What Georgian residence costs in 2026: prices from $450
Real prices for Georgian residence in 2026: business and work from $450, property from $680, the D visa from $444. What's included, timelines and state fees.
- Support for standard residence through business or work is from $450, and for investor residence through property from $680; the state fee is paid on top, and review takes 30-60 days.
- The D visa is from $444 and takes 7-30 days; since 1 March 2026 working in Georgia requires a work permit obtained in advance.
- Every type of residence is filed in person; the one thing arranged entirely remotely is HNWI tax residency — from about $2,540.
- Pactors finds you a vetted Georgian expert free of charge: 0% markup — you pay exactly what you'd pay the provider directly.
The spread of prices for Georgian residence is bewildering: agencies quote anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars without saying what the price covers. We've collected the real rates from the Pactors catalogue — vetted providers' prices with no markup, current as of July 2026. In short: support for standard residence costs from $450, investor residence from $680, and the state fee is on top.
Types of Georgian residence: prices from $450 to $680, and timelines
Residence through business — from $450 plus the state fee, review 30-60 days. You'll need a live sole trader or LLC in Georgia with turnover from GEL 50,000 over the past 12 months per applicant, a personal account balance of roughly GEL 15,000 and a tenancy agreement of a year or more. This is the main route for digital nomads with a Georgian sole trader on the 1% tax.
Work residence — also from $450 plus the state fee, the same 30-60 days. You need an employment contract with a salary from GEL 1,700 before tax (or from GEL 1,200 net), and the employer's annual turnover must be at least GEL 50,000 per foreign employee (from GEL 35,000 for educational institutions and medical clinics). Since 1 March 2026 an updated work permit procedure applies — more on that below.
Investor residence through property — from $680 plus the state fee, and the same timeline: 30-60 days. The key condition is property owned personally, worth USD 100,000 or more, free of encumbrances; agricultural land doesn't count. Buying the property itself isn't part of the support price.
Study residence is arranged alongside admission: choosing a university and the paperwork costs from about $175, tuition is paid separately and the whole process takes 30-120 days. The catalogue has no fixed price for permanent residence — it's quoted on a free consultation.
The D visa at $444: 90 days to file for residence
The D visa is Georgia's long-stay visa, the step before residence. Support costs from $444 and takes 7-30 days; the consular fee of about $20 is on top. The visa is valid for 90 days: within that time you have to enter the country and file for residence at the House of Justice.
There are five grounds: D1 — work and employment, D2 — business or scientific and cultural activity, D3 — study, D4 — family reunification, D5 — property ownership. An important change: since 1 March 2026 the D1 work visa requires a work permit obtained first. Those who were already working in Georgia before that date were given a transition period until 1 May 2026.
What the price covers and what you'll pay extra for
Residence support covers checking your profile against the requirements, preparing and translating the documents into Georgian, filing the application at the House of Justice, support during the review and help collecting the ID card. So “from $450” is the provider's full cycle of work, not a one-off consultation.
Budget for the state fee on top — its size depends on the review speed you choose. A separate cost is registering an address for the ID card: the service costs from USD 185, plus a state fee for urgency of GEL 60 to 150. It can only be arranged once residence is approved.
And the main thing: residence doesn't make you a Georgian tax resident automatically. For that you either spend 183+ days in the country over 12 months, or obtain HNWI status — arranged remotely, costing from about $2,540 for a simple case to about $5,770 for a complex one, and taking 30-120 days. The cost of the standard 183-day route is calculated on a free consultation.
Remote or in person: residence means a visit
Every type of Georgian residence requires you in person — both to file the documents and to collect the ID card. What can be done remotely is the D visa (both formats are available) and HNWI tax residency. Plan at least one trip, and with address registration at the House of Justice in Tbilisi or Batumi, leave time to spare.
Good news for Russian and CIS citizens: Georgia allows visa-free stays of up to 365 days. If you're already in the country visa-free and have obtained the right to work, the residence application can be filed inside the country — without arranging a D visa through a consulate abroad.
Four mistakes that get Georgian residence refused
Mistake 1 — filing for business residence straight after registering a sole trader. It's formally possible, but without real turnover of GEL 50,000 over the past 12 months the application can be refused. Build up the turnover first, then file.
Mistake 2 — a property share below the threshold: with shared ownership each applicant's share must reach USD 100,000 on its own; a smaller share gives no right to separate residence. Mistake 3 — assuming residence automatically brings tax residency: they're two independent statuses, arranged separately.
Mistake 4 — relaxing once you have the card. On renewal of business residence the company's turnover is checked again: if it has fallen below the threshold the application may not be approved. And self-employed people and sole traders who were working in Georgia before 1 March 2026 had to file for the right to work by 1 May 2026 — without it there is now no lawful work status.