Georgia residence permit 2026: grounds, papers, timing, cost

How to get a residence permit

1. 1
   Choose your grounds

   Your grounds determine the documents, the permit's duration and the fee:

   Work, IE or ITYou need a work permit, income of at least five times the subsistence minimum a month (about 1,255 ₾, with the minimum at 250.9 ₾ for December 2025) and annual turnover at your employer or your company of at least 50,000 ₾ per foreigner. The first residence permit is for 6 months to 1 year. A 3-year IT residence permit is issued to IT specialists with at least 2 years' experience and income of at least $25,000 a year; it does not need a turnover certificate. For an IT residence permit through an IE, you need small business status. People who do not need a work permit have been able to get a work residence permit since 10 July 2026, and an IT residence permit since 1 September 2026. If you do not yet have a residence permit and your work permit was issued while you were in Georgia, apply for a residence permit within 10 calendar days: a missed deadline or a refusal of the residence permit is grounds for terminating the work permit.

   or

   Real estate or investmentProperty worth over $150,000, other than agricultural land, qualifies you, your spouse and your children for a short-term residence permit. It is extended one year at a time for as long as you own the property, and it does not exempt you from needing a work permit. An investment of at least $300,000 or property worth over $300,000 qualifies you for a 5-year investment residence permit, and with it you do not need a work permit. An investor needs turnover of $50,000 in the first year, $100,000 in the second and $120,000 in each of the third to fifth years. After 5 years, if the conditions are met, you get a residence permit for indefinite stay.

   or

   Family, marriage or studyThe spouse and minor children of a residence permit holder, and the parents of a minor holder, can apply for family reunification. The holder must have more than 6 months left on their residence permit. Study residence permits are issued to adult students at authorised universities and colleges. The first residence permit is for 6 months to 1 year. You need income in Georgia, yours or a relative's, or twice the subsistence minimum, about 502 ₾, in a bank account for each month of the residence permit. From 1 September 2026, the spouse of a Georgian citizen gets a spouse residence permit: 1 year, then 2 years at a time, up to 5 years in total. A commission may hold an interview and visit your home.
2. 2
   Check whether you can apply

   A first residence permit is only issued to people who are in Georgia lawfully. A visa-free stay on your own passport qualifies. A category C visa, or a visa-free stay based on a visa or residence permit from a third country, does not, except for investment, IT and special residence permits. Apply no later than 40 days before your lawful stay ends, except for real estate, investment and IT residence permits and a residence permit for indefinite stay. A residence permit is not issued to someone staying on a deferral of their obligation to leave.

3. 3
   Apply and pay the fee

   You can apply at a Public Service Hall, a mobile Public Service Hall, an agency office, or online at sda.gov.ge by video call, in which case you bring in the paper documents within 10 days. If you are in Georgia, a representative with a certified power of attorney can apply for you. The decision is made within 30 days of a complete application, or within 90 days for a spouse residence permit. The decision is published on the agency's website, and you can also give an email address. If you are not found at home twice when your address is checked, that is grounds for refusal.

   300 ₾ — 30 days · 450 ₾ — 20 days · 600 ₾ — 10 days
4. 4
   Get your residence card

   Collect the card within a month of the decision; if you do not collect it within 6 months, your residence permit may be terminated. Your address is registered along with the card: you need proof of ownership, the owner's consent or two witnesses confirming you have lived there for 3 months. The card fee is the same for temporary and permanent residence permits: since 1 November 2022, permanent residents are no longer the only ones who pay it.

   60 ₾ — 10 working days · 150 ₾ — same day
5. 5
   Extend on time

   Apply for an extension no earlier than 90 and no later than 40 days before your residence permit expires; the same exceptions apply. From abroad, you can extend online, and the 40-day rule does not apply. The conditions are the same as before, and a temporary residence permit can be extended for up to 12 years in total. Report a new phone number or address straight away; if your employment ends, your employer reports it within 5 days. IT and study residence permits are terminated after 183 days outside Georgia in any 12 months. From 1 September 2026, any residence permit can be terminated for working without a permit.

6. 6
   If you are refused

   From 1 September 2026, a refusal can only be challenged in court, within 10 calendar days of receiving the decision. You can reapply on the same grounds after a month. A court claim does not stop expulsion.