A residence permit in Georgia through business
Filed once your sole trader or company is registered. A decision takes up to 30 days.
A company less than 3 months old with no more than 3 foreign employees does not have to prove turnover on a first application for an employment-based residence permit — an internal statement of the number of foreign employees is enough. Such a permit is issued for 6 months only, shorter than the usual term.
Residence through business, employment or property
The difference is what you already have: a company, an employment contract or a property. Business and employment cost the same — from $170 plus $225 once approved; property is dearer, from $340 plus $450. The thresholds are counted differently too: in turnover and salary in GEL, or in a property worth from USD 150,000. All three take 30-60 days to decide, and none can be filed remotely.
These are the three most common grounds, but not the only ones: there are separate permits for new sole traders (no turnover certificate, six months), for IT specialists (three years straight away), for study, for investment from USD 300,000 and for family reunification. All eight grounds, with prices and timelines, are in the comparison table below.
No company yet? We will register one — and it becomes the grounds for the visa.
Set up a companyPackages
Residence permit application
Payment is split: the second part only if the permit is approved
- Checking and preparing the documents
- Filling in the application
- An address to file from
- Support on the day of filing
- State fee
- Registering the sole trader or company — a separate service
We fix the exact package after reviewing your case. You pay the expert directly.
Residence permit in Georgia: comparing the options
The difference is not the price — it is who each option suits. The “Best for” column is the business profile the option is built around.
| Option | Best for | Timeline | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through businessyou are here | The owner of an operating Georgian sole trader or company with turnover of at least GEL 50,000 a year, a digital nomad who registered as a sole trader in Georgia to put their income on a legal footing, a co-owner renewing the permit as the company grows | 4–9 weeks | from $170 |
| Through employment | Employees with an employment contract already signed at a Georgian company, specialists invited by a Georgian employer to a permanent position, people already in Georgia on a visa or visa-free stay who want to legalise their status through employment | 4–9 weeks | from $170 |
| For new sole traders | An entrepreneur who has just opened a sole trader in Georgia and can't wait a year of turnover for ordinary work residence, a freelancer or independent contractor moving income to a Georgian sole trader and legalising their status at the start, the owner of a young company with one or two foreigners on staff who needs six months to build up turnover | 4–9 weeks | from $170 |
| For IT specialists | A developer or engineer with 2+ years' experience who can show regular payments for IT work, a sole trader on small business status working under software development and IT consulting codes, a manager or representative of an international company authorised to run it from Georgia | 2–3 months | from $170 |
| Through study | A student already enrolled on a programme at a Georgian university who needs status for the length of the course, a student on an authorised college vocational programme — the grounds are the same as for a university student, a student renewing status for the next year: renewal is filed in advance, on the same terms | 4–9 weeks | from $170 |
| Through family | The spouse of a foreigner who already holds Georgian residence through work, business or study, parents bringing minor children to a Georgian residence holder, a fully dependent relative or dependant of a residence holder who has no grounds of their own | 4–9 weeks | from $170 |
| Through property | Owners of a flat or house in Georgia bought to live in, not to resell, investors who already own, or plan to buy, residential property for the residence permit, families moving to Georgia who need legal status for longer than the tourist period | 4–9 weeks | from $340 |
| Through investment | An owner of Georgian property worth more than the equivalent of USD 300,000 who wants long status with no tie to an employer, an entrepreneur who has invested in a Georgian company and is ready to evidence turnover annually, someone heading for indefinite status in five years on investment grounds, rather than accruing ten years on temporary permits | 4–9 weeks | from $340 |
Documents and programme requirements
- 1An operating sole trader or company registered in Georgia
- 2Company turnover of at least GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) over the past 12 months per foreign applicant (with several applicants, GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) for each)
- 3A balance on your personal bank account of roughly GEL 15,000 (≈$5,800) or more
- 4A tenancy agreement for a year or longer (or other proof of address)
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the permit right after registering a sole trader or company?
Does this permit make me a Georgian tax resident?
What happens at renewal if the company's turnover drops below the threshold?
Related breakdowns
Georgia or Armenia: where to set up as a sole trader
A sole trader in Georgia from $170 with 1% tax against Armenia from $450 with a bank account: taxes, timelines from one day, remote registration.
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What Georgian residence costs in 2026: prices from $170
Real prices for Georgian residence in 2026: business and work from $170, property from $340. What's included, timelines and state fees.
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