Georgia Investment Residence Permit in 2026: Property Over $300,000, Business and Family

Georgia offers a five-year investment residence permit based on an investment of at least $300,000 or ownership of non-agricultural real estate with an assessed market value strictly above $300,000, in Georgian lari equivalent. A qualifying spouse and minor child can apply without making separate $300,000 investments. After five years, indefinite residence may be available if the applicable conditions have been met.

A purchase contract stating $300,000 is not enough. The property route requires registered ownership and a certified market valuation. A qualifying business investment requires different evidence and annual turnover reporting. Neither route should be understood as an automatic immigration approval.

At a glance: two qualifying routes

Property and business: two distinct routes

Under Georgian law, one route involves investing at least $300,000 in Georgia, in GEL equivalent, under investment legislation. The State Services Development Agency asks for evidence of the investment, including a certified auditor’s report.

The other route is ownership of real estate in Georgia, excluding agricultural land, with a certified market value exceeding $300,000 in GEL equivalent. The owner must have a registered title and a valuation prepared by a certified assessor of an accredited body.

The choice matters beyond the initial application. The business route carries continuing annual turnover obligations. The property route depends on keeping legally qualifying ownership. The right structure should be checked before a deposit is paid.

Official source: State Services Development Agency — investment and family permit requirements

What does the $300,000 property threshold really mean?

For property-based investment residence, the relevant figure is independently assessed market value, not the developer’s advertised price, a deposit or the amount transferred through a bank. The official wording requires the valuation to exceed $300,000: exactly $300,000 is not sufficient.

Consider a home purchased for $320,000 but valued by the accredited assessor at $295,000. The contract price alone will not establish eligibility under the property route. Equally, an adequate valuation does not replace a Public Registry extract proving the applicant’s title.

Do not assume that buying several cheaper units automatically satisfies the rule without written clarification of the intended ownership structure. Agricultural land has separate restrictions. Confirm precisely what is being registered before buying.

Official source: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — Articles 15, 16 and 21

The property checks to make before payment

Start with a cadastral identifier and a current Public Registry extract. Check the legal owner, floor area, permitted property type, mortgages, seizures and other registered burdens. With a building under construction, establish what interest is registrable at the time of purchase.

Request an independent assessment before making a non-refundable payment, verify the assessor’s accreditation and negotiate what happens if the property fails the residence-permit requirements. A hotel-branded apartment, commercial unit and ordinary residential flat may carry different rights and contractual obligations.

The purchase must still be independently checked for immigration purposes. Understand your source-of-funds documentation and banking process before transferring the full price.

Official source: National Agency of Public Registry — ownership registration fees

Application documents: the detail people miss

The Agency lists the application, passport copy, evidence of lawful stay in Georgia, qualifying proof of the investment or registered property, a market valuation for the property route, an electronic 3 × 4 cm photo and proof that the processing fee has been paid.

It also lists a written reference from a member of the Georgian government or from three Georgian citizens authorised to represent a Georgia-based business entity. Many informal summaries omit this requirement. Confirm the current acceptable form of the reference with the Agency before scheduling your application.

Applications may be lodged through an authorised representative, the Agency, Public Service Hall or approved online services. Documents are generally filed in Georgian, while an application completed in English or Russian may also be processed. Ask in advance about translation and authentication of foreign marriage and birth certificates.

Official source: State Services Development Agency — investment and family permit requirements

How long does processing take and what does it cost?

The published investment-residence processing fees are GEL 300 for a decision within 30 calendar days, GEL 450 within 20 days and GEL 600 within 10 days. These are application fees, not property acquisition costs or the fee for issuing a residence card.

Other costs depend on the case: property assessment, audit, legal checks, translations, banking and registration. Public Registry ownership registration is GEL 150 within four business days, GEL 270 within one business day or GEL 350 on the filing day. Residence cards have separate published tariffs.

Investment residence is exempt from the standard rule of applying at least 40 days before lawful stay expires. That exemption does not remove the Agency’s published requirement to provide evidence of lawful presence. Avoid treating it as permission to overstay. After approval, apply for the residence card without delay: the law provides a ground to terminate residence if the holder does not apply for the card within six months.

Official source: State Services Development Agency — applications and residence cards

Can my spouse and child apply too?

A spouse and a minor child fall within the statutory family definition for an investment residence permit. There is no separate $300,000 purchase requirement for each person. Specific fully dependent family members may also qualify under the statutory categories.

The Agency asks family applicants for passports, proof of lawful stay, a copy of the investor’s residence permit, proof of family relationship, photos and payment receipts. In practical terms, plan for the investor’s permit first, followed by the family applications, because the listed evidence includes the principal permit. Ask whether files can be prepared or coordinated together.

A marriage certificate and a child’s birth certificate will normally establish the relationships. Check country-specific authentication and translation requirements. A child’s age and dependency status must be reviewed again when circumstances change.

Official source: State Services Development Agency — investment and family permit requirements

What you must keep doing during five years

The investment permit may be granted for a term of five years. For the property owner, the critical obligation is to retain ownership of the qualifying property or a replacement made in compliance with the law.

If you plan to sell, you must provide the Agency with a Public Registry extract proving ownership of a replacement property of equal or greater market value, established through an accredited certified assessment, before the original property title is terminated. Selling first and sorting out the permit later can place the residence status at risk.

Business investors have a different continuing test. The law requires annual Georgian business turnover of at least $50,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and $120,000 in each of years three through five, in GEL equivalent, evidenced through the Revenue Service. Turnover is revenue, not net profit.

Official source: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — Articles 15, 16 and 21

Indefinite residence after five years

Qualifying investors may apply for an indefinite-stay residence permit after the five-year period. This is a separate application, not an automatic upgrade. The Agency says it must be filed before the investment permit reaches the end of its five-year term.

For the property route, the Public Registry must confirm five years of cumulative ownership of the original property or a lawfully substituted one. For the business route, compliance with the annual turnover thresholds, including evidence for year five, must be established.

Family members file their own supporting documents as prescribed. Indefinite residence should not be confused with Georgian citizenship: naturalisation is governed by a separate law and criteria, including lawful-residence and language requirements.

Official source: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — Articles 15, 16 and 21

When a short-term property permit may be more suitable

A different Georgian permit exists for owners of qualifying property assessed at more than $150,000 in GEL equivalent. It is called a short-term residence permit and has different validity and renewal rules. It is not the five-year investment permit.

For someone primarily planning to live in Georgia with a family rather than investing more than $300,000, comparing the two routes may materially alter the budget. The short-term route should not be marketed as an automatic path to indefinite investment residence.

Official source: State Services Development Agency — investment and family permit requirements

The expensive mistakes to avoid

First, buying at the threshold without a certified valuation. Second, assuming payment proves ownership. Third, discovering the written-reference or family-document requirements only after booking the application.

Fourth, selling qualifying property without submitting a replacement title in advance. Fifth, confusing business turnover with profit or residency with citizenship.

A sound sequence is straightforward: test eligibility with the Agency, check the investment or property, document ownership and valuation, prepare the complete file, then apply.

Frequently asked questions

Is a property worth exactly $300,000 enough?

No. The property route requires certified market value exceeding $300,000 in GEL equivalent, not merely a contract price of exactly $300,000.

Can I combine two smaller apartments?

Do not assume separate properties can automatically be added together. Ask the Agency to confirm eligibility for the proposed ownership structure before buying.

Does my spouse need another $300,000 investment?

No. A spouse can apply as a qualifying family member of the investment-permit holder, with proof of the relationship and the principal permit.

Can a minor child receive an investment permit?

Yes. A minor child may apply as a qualifying family member with the required identity and relationship documents.

Does a property investor need the business turnover?

The annual turnover test applies to the business-investment route; the qualifying property holder must instead preserve the required ownership.

Can I sell after one year?

Not without considering residence consequences. The law permits a qualifying replacement, but the new Registry extract and valuation must be submitted before the original title ends.

Is indefinite residence automatic after five years?

No. A separate application is required before the original five-year permit expires, with evidence of compliance.

Does the investment permit grant citizenship?

No. Citizenship has separate statutory requirements and procedures.

Official sources and information date

State Services Development Agency — investment and family permit requirements

Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — Articles 15, 16 and 21

National Agency of Public Registry — ownership registration fees

State Services Development Agency — applications and residence cards

Organic Law of Georgia on Georgian Citizenship

Checked against official Georgian sources on 15 October 2026. This guide is general information rather than individual legal advice. Confirm your intended route and evidence with the State Services Development Agency before committing substantial funds.

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