Residence in Georgia through buying property
Short-term residence for owners of property worth USD 150,000 or more.
- Owners of non-agricultural property in Georgia
Residence through property, business or work
What decides it is what you already have: a company, an employment contract or property. Business and work 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 value from USD 150,000. Review takes 30-60 days in all three cases, and you can't file remotely.
These are the three most common grounds but not the only ones: there are separate permits for new sole traders (no turnover certificate, 6 months), for IT specialists (3 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.
| Residence through property | Residence through business | Work residence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grounds | A flat or house owned by you or your spouse — agricultural land doesn't count and there must be no encumbrances | A live sole trader or LLC in Georgia — filed after registration | A signed employment contract with an employer in Georgia — finding the employer isn't part of the service |
| Financial requirement | Property worth USD 150,000 or more; with shared ownership each applicant's share must meet the threshold | Company turnover from GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) over 12 months per foreign applicant, and a personal account balance of roughly GEL 15,000 (≈$5,800) | A salary from GEL 1,700 (≈$650) before tax (from GEL 1,200 (≈$460) net), and employer turnover from GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) per foreign employee |
| Service cost | From $340 plus $450 once approved; buying the property itself isn't included | From $170 plus $225 once approved | From $170 plus $225 once approved |
| Tax and residency | The permit doesn't make you a Georgian tax resident | The permit doesn't make you a Georgian tax resident — that needs 183+ days in the country or HNWI status | You pay 20% income tax on the salary |
| Timelines | Review 30-60 days; ownership is confirmed every year, or the status can't be kept | Review 30-60 days; turnover is checked again on renewal | Review 30-60 days; the first permit is usually for 1 year, then for the term of the contract, 1-3 years |
Filing on business grounds straight after registering a sole trader is risky: it's formally allowed, but without turnover of GEL 50,000 (≈$19,200) for the year the application can be refused. If the sole trader was registered less than three months ago, the new-sole-trader permit is usually the better bet — it asks for no turnover.
No property picked yet? We will find one that meets the programme's terms.
Who it suits
- Owners of non-agricultural property in Georgia
- 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
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 business | 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 propertyyou are here | 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 |
What the service includes
| Valuation of the property to evidence its worth | |
| Translation and notarisation of the documents into Georgian | |
| Preparing the full document pack | |
| Filing the application at the House of Justice | |
| Collecting the residence card once approved | |
| Buying the property itself— billed separately | |
| Tax residency — it doesn't come automatically with the permit— billed separately | |
| The annual confirmation of ownership needed to keep the status— billed separately |
Documents and programme requirements
- 1Property owned personally (or by a spouse) worth USD 150,000 or more — agricultural land doesn't count
- 2With shared ownership — each applicant's share must meet the threshold
- 3The property free of encumbrances (a mortgage, a seizure and so on)
- 4A passport
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to permanent residence
After 10 years on temporary residence permits you apply for permanent residence. Study, medical treatment and diplomatic service are deducted from that period.
Route to citizenship
After 10 years of residence — naturalisation with an examination in the language, history and law.
Frequently asked questions
Who values the property?
Can I get residence on a property in shared ownership?
Can I include my spouse and children in the application?
Related breakdowns
Residence permit costs in 2026: 51 countries in one table
Income and investment thresholds for residence permits in 51 countries: remote work, passive income, business and investment, from official programme terms.
Buying property in Georgia: checks and risks in 2026
The residency threshold for property in Georgia rose from $100,000 to $150,000. How to check encumbrances, why farmland is closed and what registration costs.
A US visa from Georgia 2026: filing, waits and the bond
Interview booking in Tbilisi runs on a separate system, not ustraveldocs. Georgian citizens face a visa bond from 2026. What that means for Russians.
We'll check your case before you pay
Send an enquiry — we will check your case and help you arrange “Residence in Georgia through buying property” in Georgia. No markup on top.
We'll cover: whether you qualify, the full cost with fees, realistic timelines, the document list. If it's not for you, we'll say so.