Georgian residence permits — every category and who qualifies

Georgian law provides twelve distinct residence permit categories under Article 15 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons. Most published guides cover three or four of them.

Before going further, the question worth asking is whether you need one at all. Many nationalities can live in Georgia visa-free for 365 days, stepping out and back once a year. A large number of foreigners do exactly this indefinitely. A permit becomes worthwhile when you want stability that does not depend on re-entry, a path toward permanent residence, or a status that banks and landlords recognise as settled.

The categories

The IT permit deserves attention

Article 15(l) is the most interesting category for the people who typically read this site, and it is barely covered elsewhere.

It is available to a labour immigrant in IT, to people authorised to manage international IT companies, and explicitly to "an alien registered in Georgia as an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status" carrying on government-designated IT activities.

The requirements are:

• At least 2 years of experience in IT work or economic activity
• Annual remuneration of at least the equivalent of USD 25,000 in GEL
• The activity must fall within the IT fields designated by government ordinance
• From 1 September 2026: the right to labour activities, which replaces registration with the Ministry. Neither figure above moves.

Family members are covered too.

For a freelance developer already using the 1% tax regime, this is a direct bridge from tax status to immigration status at a threshold an order of magnitude below the investment route. If that describes you, it is likely the most relevant category on the list.

The investment routes

Investment permit — Article 15(h). USD 300,000 equivalent in GEL. Property valuations must come from an assessor accredited by the Georgian Accreditation Centre. Covers spouse, minor children and fully dependent family members.

Short-term property permit — Article 15(j). Ownership of Georgian immovable property, excluding agricultural land, worth over USD 150,000 equivalent. The cheaper property route, and the one most commonly used by buyers.

Unlimited permit — Article 15(k). For existing investment permit holders who sustain turnover of USD 50,000 in year one, USD 100,000 in year two, and USD 120,000 in years three to five — or who hold the qualifying property for five years.

Note that all thresholds are set in USD and converted to GEL, so the GEL figure moves with the exchange rate.

The road to permanent residence

Article 15(g) grants permanent residence to a spouse, minor child or parent of a minor Georgian citizen, and to anyone who has lived in Georgia for ten years on a temporary permit. Time spent here for study or medical treatment, and time working at diplomatic missions, does not count towards the ten years.

Changes coming on 1 September 2026

Four amendments take effect, all introduced by Law of Georgia No 1803 of 25 June 2026:

• Study permits (15(b)) narrow to adults enrolled in higher or vocational education programmes, with terms set by government ordinance.
• Permanent residence (15(g)) changes for spouses of Georgian citizens, moving to a route based on five years of residence on a spousal permit. The ten-year route on a temporary permit is unchanged.
• A new spousal permit (15(g¹)) is created, held before the permanent permit. This is the permit the new five-year clock runs on.
• The IT permit (15(l)) requires an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status to have obtained the right to labour activities, replacing registration with the Ministry. The two years of experience and the USD 25,000 annual remuneration are unchanged.

If any of these affects your plans, the timing is worth checking carefully.

An important caveat

Meeting a category's basis is necessary but not sufficient. The Agency decides each application on its merits, and applications that appear to satisfy the threshold are refused for other reasons. Treat this page as a map of what exists, not as a prediction of your outcome.