Georgia offers several temporary residence permits for foreign nationals. The right route depends on your actual circumstances: employment or business activity, study, family ties, ownership of qualifying property, investment, work in the IT sector or another statutory ground. Registration of a company or purchase of any property does not, by itself, guarantee residence.
This guide reflects the major immigration changes introduced in 2025–2026, including the separate right-to-work system and the new IT residence permit.
Main types of temporary residence permit
The Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons provides several routes. The most frequently used are:
Work Residence Permit
This route may be available to a foreign employee who has obtained the required right to work, an individual entrepreneur carrying out genuine business activity, or a person falling within a statutory professional exception.
Typical documents
- application and valid travel document;
- evidence of lawful stay in Georgia;
- the work authorisation code or decision, where required;
- employment agreement or proof of genuine entrepreneurial activity;
- evidence of income and, where relevant, funds held in a Georgian bank;
- employer or business turnover information and the number of foreign workers;
- photograph and proof of payment of the state fee.
Income and turnover
The applicant’s monthly income must generally be at least five times the current average-consumer subsistence minimum. Funds in a Georgian bank account may be accepted in certain cases as an alternative or supplementary proof.
The employer or business must usually demonstrate annual turnover of at least GEL 50,000 for each foreign applicant. A lower threshold of GEL 35,000 applies to qualifying educational and medical institutions.
| Processing time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | GEL 300 |
| 20 calendar days | GEL 450 |
| 10 calendar days | GEL 600 |
Read our separate guide to the Georgian work permit system →
Study Residence Permit
A study residence permit is intended for an adult enrolled in an authorised higher-education or vocational programme in Georgia. Attendance at an ordinary school does not fall within the current statutory wording for this route.
Typical documents
- application, passport and proof of lawful stay;
- confirmation from the authorised educational institution;
- proof of income or available funds, generally calculated at twice the subsistence minimum for each month of the requested period;
- photograph and state-fee receipt.
The permit is normally issued for up to one year. It may be terminated if the holder remains outside Georgia for at least 183 days during a 12-month period, subject to statutory exceptions.
| Processing time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | GEL 300 |
| 20 calendar days | GEL 450 |
| 10 calendar days | GEL 600 |
Family reunification and spouses of Georgian citizens
Family reunification
This permit may be available to qualifying family members, including a spouse, minor child, dependent minor, a person under guardianship or custody, and certain parents or dependent family members where the statutory conditions are met.
The application usually includes proof of the family relationship and sufficient income or funds. The financial benchmark is generally twice the subsistence minimum for every month of the requested period. An initial permit is normally issued for six months to one year.
Spouse of a Georgian citizen
A foreign spouse of a Georgian citizen applies under a separate temporary-residence ground. The authorities may verify both the formal marriage and whether the relationship is genuine.
The statutory review period is up to 90 days and the state fee is GEL 500.
Short-term residence based on real estate
A foreign national who owns non-agricultural real estate in Georgia with a market value exceeding the GEL equivalent of USD 150,000 may qualify for a short-term residence permit. The value must be confirmed by a certified appraiser accredited under Georgian law.
The owner’s spouse and children may also be eligible. The application normally includes the ownership extract, valuation report, passport, proof of lawful stay, photograph and state-fee receipt.
| Processing time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | GEL 300 |
| 20 calendar days | GEL 450 |
| 10 calendar days | GEL 600 |
Investment Residence Permit
This route may be based on an investment of at least the GEL equivalent of USD 300,000 or ownership of qualifying non-agricultural real estate with a market value exceeding the GEL equivalent of USD 300,000.
- A business investment is documented through an auditor’s report.
- A property-based application requires a report from an accredited appraiser.
- The application also requires a reference from a member of the Government of Georgia or from three Georgian business representatives authorised under the procedure.
For the business-investment route, annual turnover benchmarks generally rise from USD 50,000 in the first year to USD 100,000 in the second and USD 120,000 in subsequent years.
Standard processing options are 30 days for GEL 300, 20 days for GEL 450 and 10 days for GEL 600.
IT Residence Permit
The IT residence permit is available to qualifying IT employees, Georgian individual entrepreneurs with small-business status, certain managers of international companies and their eligible family members. The right-to-work requirement must be satisfied where it applies.
Core criteria for employees and individual entrepreneurs
- at least two years of relevant professional experience;
- annual remuneration from qualifying IT activities of at least USD 25,000;
- at least two qualifying payments made no less than 30 days apart;
- work and activity codes matching the applicable ISCO and NACE classifications;
- for an individual entrepreneur, valid small-business status in Georgia.
| Processing time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | GEL 500 |
| 20 calendar days | GEL 750 |
| 10 calendar days | GEL 1,000 |
Other temporary residence routes
Other statutory grounds include permits for former Georgian citizens, stateless persons and applicants whose circumstances justify a special residence permit.
- Former citizen of Georgia: generally issued for six years.
- Stateless person: generally issued for three years.
- Special residence: available only in the situations specifically defined by law, including certain humanitarian, protective or state-interest cases.
These applications are fact-specific. The correct ground and evidence should be identified before filing.
General filing rules
- Confirm your legal ground.
Choose the residence category that reflects your actual activity and evidence. - Check your immigration status.
You must generally be lawfully present in Georgia at the time of application. - File on time.
Most applicants should apply at least 40 calendar days before their lawful stay expires. - Prepare Georgian-language evidence.
Foreign documents may require translation, notarisation, apostille or legalisation. - Complete the residence-card stage.
After approval, obtain the physical residence card within the statutory period.
Visa-category limitations
A person staying in Georgia on an ordinary C-category visa generally cannot obtain most residence permits from within the country. Limited exceptions exist, including certain investment, IT, special and protective cases.
Language and form of documents
Applications and supporting evidence are submitted in Georgian. A passport may sometimes be accepted without translation when the personal data are written in Latin characters. Other foreign documents generally require a Georgian translation and may also require notarisation, apostille or consular legalisation.
An application may be filed personally, through an authorised representative or electronically where the relevant service is available.
Residence card
Once the residence permit is granted, the foreign national must apply for a residence card, generally within one month. The application usually requires the residence decision, identity document, photograph and fee receipt.
| Card production time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 10 working days | GEL 60 |
| 5 working days | GEL 80 |
| 3 working days | GEL 100 |
| 2 working days | GEL 120 |
| Same day | GEL 150 |
Reporting changes
A residence holder should report a change of mobile number or address promptly. An employer must generally report termination of employment with a foreign worker within five days.
Frequently asked questions
Is registering a Georgian company enough for residence?
No. Company or individual-entrepreneur registration is only part of the evidence. The applicant must meet the requirements of a specific residence route, including genuine activity, income, turnover and work-authorisation rules where applicable.
Is a work permit the same as a residence permit?
No. The right to work regulates labour activity; residence status regulates the right to live in Georgia. Many employees need both procedures.
Can a school pupil obtain a study residence permit?
The current wording of the study ground is aimed at authorised higher and vocational education. A minor school pupil may need another basis, often family reunification.
Can a property owner include a spouse and children?
Yes, eligible spouses and children may qualify through the property-based route if the principal owner and property meet the statutory conditions.
Do company directors need a work permit?
The answer depends on the director’s actual functions, remuneration and the statutory exceptions. A role described only on paper may be treated differently from day-to-day paid work.
What if an employee works entirely outside Georgia?
A foreign employee carrying out all work outside Georgia may fall outside parts of the Georgian labour-migration regime, but the arrangement should be reviewed in light of the contract and actual working pattern.
Can I apply while staying on a C-category visa?
Most residence routes are unavailable to a person staying on an ordinary C-category visa. Investment, IT and certain special or protective grounds are among the limited exceptions.
When can temporary residence lead to permanent residence?
A general permanent-residence route may become available after ten years of qualifying residence in Georgia. Periods spent for study, medical treatment or diplomatic service are generally excluded from that calculation. Separate rules apply to spouses of Georgian citizens and qualifying investors.
Official sources
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons
- Law of Georgia on Labour Migration
- Government Resolution on the right-to-work procedure
- Public Service Development Agency: residence permits
- Public Service Development Agency: residence card
This publication is general legal information, not individual legal advice. Requirements, official practice and fees may change. Legislation checked on 21 October 2026.