How to get a Georgian residence permit in 2026

What are the grounds for a Georgian residence permit

Temporary residence is issued by the Public Service Development Agency through Public Service Halls. The main grounds in 2026:

• Employment - first the right to work, then a work residence permit for 6 months to a year, renewable.
• IT residence permit - for IT professionals, with a first permit of up to three years.
• Own business - a sole proprietorship or company working on the Georgian market, also through a work permit.
• Property - a property worth from $150,000 at market valuation, residence for a year, renewable while you own it.
• Investment from $300,000 - in property or business, an investment residence permit straight away for 5 years.
• Marriage to a Georgian citizen - since 1 September 2026 first a one-year spouse permit, then renewals for two years.
• Study - only at accredited universities and colleges, with a language certificate or exam.

Work, study and family permits are renewed on the same terms, for up to 12 years in total.

What changed in 2026

Georgia is no longer a country where you can live and work for years without a single document. The changes came in three waves:

• 1 January - every tourist must have health and accident insurance with cover of at least 30,000 lari, about $12,000.
• 1 March - a foreigner without permanent residence needs the right to work, and the property residence threshold rose from $100,000 to $150,000.
• 1 September - marriage no longer gives permanent residence straight away, student permits became stricter, and working without a permit became grounds for expulsion.

Those who got residence under the old threshold renew it without a new valuation while they own the property. A detailed breakdown is in the article Georgian migration rules from 1 September 2026.

Do you need a work permit

It depends on who you work for. A remote worker or sole proprietor serving a foreign company or client for business outside Georgia does not need a permit. Once you have Georgian clients or sales on the local market, you need a permit and a work residence permit.

• Fee - about $80 for a decision within 30 calendar days or about $160 within 10 working days.
• Term - the first permit is 6 months to a year, up to three years for IT professionals.
• Fine for working without a permit - 2,000 lari, about $770, for the worker and the same for the employer, 4,000 lari for a repeat offence and 12,000 lari, about $4,600, the third time.

Holders of permanent and investment residence do not need a permit. The permit is not a residence permit: after approval the status still has to be obtained. More on sole proprietorships in the guide how to register as a sole proprietor in Georgia.

What a Georgian residence permit costs in 2026

Total government fees for a work residence permit are about $200 per adult: the work permit and a 30-day residence permit. The rate is about 2.61 lari to the dollar, amounts rounded up.

Georgian residence through property

The threshold is $150,000, and it is measured not by the contract price but by an accredited valuer's report. Buying a flat for $130,000 and hoping the valuation reaches the threshold is a poor strategy: the valuer decides, not the seller. The law calls this residence short-term: it is issued for a year and renewed annually while you own the property, and it gives no fast path to permanent residence.

From $300,000 the story changes: property or business investment gives an investment residence permit straight away for 5 years, followed by permanent residence. A business investor must show turnover of at least $50,000 in the first year, $100,000 in the second and $120,000 in the third to fifth. We source properties for both thresholds on the page property in Georgia.

Steps and timelines

1. Choose a ground - work, IT, business, property, investment, marriage or study; for remote work for foreign clients you may not need residence at all.
2. Work permit, if the ground involves working in Georgia: 30 calendar days or 10 working days on the fast track.
3. Residence application at a Public Service Hall: if you are already legally in Georgia, you have 10 calendar days after the permit is approved to apply for a work or IT residence permit; from abroad you need a visa to enter.
4. Decision - in 30, 20 or 10 days depending on the fee, up to 90 calendar days for marriage.
5. Renewal - on the same terms while the ground remains.

What documents you need for a Georgian residence permit

• A passport with a Georgian translation.
• A photo and the application at a Public Service Hall.
• Documents for your ground: an employment contract and the right to work, a sole proprietor or company registration extract, a property register extract and a valuation report, or a marriage certificate.
• Health insurance for the period of stay.
• For investment residence, proof of investment and turnover.

Documents issued abroad need an apostille and a notarised translation. Murblz specialists check the file before filing.

Why Georgian residence applications are refused

• a property valuation below $150,000, even if the contract price is higher;
• work for Georgian clients without the right to work;
• no insurance or funds to live on;
• unpaid fines from earlier trips;
• since 1 September 2026, administrative offences such as drink-driving, hooliganism or carrying a knife;
• for a business investor, insufficient annual turnover.

From residence to permanent residence and citizenship

As a rule, permanent residence is granted after 10 years on temporary residence, and years on visa-free stays, study or medical treatment do not count. Three routes are faster: marriage to a Georgian citizen - permanent residence after 5 years on a spouse permit; a child who is a Georgian citizen - permanent residence for the parent of a minor; investment from $300,000 - permanent residence after 5 years.

Citizenship as a rule goes to those who have lived legally in Georgia for the last 10 years in a row, know the Georgian language, history and basics of law, and have work, property or a business in the country. As a rule you must give up your previous citizenship: Georgia allows dual citizenship only by exception.

Taxes for residence permit holders

Georgia taxes individuals on a territorial basis: 20% income tax applies to Georgian income, and a tax resident's foreign income is not taxed. A sole proprietor with small business status pays 1% on revenue up to 500,000 lari a year, about $200,000, and 3% above that. Wealthy individuals can become resident without 183 days: assets from 3 million lari, about $1.15 million, or income from 200,000 lari, about $77,000, a year. All rates are on the page taxes in Georgia.

Georgian residence for families

A spouse and children get residence through family reunification for the term of the main applicant's status. Children can attend state schools taught in Georgian, and Tbilisi has Russian-language, international and private schools. Every family member needs health insurance. More on life in the country in the overview moving to Georgia and the Tbilisi guide.

Georgia or its neighbours

Georgia beats its neighbours with a year without a visa and 1% tax for entrepreneurs, but loses on the speed of the path to permanent status.

What we do

We check whether you need residence and a work permit for your income model, choose the ground, register a sole proprietorship or company, source property that meets the valuation threshold, prepare documents for the Public Service Hall and handle renewals. Support for remote work is described on the page remote work in Georgia, and business registration on the page company in Georgia. A manager will calculate the cost in the chat.

What a Georgian residence permit gives

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