a long absence. The status is terminated for other reasons: false information in documents, a security threat, a criminal offence, an expulsion decision or the disappearance of the ground on which the permit was issued.
One more reason concerns the card: if you do not collect it within 6 months of the decision, the permit may be cancelled.
Documents for permanent residence in Georgia
- application on the approved form in Georgian;
- copy of your passport; no translation is needed if the data is in Latin script;
- copy of the document on your lawful stay in Georgia;
- copies of temporary residence permits for 10 years, when applying under the general rule;
- document on marriage or kinship with a Georgian citizen, when applying through family;
- document on lawful income in Georgia or a bank statement;
- colour photo in electronic form;
- payment receipt.
For an indefinite residence permit an investor files a copy of the investment permit and a certificate of turnover of at least $120,000 for the fifth year, or an extract from the public registry showing ownership of the property for all 5 years. It must be filed before the investment permit expires: the permit stays valid while the case is processed.
Foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation and a notarised translation into Georgian.
Language and exams
Permanent residence and the indefinite residence permit in Georgia require neither a Georgian language exam nor a history or law test. The application and documents are filed in Georgian.
Since 2026 only spouses of Georgian citizens are interviewed by a commission, and the interview checks whether the marriage is genuine, not the language.
An exam appears at citizenship: a test on the state language, the history of Georgia and the basics of law is taken on a computer at the agency. The first attempt is free, and the result is valid for a year.
How much permanent residence in Georgia costs and how long it takes
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Permanent residence decision in 30 calendar days | ~$200 |
| Permanent residence decision in 20 calendar days | ~$250 |
| Residence permit for the spouse of a Georgian citizen, each time | ~$200 |
| Investment residence permit | ~$120 |
| Residence card with permanent residence | ~$25, same day ~$60 |
| Our support | a manager will calculate it in the chat |
The permanent residence stage itself costs one applicant about $230: about $200 for the decision and about $25 for the card. You choose the timing when filing: a decision on the 30th calendar day costs about $200, on the 20th about $250.
The card is collected within a month of the decision: in 10 working days it costs about $25, on the same day about $60. The permit itself is indefinite; only the card is replaced: every 5 years for adults, every 4 years for children under 18, and when your address or name changes.
Under the general rule the route to permanent residence also means ten years of temporary residence permits: each permit costs about $120. The spouse of a Georgian citizen pays about $200 for each spouse permit, and it is processed within 90 calendar days.
Translations and apostilles are paid separately. Dollar amounts use the National Bank of Georgia rate of 7 October 2026.
Fees for the permanent residence stage for a family of three: from $690. We will calculate the exact amount for your family in the chat.
Ten years of waiting and a refusal with no reasons given
The law does not prevent you from applying for permanent residence on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: the visa-free year does not count, nor do study years, the application is accepted no later than 40 days before your lawful stay ends, and a refusal on security grounds is not explained. Murblz support removes these risks: we count the period from your permits, choose the ground with the shortest route, check the file before payment and prepare spouses for the commission interview. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first filing.
The support fee depends on your ground and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Why permanent residence is refused in Georgia
- a finding that your residence is inadvisable on grounds of state or public security, with no reasons disclosed;
- the ground for your stay has disappeared: divorce, dismissal, sale of the property;
- being wanted, under criminal prosecution or convicted in Georgia;
- forged documents, false information or concealment of important facts;
- for spouses: failure to appear before the commission, refusal of the interview or of a home visit;
- filing later than 40 days before the end of your lawful stay;
- entry on an ordinary short-stay visa or on a visa or residence permit of a third country.
The most common refusal is based on a security finding, and the agency is not obliged to explain it. That is why everything the applicant can influence is checked before filing: permit dates, the ground for stay, income and how you entered the country.
What permanent residence in Georgia gives and how it differs from citizenship
| Question | Permanent residence | Citizenship |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | indefinite; the card is replaced every 5 years | for life |
| Work | without the separate right to work that other foreigners have needed since 1 March 2026 | no restrictions |
| Land | agricultural land cannot be bought | can be bought |
| Elections | no vote | full vote |
| Exam | not required | language, history and the basics of law |
| Previous citizenship | kept | you must give up your previous citizenship |
| Fees | ~$230 | from $25 to $150 depending on speed |
Permanent residence suits those who have lived in Georgia for a long time and want to work without separate permits but are not ready to give up their own passport: under ordinary naturalisation in Georgia you cannot keep your previous citizenship.
Permanent residence is not formally required for citizenship: what counts is 10 years of lawful residence in a row. Spouses of Georgian citizens need 5 years. Details are on our Georgian citizenship page.
Restrictions for specific nationalities
The law does not divide permanent residence applicants by nationality, and there are no quotas. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, European Union countries and the United States enter Georgia visa-free and may stay for up to a year. But that year does not count towards permanent residence: the ten years are counted only on temporary residence permits.
Since 1 January 2026 every person entering needs health insurance with cover of about $12,000, and since 1 March 2026 a foreigner without permanent residence needs a right to work for employment and self-employment. Holders of permanent residence and of the investment permit are exempt. For other changes see our page on Georgia's migration rules.
Every applicant goes through a security check, and a refusal on that finding is not explained. Former Georgian citizens get a temporary residence permit for 6 years at once, and compatriots living abroad get a special residence permit.
This topic in other countries
Permanent residence in other countries:
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- How to get permanent residence in Vietnam in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Kazakhstan in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Belarus in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Spain in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Thailand in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in China in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Poland in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in Azerbaijan in 2026
- How to get permanent residence in the US in 2026: every route to a green card
- How to get permanent residence in Canada in 2026
- Permanent residence in Germany
- Permanent residence in Japan
About this country:
- Georgia residence: all grounds
- Georgian citizenship
- Georgia's migration rules from 1 September 2026
- Tax residency in Georgia
- Tbilisi: districts and prices
- Company registration in Georgia
- Cost of living in Georgia
- Buying an apartment in Georgia
FAQ
How many years until permanent residence in Georgia?
Does marriage give permanent residence in Georgia?
What does permanent residence in Georgia give?
What do I need for permanent residence in Georgia?
How much does permanent residence in Georgia cost?
Do I need to speak Georgian for permanent residence?
Does the visa-free year count towards permanent residence?
Can I get permanent residence in Georgia through investment or property?
When is Georgian permanent residence lost?
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