Georgian residence permit checker
Twelve permit categories exist under Georgian law. Most guides cover three. Answer a few questions and see which ones are actually open to you — with the article of the law behind each.
Start by asking whether you need one at all
This is the question most guides skip, because the firms writing them sell applications. Many nationalities can live in Georgia for 365 days visa-free, and plenty of foreigners simply do that indefinitely — leaving and re-entering once a year.
A permit is worth having when you want a status that does not depend on re-entry, a path toward permanent residence, or a document that banks and landlords treat as settled. It is not a requirement for being here.
The route most people have never heard of
If you work in technology, look closely at Article 15(l). It grants a residence permit to an alien registered in Georgia as an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status who carries out government-designated IT activities, with at least two years of experience and annual remuneration of at least the USD 25,000 equivalent in GEL.
That matters because it connects the two things this site is about: the tax status that makes Georgia attractive to remote workers is itself a qualifying basis for residency, at a threshold twelve times lower than the investment route. If you are already using the 1% regime, this is probably your route.
The money routes
- Property, Article 15(j) — immovable property, excluding agricultural land, worth more than the USD 150,000 equivalent.
- Investment, Article 15(h) — USD 300,000 equivalent, covering your spouse, minor children and fully dependent relatives.
- Unlimited, Article 15(k) — for investment permit holders who sustain turnover of USD 50,000, then 100,000, then 120,000 across five years.
All of these are set in US dollars and converted to GEL, so the lari figure moves with the exchange rate. Property valuations must come from an assessor accredited by the Georgian Accreditation Centre — a purchase price will not do.
What changes on 1 September 2026
Four amendments take effect. Study permits narrow to adults enrolled on higher or vocational programmes. The spousal route to permanent residence moves to one based on five years of residence on a spousal permit — itself a new category, 15(g¹), created for that purpose. And the IT permit gains a requirement: an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status must have obtained the right to labour activities, though the two years of experience and the USD 25,000 remuneration are unchanged. If any of these bears on your plans, check the timing carefully — the full detail is in the residence permit guide.
Frequently asked questions
Often not. Many nationalities can stay in Georgia for 365 days visa-free, and a large number of foreigners live here indefinitely on that basis, leaving and re-entering once a year. A permit becomes worthwhile when you want a status that does not depend on re-entry, a route toward permanent residence, or something banks and landlords treat as settled.
For people who work in technology, the Article 15(l) IT permit is unusually accessible: it is open to an alien registered as an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status, needing at least 2 years of experience and annual remuneration of at least the USD 25,000 equivalent. That is an order of magnitude below the USD 300,000 investment route, and it is far less known. From 1 September 2026 it also requires the right to labour activities, but neither threshold moves.
Yes. Article 15(j) provides a short-term residence permit to an owner of Georgian immovable property, excluding agricultural land, with a market value exceeding the USD 150,000 equivalent in GEL. The valuation must come from an assessor accredited by the Georgian Accreditation Centre rather than being taken from the purchase price.
Ten years of residence on a temporary permit under Article 15(g). Time spent in Georgia for study or medical treatment does not count toward it. Spouses, children and parents of Georgian citizens have shorter routes, and the spousal route changes on 1 September 2026 to one based on five years of residence on a spousal permit.
Not automatically. Immigration status and tax residency are decided by different rules, and it is entirely possible to hold one without the other. If your tax position matters, get it looked at separately rather than assuming a permit settles it.
No. It maps your answers onto the categories in Article 15 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons and shows you which are worth investigating. Meeting the basis for a permit is necessary but not sufficient — the Agency decides each application on its merits.
Where these numbers come from
Verified on against the primary sources listed below. This is information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and individual circumstances differ — confirm anything you intend to act on with the Revenue Service or a qualified adviser.
This page may state a superseded rule
- Changed on 1 September 2026: The study residence permit is narrowed to adults enrolled in a higher or vocational education programme, with enrolment terms set by government ordinance. (Article 15(b))
- Changed on 1 September 2026: The permanent residence permit route for a spouse of a Georgian citizen changes to 5 years of residence on a spousal residence permit. The 10-year temporary-permit route is unchanged. (Article 15(g))
- Changed on 1 September 2026: A new spousal residence permit is created, held before the permanent permit — this is the permit the new 5-year clock in Article 15(g) runs on. (Article 15(g¹))
- Changed on 1 September 2026: The IT residence permit requires an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status to have obtained the right to labour activities, replacing registration with the Ministry. The 2 years of experience and the USD 25,000 annual remuneration are unchanged. (Article 15(l))
Treat the affected details below as out of date until this page is re-verified.
Important caveats
- Amounts in the statute are set in USD and converted to GEL, so the GEL figure moves with the exchange rate.
- Property valuations for the investment and short-term permits must come from an assessor accredited by the Georgian Accreditation Centre.
- Meeting a threshold is necessary, not sufficient — the Agency decides each application.
- The 1% and 3% rates apply to turnover (gross income), not profit. Business expenses are not deductible under this regime.
- Only income from a Georgian source is taxed under this regime, and salary income is excluded (Article 90(3)).
- Losses cannot be carried forward to the next year (Article 91(5)).
Sources
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — Article 15, Types of residence permits — Article 15(a)-(l)
- Article 15(h) — investment residence permit threshold — Article 15(h)
- Article 15(j) — short-term residence permit, immovable property threshold — Article 15(j)
- Article 15(l) — IT residence permit, available to an IE with Small Business Status — Article 15(l)
- Amendments to Article 15(b), 15(g), 15(g¹) and 15(l), effective 1 September 2026 — Law of Georgia No 1803 of 25 June 2026 — Article 15(b), 15(g), 15(g¹), 15(l), as amended
- Law of Georgia No 1510 of 15 April 2026, Article 2 — commencement, the source of effectiveFrom (no English text published) — Article 2
- Tax Code of Georgia — Article 90, Taxable income of small business and tax rates — Article 90(1)-(3)
- Tax Code of Georgia — Article 88, Small business — Article 88(2)-(3)
- Tax Code of Georgia — Article 89, Granting the status of small business — Article 89(2)-(5)
- Tax Code of Georgia — Article 93, Filing micro and small business tax returns — Article 93(1^1)
- Tax Code of Georgia — Article 91, Principles of accounting for small business income and costs — Article 91(1), 91(5)