A Georgian residence permit lets you live in the country after the visa-free window ends. It is issued via the Public Service Development Agency and the Public Service Hall. There are several routes — work, study, investment, owning real estate above a threshold, and family reunification.

Do you even need one

Citizens of many countries can stay in Georgia visa-free for up to one year. While that suits you, a permit isn't strictly required. You need one to work under a local contract, study, run a business with long-term certainty, buy property and settle, bring your family, or move toward permanent residency and citizenship. In practice many apply simply for predictability — to stop resetting the year with border runs.

A residence permit and tax residency are different things. Tax residency arises after 183 days in the country over 12 months and concerns taxes, not the right to live here.

Types of permit

  • Work — via a contract with a Georgian company or as an entrepreneur with turnover; you prove activity and income.
  • Study — enrolment at an accredited university or college.
  • Investment — investing above a set threshold; issued for a longer term.
  • Real estate — owning property above a threshold (a common reference is around US$100,000; confirm the current amount and valuation rules at sda.gov.ge — they change).
  • Family — for spouses and children of a permit holder.
  • Short-term — derived from property ownership, one year, renewable.

What it does and doesn't give

A permit holder lives in Georgia without depending on the visa-free year, rents long-term officially, arranges local services and opens a bank account noticeably more easily — the resident ID answers the "ties to the country" question that makes banks turn non-residents back after 2023. A work permit grants the right to be employed locally.

What it does not do automatically: it doesn't make you a citizen or replace a passport for travel, doesn't free you from your home country's taxes, and doesn't by itself create Georgian tax residency. Study and family permits limit employment. So choose the category by your real goal, not by "whichever is easiest".

Documents: the base set

A valid passport and its notarised Georgian translation; the application and a photo; proof of grounds (contract, enrolment letter, property extract, investment papers); proof of solvency; the state-fee receipt. The exact list depends on the category. Translation and notarisation is a separate step — see document translation and notary.

How to apply — step by step

  1. Pick the category that fits and gather your grounds.
  2. Translate and notarise passport and certificates.
  3. Apply via the Public Service Hall or the Agency.
  4. Pay the fee — standard or expedited changes the speed.
  5. Wait for the decision.
  6. Collect your resident ID card.

If you're opening an account in parallel, the guide to opening a bank account helps — banks are stricter since 2023 and often ask for proof of ties, which a permit resolves.

Timelines and cost

Processing usually takes a few weeks; paying the expedited fee shortens it. Fees depend on category and urgency — check current 2026 rates at sda.gov.ge; they change, so we don't quote "permanent" numbers.

Renewal and permanent residency

The first permit is usually temporary, from one to several years depending on the grounds. Renew it early — not on the last day, because processing takes weeks and a lapse resets your status. At renewal they check the grounds still hold: the contract is valid, the property is still owned, the studies continue. After several years of continuous lawful residence the path to permanent residency opens, and then, subject to conditions, to naturalisation. It's a multi-year marathon, but it starts with a cleanly filed first permit and no gaps.

Common reasons for refusal

In our experience applications are most often turned back for the wrong category, an unnotarised translation, a property value below the current threshold, or weak proof of income. A refusal rarely comes with a detailed reason — it's usually compliance.

  • passport valid at least six more months;
  • translation notarised by a Georgian notary;
  • property value and valuation meet the current threshold;
  • income backed by documents;
  • category matches your real grounds.
A refusal is not a lifetime ban. Fix the cause and reapply, or switch grounds. But every application means a fee and weeks of waiting, so it's best to get the file right the first time.

Moving with family

When a family relocates, the permit is usually built around one person who gets status through work, business, investment or property, while the spouse and children follow on family grounds. Children need translated and notarised birth certificates, and sometimes the other parent's consent — prepare these with an apostille back home. School is a separate matter: children enrol in local, international or Russian-language schools, some of which need translated education records. Plan it before the school year — translation, notarisation and a school place are three parallel processes, not one. Health insurance for the family is arranged separately and doesn't come with the permit.

Typical scenarios

  • Freelancer / remote worker. Most often they register a sole trader with small-business status and base a work permit on it — see company registration.
  • Investor / property buyer. Goes through real estate or investment; everything hinges on the valuation meeting the current threshold. If you're renting first, the apartment rental guide helps.
  • Family. One member gets a permit through work or business, the rest on family grounds.

In every scenario the bottleneck is the same: translating and notarising documents and filing correctly in Georgian.

Need an interpreter beside you?

The application is in Georgian, and a mistake costs a fee and months. We'll support and translate at your permit application — from the window to the resident card.

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Official sources