Georgian Legal Residence Permit - Consolidated Guide

Obtaining and holding a Georgian legal residence permit is an important aspect of moving to Georgia or just simplifying doing business in Georgia. There are many important considerations to keep in mind before submitting the application. This guide aims to consolidate all the relevant information.

Before proceeding, please note that legal residency is completely different from tax residency in Georgia.

The information provided in this guide is based on the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens And Stateless Persons and Ordinance No 520 of the Government of Georgia on Approving Procedures for Reviewing and Deciding the Granting of Georgian Residence Permits as well as the practice accumulated by ExpatHub. Unfortunately, if you do not have a paid account on the government website, you may not be able to view the most up-to-date version of these legal documents.

Rules Common For All Georgian Residence Permits

There are rules that are common for all Georgian residence permits and then there are requirements that vary depending on the specific residence permit.

Under this section, you can find the eligibility criteria, application procedure, and a list of documents that are common to all residence permits.

Eligibility Criteria

Before the Georgian government approved some major changes on May 12th, 2021, there used to be relatively few eligibility requirements. Now, however, there are more factors to consider.

Valid Passport

At the time of the submission of the residence permit application, your passport needs to be valid. This means that at the time of applying, your passport should have at least 1 day of validity remaining.

Place of Submission

You need to submit your residence permit application from within Georgia, in the Public Service Hall (PSH). Here you can find the list of the branches of the PSH (and their addresses) by major residential areas.

The requirement to apply from within Georgia does not apply when renewing your Georgian residence permit. You can read more on renewals below.

Visa-Free Regime or D-Category Visa

As noted above, when applying for a Georgian legal residence permit, you need to be in Georgia legally. But not everyone is eligible to apply.

What do you need to consider?

In order to be eligible for the legal residence permit, (1) you need to be in Georgia based on the 1-full-year visa-free regime that Georgia has with some countries, or (2) you need to be in Georgia based on any category of visa (except C and T category visas).

(1) You can find the list of the countries that have the 1-full-year visa-free regime with Georgia here.

Please note that this is different from the list of the countries whose visa and/or residence permit holders may enter and stay in Georgia without a visa for a total of 90 calendar days in any 180-day period.

(2) The government grants a C-category visa for touristic purposes and a T-category visa for transit purposes. None of these is sufficient to become eligible for a Georgian residence permit. Usually, you would be applying for a D-category visa first if you wish to apply for a residence permit.

Do you need to apply for a visa?
Consider reading our article for more information on this topic.

Read Here

Application Procedure

The application procedure, timeline, and fees are the same for all residence permit types.

As noted above, you need to submit your application documents to the PSH. The applicable government fee and the time limit for the decision depend on one another. The available options are:

30-calendar-day application – 300 GEL
20-calendar-day application – 450 GEL
10-calendar-day application – 600 GEL

Please also note that you need to apply for your residency card within 1 month after the approval of your residence permit application. Furthermore, the law provides that failing to request the residency card within 6 months after you obtain/renew your residence permit may result in its revocation.

You can read more on the required documents below. As for the time limits, again, the time limit and fee for the residency card are interdependent:

10-business-day application – 60 GEL
5-business-day application – 80 GEL
3-business-day application – 100 GEL
2-business-day application – 120 GEL
same-day application – 150 GEL

You can see the visual representation of this procedure below:

You submit your residence permit application.

30-calendar-day application – 300 GEL
20-calendar-day application – 450 GEL
10-calendar-day application – 600 GEL

The authorities issue a decision on your residence permit application.

Max: within 1 month

You request a residency card.

10-business-day application – 60 GEL
5-business-day application – 80 GEL
3-business-day application – 100 GEL
2-business-day application – 120 GEL
Same-day application – 150 GEL

You collect your residency card.

You can process the payment of the government fee after you submit your application. The most convenient way to do this is by a card. The operator that received and registered your application documents has a POS terminal and can help you process the payment.

Required Documents

There are documents that are common for all types of residence permits. This section discusses these requirements.

To read details about each document, click the relevant tab on the left.

Passport

At the time of the submission of the application, you need to have your valid passport (with at least 1 day of validity remaining). The passport should have the visa that is the basis of your last entry or, if you entered based on a visa-free regime, the stamp applied in the passport for your most recent entry.

Sometimes, there are cases when you may have changed your passport after your most recent entry, and thus, it does not contain the visa or entry stamp. In this case, make sure to bring both your valid passport and the previous passport that has the visa or entry stamp.

Personal Photo

In addition to the passport, you need to submit a 3×4-sized photo. The photo should meet some requirements as to the background, positioning, etc. (generally known as “(ICAO Standard”). Previously, it used to be mandatory to have this printed but not anymore – a digital version of the photo is the primary requirement now.

The authorities have simplified this process.

When you visit the PSH, there are special photo booths. A nearby agent will help you pay the relevant fee in the booth (5 GEL at the time of the publication of this article), position yourself, and operate the booth. You can even take multiple photos. When you choose the photo that meets the requirements and is to your liking, you confirm, and you will receive the receipt.

Having taken the photo and received the receipt, you then proceed with the submission of the application. You need to submit the receipt together with the rest of the application documents.

Application Form

Lastly, the application form is also required for every residence permit.

The government has drafted and approved this form. It asks for personal information, contact information, and other relevant data. The applicant needs to sign this in front of the operator.

Rules Applicable To Specific Georgian Residence Permits

In addition to the rules and application documents common for all residence permits, there are some documents that apply to each residence permit. This section enumerates the specific characteristics of each residence permit and the application documents required to obtain them.

To read these details about each type of residence permit, click the relevant tab on the left.

Work Residence Permit

Purpose

A work residence permit is granted to individuals employed by a Georgian company and to individuals undertaking entrepreneurial activities under a Georgia company. In case of employment, the applicant should also be registered in the unified database of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Defence of Georgia.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted at least 40 days before the expiry of the applicant’s legal stay.

Validity

Initially, the residence permit is typically granted for a period of 6-12 months. It can then be renewed for as much as 11.5 years (but the total period of validity cannot exceed 12 years).

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application are enumerated below:

Business (IE/LLC) extract of the employer or business extract (IE/LLC) of the business managed by the applicant.
Turnover document of the business. By the time of the submission of the residence permit application, this document should be recent and it should indicate the turnover accumulated during the last 12 months. This amount should be 50,000 GEL (or more) per foreign employee of the IE/LLC applying for/holding a work residence permit. This document needs to be issued by the Revenue Service based on the submitted declarations. Please note that 35,000 GEL applies instead of 50,000 GEL when the business is an educational institution or a medical facility.
Statement by the IE/LLC indicating the number of its foreign employees applying for/holding a work residence permit.
Proof of employment (an employment agreement or a certificate of employment). This document should also be recent by the time of the submission. It should, among others, indicate the date of employment, the duration of employment, and the position.
Proof of income. This can be an employment agreement or a certificate of employment indicating the monthly income. Alternatively, this can be a certificate issued by a Georgian bank indicating the total funds in the applicant’s personal bank account. The monthly income shall exceed at least 5 times the Georgian subsistence income. In the case of total funds (sufficient for a year), we recommend showing at least 60 times the Georgian subsistence income.

Family Reunification With Georgian Resident

Purpose

A residence permit based on family reunification with a Georgian resident is granted to individuals whose family member is a Georgian resident (also known as a sponsor).

For this purpose, a family member is defined as a parent of an underaged sponsor, an underaged child of a sponsor, or a spouse of a sponsor.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted at least 40 days before the expiry of the applicant’s legal stay. Please note that your sponsor should have at least 6 months of validity left on their permit.

Validity

Initially, the residence permit is typically granted for a period of 6-12 months. It can then be renewed for as much as 11.5 years (but the total period of validity cannot exceed 12 years).

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application are enumerated below:

Proof of relationship. This is a document that proves the family relationship with the sponsor (for example, a birth or marriage certificate).
Proof of income. This can be an employment agreement or a certificate of employment indicating the monthly income of the applicant or their relative holding a Georgian residence permit. Alternatively, this can be a certificate issued by a Georgian bank indicating the total funds in the applicant’s personal bank account. The monthly income shall exceed at least 2 times the Georgian subsistence income. In the case of total funds (sufficient for a year), we recommend showing at least 24 times the Georgian subsistence income.

Family Reunification With Georgian Citizen

Purpose

A residence permit based on family reunification with a Georgian citizen is granted to individuals whose family member is a Georgian citizen (also known as a sponsor).

For this purpose, a family member is defined as the parent of an underaged sponsor, an underaged child of a sponsor, or a spouse of a sponsor.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted at least 40 days before the expiry of the applicant’s legal stay.

Validity

The residence permit is granted for an indefinite period of time.

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application are enumerated below:

Proof of relationship. This is a document that proves the family relationship with the sponsor (for example, a birth or marriage certificate).
Proof of income. This can be an employment agreement or a certificate of employment indicating the monthly income of the applicant or their relative holding a Georgian residence permit. Alternatively, this can be a certificate issued by a Georgian bank indicating the total funds in the applicant’s personal bank account. The monthly income shall exceed at least 2 times the Georgian subsistence income. In the case of total funds (sufficient for a year), we recommend showing at least 24 times the Georgian subsistence income.

Short-Term Residence Permit

Purpose

A short-term residence permit is granted to individuals who own immovable property in Georgia that has a market value exceeding the equivalent of 100,000 USD in GEL.

In addition to the owner, this residence permit can then be granted to their spouse and children.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted before the expiry of the applicant’s legal stay. Technically even 1 day of validity is sufficient. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend having more time before the expiry.

Validity

The residence permit is granted exactly for 1 full year to the owner, and until the expiry of this, 1 full year to the owner’s family members.

Documents

The documents required for the short-term residence permit application are enumerated below:

Property extract proving the applicant’s ownership of immovable property.
Evaluation report indicating the market value of the immovable property owned by the applicant. By the time of the submission of the residence permit application, this document should be recent and should indicate that the market value exceeds 100,000 USD (equivalent in GEL). This document is issued by a certified evaluator.

As for the documents applicable to the family members of the owner, these are provided below:

Proof of relationship. This is a document that proves the family relationship with the owner (for example, a birth or marriage certificate).
Decision regarding the approval of the investment residence permit application of the owner.

Investment Residence Permit

Purpose

An investment residence permit is granted to individuals who own immovable property in Georgia that has a market value exceeding the equivalent of 300,000 USD in GEL.

Alternatively, making an investment of the same amount in a business can also be a ground for obtaining an investment residence permit. But additional requirements apply. Specifically, the applicant needs to submit a report at the end of each year showing a turnover of 50,000 USD at the end of the first year; 100,000 USD at the end of the second year; and 120,000 USD at the end of the third, fourth, and fifth years.

In addition to the investor (also known as a sponsor), this residence permit can then be granted to their family members.

For this purpose, a family member is defined as a parent of an underaged sponsor, an underaged child of a sponsor, or a spouse of a sponsor.

Deadline

Validity

Initially, the residence permit is granted for 5 years to the investor, and until the expiry of this 5 years to the sponsor’s family members. It can then be renewed and will be valid for an indefinite period of time.

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application vary depending on the type of investment.

The documents required in case of ownership of immovable property:

Property extract proving the applicant’s ownership of immovable property.
Evaluation report indicating the market value of the immovable property owned by the applicant. By the time of the submission of the residence permit application, this document should be recent and should indicate that the market value exceeds 100,000 USD (equivalent in GEL). This document is issued by a certified evaluator.
3 recommendation letters written and signed by Georgian directors of Georgian companies. Alternatively, 1 recommendation letter written and signed by a member of the Georgian government (minister).

When it comes to a residence permit that is based on a different type of investment, because of the complexity of the investment requirements, please book a free consultation with us to discuss further details.

As for the documents applicable to the sponsor’s family members, these are provided below:

Proof of relationship. This is a document that proves the family relationship with the sponsor (for example, a birth or marriage certificate).
Decision regarding the approval of the investment residence permit application of the sponsor.

Study Residence Permit

Purpose

A study residence permit is granted for the purpose of getting an education in a Georgian authorized educational institution.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted at least 40 days before the expiry of the applicant’s legal stay.

Validity

Initially, the residence permit is typically granted for a period of 6-12 months. It can then be renewed for as much as 11.5 years (but the total period of validity cannot exceed 12 years).

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application are enumerated below:

Study certificate indicating the university and program, as well as the start and estimated end dates of the study.
Proof of income. This can be an employment agreement or a certificate of employment indicating the monthly income of the applicant or their relative holding a Georgian residence permit. Alternatively, this can be a certificate issued by a Georgian bank indicating the total funds in the applicant’s personal bank account. The monthly income shall exceed at least 2 times the Georgian subsistence income. In the case of total funds (sufficient for a year), we recommend showing at least 24 times the Georgian subsistence income.

Permanent Residence Permit

Purpose

A permanent residence permit is granted to individuals who have had a residence permit for 10 continuous years. Having any residence permit counts towards this 10 years, except residence permits granted for educational, medical, and diplomatic needs.

Deadline

The residence permit application needs to be submitted at least 40 days before the expiry of the applicant’s most recent residence permit.

Validity

The residence permit is granted for an indefinite period of time.

Documents

The documents required for the residence permit application are enumerated below:

Decision regarding the approval of the previous residence permit applications, showing that the applicant has had a residence permit for 10 continuous years.
Proof of income. This can be an employment agreement or a certificate of employment indicating the monthly income of the applicant or their relative holding a Georgian residence permit. Alternatively, this can be a certificate issued by a Georgian bank indicating the total funds in the applicant’s personal bank account. The amount of the monthly income as well as the total funds is not clearly indicated in the law. Nevertheless, our experience shows that it is acceptable for the monthly income to exceed at least 2 times the Georgian subsistence income. And in the case of total funds (sufficient for a year), we recommend showing at least 24 times the Georgian subsistence income.

Other Residence Permits

The less frequently utilized residence permits are:

Temporary residence permit for victims of domestic violence
Special residence permit for victims of human trafficking
Residence permit for former Georgian citizens
Residence permit for stateless persons

To get more information on these, please book a free consultation with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Can someone else submit my residence permit application on my behalf?

Yes, as long as that person has a Power of Attorney granting them the relevant authorities. Please note that even in that case, you need to be in Georgia unless you are renewing the residence permit.

However, in the case of requesting and receiving a residency card, this needs to be done personally by you.

How does the application process work for minors?

In the case of minors, their lawful representative (usually parents/guardians) should submit their residence permit application.

Additionally, minors aged 9 or above need to be present during the request for the residency card in order to apply a signature to their residency card.

Can we apply as a family?

No, each application is individual and should be submitted separately.

What if I changed my last name?

The government authorities need to be able to match you with the person indicated in the documents. Because of this, it is important for all identification information to match everywhere. Some of the reasons for a mismatch can be typos, bad translations, or when you have changed your name (due to marriage or other reasons).

In case you changed your name, you will need respective confirmation from the government of your home country.

Document Requirements

What should be the language of the submitted documents?

All documents need to be in Georgian. If a document is originally in a foreign language, it needs to be translated and notarized into Georgian.

The only exception is the passport. Usually, passports that have Latin transliterations are acceptable without a translation. But the government authorities still have the right to request translation and notarization.

Should the documents be original?

All documents need to be either original or notarized copies. Scanned and printed documents are not acceptable. Some Georgian public documents (such as business and property extracts and revenue service certificates) do not need to be signed or stamped.

Do my documents need to be apostilled/legalized?

All foreign documents need to be authenticated. Documents issued in these countries need to be apostilled. Documents issued in other countries need to be legalized.

The PSH website indicates that it also accepts documents without an apostille/legalization if Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan has issued them.

What happens to the submitted documents?

The government authorities keep all the submitted documents (with the exception of the passport). In case you need one of the documents back, you can request it after a decision is issued. But there is no guarantee that the authorities will return it.

What if I changed my last name?

Application Status

How do I check the status of my application?

You can check the status with the application number and the application code that you received when you submitted your application.

What if my application is rejected?

When the government rejects your application, you can appeal against the decision in court. Alternatively, you can reapply in 30 days.

Residency applications prepared by us usually do not get rejected. The only exception we have experienced is in the case of citizens of certain countries. In their case, the government rejects the application for “state security reasons”.

Can my residence permit be terminated before its validity expires?

This is very rare but yes, your residence permit may be terminated before its validity expires. The most probable reasons for this would be:

1. The circumstances that became the ground of the permit no longer exist. For example, you have sold the real estate the ownership of which became the basis for your residency. Another example would be that you no longer meet the turnover requirements, your employment has been terminated, or you no longer study in a Georgian authorized educational institution.

2. Due to changed circumstances, the government of Georgia deems that you are a threat to the security of the country.

Renewal Procedure And Requirements

A residence permit application qualifies as a renewal when you submit it before the expiry of your valid residence permit. Such a submission qualifies as a renewal even if you are changing the type of residence permit.

Place of Renewal

You can file the application for renewal of the residence permit from within Georgia. In this case, you need to visit the PSH. You can also request the renewal from abroad. In this case, you can use an online portal for the submission.

If you decide to submit it online, you will have a video call (or even two) and you will need to pay the government fee online.

Please keep in mind that after submitting an online application, you will have approximately 10 days to deliver the original of the submitted documents. It is also possible for someone else to take these documents to the PSH. And if they deliver exactly the documents that you submitted online, they don’t even need a Power of Attorney.

Deadline of Renewal

As noted above, you can request the renewal from abroad. In this case, the deadline for this is until the expiry of your residence permit. Technically even 1 day of validity is sufficient. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend having more time before the expiry.

When renewing from within Georgia, you need to submit the application for the renewal:

no earlier than 90 calendar days before its expiry; and
no later than 40 calendar days before its expiry.

The 40-day limitation does not apply when renewing the short-term residence permit, investment residence permit, temporary residence permit (for victims of domestic violence), and special residence permit (for victims of human trafficking).

Benefits of Renewal

Renewing is better than waiting for it to expire and then reapplying. This is for multiple reasons:

Renewal is more likely to be successful than simply reapplying.
In most cases, renewal makes you eligible for a residence permit with longer validity.
When renewing a residence permit that is based on the ownership of real estate, you no longer need to present a valuation report.

What Documents Do You Need for the Renewal?

The required documents for the renewal are identical to the list of documents needed for the initial application. There are only two exceptions:

You also need to have your residency card when requesting the renewal.
If you are renewing a residence permit that was based on real estate ownership and you are applying on that same basis, then you no longer need an evaluation report.

How To Request Residency Cards?

We already discussed that the application procedure involves applying for the residency card after the authorities approve your residence permit application. Now let’s find out what this process looks like.

In order to apply for the residency card, you will need to visit the PSH. You need to take your passport with you and a document showing your place of residence. There are a few documents that could work for this purpose:

Property extract if you own immovable property in Georgia.
Notarized rental agreement if you are renting a place.
A consent letter by the owner of immovable property. The owner needs to sign this either in front of the PSH agent or the notary.

Finally, when requesting the card, it would be useful to have the decision approving your application. Alternatively, you can have the application number and the application code that you received when you submitted your residence permit application. These will help the PSH agent with receiving your card request.

Advantages Of Holding Georgian Residence Permits

Georgia already offers a visa-free regime for the citizens of many countries. So why should you obtain a residence permit?

There are numerous reasons to consider.

Tax & Legal Immigration

Continuous Stay. With a residence permit, you can stay in Georgia without having to exit and re-enter the country. This is especially crucial, as visa runs became problematic during times like the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving some foreigners stuck in the country illegally.
Uncertainty of Visa Runs. Although Georgia’s visa runs might seem convenient, they may not last indefinitely, and the country’s flexible visa policies could change in the future, catching many unprepared. This could be significant for tax residency, having a negative impact on those with favorable tax rates in Georgia.
Path to Permanent Residency. If Georgia is your desired long-term home, securing a residence permit sets you on the path to acquiring permanent residency as indicated above.
Establishing a Legal Home. For individuals from countries without a double taxation agreement with Georgia (e.g., USA, Australia, South Africa), holding legal residence and tax residency in Georgia can demonstrate the country as their legal home and potentially reduce or eliminate taxes from their country of origin.
Family Reunification. Residency could facilitate the process of reuniting with family members, making it possible for you to sponsor their residence in Georgia.
Travel Flexibility. Being a resident of Georgia may grant you visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to certain countries, increasing your travel options and convenience.

Living & Other Advantages

Living Convenience. Having a residency card provides easier access to government and notary services, and smoother interactions with banks, utility companies, and more, streamlining administrative processes.
Access to Certain Services. Residency is often a prerequisite for getting certain services, such as applying for a visa from a UK visa center in Georgia. Without residency, individuals might need to return to their home country to apply for such visas.
Access to Healthcare: As a resident, you may have improved access to the country’s healthcare system, ensuring you and your family receive necessary medical services.
Unexpected Advantages. In the face of an unpredictable world, residency in Georgia proved advantageous during the COVID-19 pandemic, as residents had early access to vaccination compared to non-residents.

How Can ExpatHub Help?

We have processed hundreds of residency applications. Check out the pricing and inclusions.

Do you have questions or need a consultation?

Schedule A Free Consultation

Have you decided that you want us to assist?

Start Your Application

Did you find our article useful? Register by email for updates: