Residence in Georgia

Georgia is a country rich in natural beauty, cultural heritage, and an emerging economy, is located between Europe and Asia. In recent years, the demand for residence in Georgia has increased. This Eurasian country has attracted many immigrants and investors from around the world due to its high level of security and social freedom, pleasant climate, low cost of living, and favorable economic conditions compared to other countries in the region.

Obtaining residency in Georgia is possible through various methods in both temporary and permanent forms. Therefore, foreign nationals can apply for either temporary residency in Georgia or permanent residency in Georgia depending on their circumstances. Continue with us as we explore all these methods in detail.

How to get residence permit in Georgia, Tbilisi? This is one of the main questions for foreigners who are looking to move to Georgia or investors who are looking to start their investment plans in this country. Georgia has had great economic success and this has made Georgia a favorable option for foreigners as well as homebuyers/investors. One of the most popular ways in which people can obtain residential permit is by purchasing a property, this is simply the easiest and safest way of getting a residential permit in Georgia, this can be a great option for both homebuyers as well as investors who are looking to start living in Georgia by investing in properties. Experts at Sisno group will provide you with all of the necessary information you will need to decide upon taking your first steps towards living in this beautiful country.

During past years Georgia has been an attractive option for many foreigners because of its advantages and the European Union candidacy since December 2023. It is important to note, that each one of these methods for obtaining residency in Georgia are based on individual circumstances, in the following, these methods will be explained thoroughly.

One of the most popular and simplest ways to obtain a residence permit in Georgia is through property purchases. According to Georgia’s immigration law, it is possible for foreigners to obtain residency by buying any type of property except agricultural land which is worth at least $100,000, its also possible to have multiple lower valued properties that add up to more than $100,000, for example, 3 properties that are $35,000 each. These desired properties must be approved by an official government appraiser, this type of residency is short-term and needs to be renewed every year, to renew it you will need to prove that you are still the owner of this property and provide the necessary documents.

The first step is to look for the desired property which suits your preferences and budget, then with the help of a consultant or a lawyer you can hold a meeting with the seller of the property which is usually from a company or an individual at the Georgian public service hall. There are two methods of transferring the money: cash or through seller’s account. You might think, how long does It take to get residency in Georgia? For the issuance of the property you will have 3 options: on the same working day for 350 GEL, 24 hours later for 270 GEL or 4 working days later for 150 GEL. after the document is signed, the official appraiser needs to appraise the property.

For the appraiser to verify the value of the house, they will require a few photographs of the property, property documents, and a Georgian translation of the passport. This evaluation typically takes 24 hours. After this, you may submit your application, which will be processed within 10 days for 600 GEL or 20 days for 450 GEL or 30 days for 300 GEL, depending on your preference. Note that, its also possible to apply for a residential permit for the buyer’s wife/husband and children (any ages) upon receiving a positive answer for the owner’s residential permit.

After preparing the residency permit for the owner of the property, it is possible to apply for Georgian residency for your spouse and children. The remarkable point about Georgia’s temporary residency by buying property (buying a property worth $100,000) is that you can also obtain Georgia residency for your children regardless of their age, meaning under 18 years of age as well as 18 years and above.

Company registration is another popular way of obtaining residency in Georgia. According to Georgia’s immigration law this type of permit needs your company to be able to have at least 50,000 GEL of income per employee to qualify for a residential permit, this income should be approved by the Georgian tax department. This process can only start if the company achieves this circulation within 1 year or less. As for the employee, it’s possible to apply for residential permit if the employee has at least 5 times the minimum wage which is 300 GEL, so the employee needs to have 1500 GEL as well as taxes paid for that amount. You as the CEO of this company also can introduce yourself as an employee of this company and get residential permit.

The important point here is that the company’s owner, whether in the position of managing director or otherwise, can also appear as an employee and pay salaries and taxes for himself in order to apply for Georgia residential permit through company registration. To obtain this type of residency, you can complete the required documents while receiving free consultation from Sisno Group experts and experienced lawyers. The Immigration Department will issue your residency permit in three ways: in 10 days for 600 GEL, in 20 days for 450 GEL, and in 30 days for 300 GEL. If the answer is yes, you should return to the Immigration Department and file a request for the issuance of the residency card. After receiving a positive response for Georgia residency through company registration, you may apply for residence in Georgia for your wife and children under the age of 18.

If you are looking to start working in Georgia or you have already found a working place then getting a residential permit is fairly straightforward. However, there are two main requirements which needs to be met to start working in Georgia and obtain a residential permit for it. there are two main regulations, the first one is to make sure you are earning 5 times the minimum wage which is set by the government (300 GEL) which equates to 1500 GEL minimum salary requirement, and the second regulation is to make sure the company you are entering has enough annual turnover per foreign employee which is 50,000 GEL (excluding VAT) and it needs to be approved by Georgia’s tax department (the annual turnover approved by the tax department is the sum of cash/deposit inflows and taxes paid by the company). If you are a company manager or an entrepreneur, you can introduce yourself as an employee and obtain Georgia’s residential permit.

In order to obtain a work residence in Georgia, you may consult the Sisno Group collection and submit the necessary documentation, all while receiving complimentary guidance from our seasoned professionals. Afterward, you can go to the Public service hall with your lawyer to submit your request in one of the following ways: You may purchase a 10-day process for 600 GEL, a 20-day process for 450 GEL, or a 30-day process for 300 GEL. If your residency request is approved, you must return to the Public service hall to formalize your request for the issuance of the residency card. Please be advised that obtaining work residence in Georgia also grants you the ability to petition for residency for your wife and children under the age of 18.

For students who are looking to start their academic journey to study in Georgia, this method is by far the easiest way to obtain a residential permit. The duration of this permit can vary depending on the duration of the academic period, from 6 months to multiple years. Experts in Sisno Group can help you find your preferred university based on the major which you are interested in and your budget, after finding the academic institution which is suitable for you, you should proceed to translate and deliver the documents to the Georgia Ministry of Education in order to receive the approval and student code. It’s possible to receive the confirmation in 2 working days for 250 GEL or 6 days for 120 GEL or 15 days for 80 GEL or 30 days for 40 GEL. After you have received your student code from the Georgian Ministry of Education, the university will issue a tuition invoice after which the final contract is signed between the student and university. After this procedure you can request a certificate of proof of study which can be used to obtain Georgian academic residency.

As long as your student code has not been issued, you may leave Georgia and entrust your affairs to the experienced professionals at Sisno Group. You will only need to be in Georgia to pay tuition, sign the final contract, and complete the steps required to obtain Georgia academic residency, which will take 5 working days. To register your residency request, visit the Public service hall and have a lawyer complete the necessary documents and forms. Your residency request will be answered in three ways: 30 days with a payment of 300 GEL, 20 days with a payment of 450 GEL, or 10 days with a payment of 600 GEL. If the residency answer is positive, you should return to the Public service hall with a lawyer to apply for the residency card. By obtaining Georgia academic residency for students, you can also apply for residence in Georgia for your wife/husband and children under the age of 18.

Similarly to university students, school level students are also able to obtain a residential permit in Georgia if their enrollment in the school is approved by the Georgian ministry of education. With the help of experts in Sisno Group you are able to take advantage of free consultations of our company and find your ideal educational institution based on your future major and budget. In order to obtain the educational certification and student code, you must submit the necessary registration documents to the Georgia Ministry of Education after selecting the desired school. The confirmation of these documents can be issued in four ways: within two working days with a payment of 250 GEL, within six working days with a payment of 120 GEL, within fifteen working days with a payment of 80 GEL, and within thirty working days with a payment of 40 GEL. Afterward, the pre-invoice for the payment of all or a portion of the tuition (subject to the terms of the agreement with the aforementioned school) is generated. During the payment process, parents are required to execute the school’s final contract. You have the option of requesting a certificate of employment from the school after you have signed the final contract.

Once the employment certificate has been prepared by the school, you may visit the Public service hall with a counsel to submit your application for Georgia educational residency for students. The response to this residency will be provided in three distinct formats: 30 days with a payment of 300 GEL, 20 days with a payment of 450 GEL, and 10 days with a payment of 600 GEL. It is important to note that the document verification stage of the Georgia Educational residency procedure for students is only required for the first year. In subsequent years, registration will be facilitated by the deposit and signature of the contract. Parents may also register their residency request by submitting comprehensive documentation following the acquisition of Georgia educational residency for their students.

As we mentioned before, it is possible to obtain permanent residency in Georgia through specific laws. It’s important to note that permanent residency in Georgia does not grant Georgian citizenship or Georgian passport, However, the rights remain the same when it comes to a person with Georgia permanent residence permit and a citizen with the exception of voting for election.

According to Georgia’s Immigration Law, if a foreigner purchases real estate worth at least $300,000 US in Georgia, they will receive Georgia’s permanent residency. the foreign national should own a property which is worth at least $300,000 to be eligible for the permanent residential permit in Georgia, if you’re eligible, then the procedure for obtaining permanent residency starts off with a 5 year residential permit (long-term permit) and after those 5 years if you still own a property or properties which are valued by an official appraiser for $300,000 or more, then you can renew your residential permit to a permanent residential permit. Keep in mind that for the first time when you apply for 5 year residential permit through buying property, the application fee is the same as short term residential permit by buying property application.

It is possible to replace this property with another property that is equal in value, After the appraiser has valued your property (which can take a few days), you must pay a visit to the Georgian Public Service Hall with your lawyer and the necessary documents to apply for the permit. This process will normally take 30 days with a price of 350 GEL but you have the option to accelerate it by paying more, for 20 days delivery, the price is 500 GEL. Its also important to note that if the answer to your application was positive, its also possible to apply for your husband/wife and children (under 18) for a permit similar to yours, The process will take 20 days for 300 GEL or 30 days for 180 GEL per application.

If a foreign citizen invests at least $300,000 in Georgia, they will initially be granted a five-year investment residency (which has the same fee as the temporary residential permit application). If the investment process results in an approved turnover by the tax authority of at least $50,000 in the first year, at least $100,000 in the second year, and at least $120,000 in the third, fourth, and fifth years, their residency will be converted to Georgia permanent residence by investment after five years. To obtain permanent residency in Georgia through investment, the amount of your investment must first be approved by a government-appointed evaluator.

During the evaluation process, there must be a close connection between the company’s accountant, the official government evaluator, and a lawyer. If you successfully pass this stage, you will need to go to the Public Service Hall with all the necessary documents and your lawyer to submit your application for Georgian residential permit by investment. For the first time, when you apply for 5 year residential permit through investment, the application fee is the same as short term investment residential permit application. After passing these 5 years and then applying for the permanent residency, the response to the application for permanent residency in Georgia will be issued in two-time frames: either within 20 days for a fee of 300 GEL or within 30 days for a fee of 180 GEL. If the application is approved, you must return to the Public Service Development Agency with your lawyer to request the issuance of your residency card.

A person with Georgia permanent investment residency may apply for his/her spouse and children under the age of 18. The response to these applications will be issued in two forms: 20 days with a payment of 300 GEL and 30 days with a payment of 180 GEL (per person). If they receive a positive response, they may apply for their residency card.

Based on Georgian immigration laws, anyone who marries a Georgian citizen, regardless of whether a Georgian man marries a foreign woman or vise versa , the foreign spouse will be granted permanent residential permit upon officially marrying a Georgian citizen, however, there are certain requirements for the spouse to become a Georgian citizen. The requirements are: at least live in Georgia for 5 years after marrying, pass citizenship tests which include history, Georgian language and Georgian laws, after these requirements have been met, the person can become a Georgian citizen. It’s very important to know, Georgian government takes this very seriously and will check everything to make sure your marriage is real. After going to the public service hall with the necessary documents, they will provide an answer to your request in 20 days for 500 GEL or in 30 days for 350 Gel.