🇬🇪 Georgia visa and immigration options

Labour Permit and Work Residence Permit

Since Decree No. 70 (effective 1 March 2026), most foreign nationals working or running a business in Georgia need a labour permit before they can hold a D1 work visa or work residence permit. Employees need an employer-filed application; self-employed/individual entrepreneurs apply personally and complete a mandatory video interview with the Employment…

Processing time

Labour permit: 10-30 days depending on standard vs. expedited review. After approval, apply for a D1 visa within 30 days (if abroad) or a work/IT residence permit within 10 days (if already in Georgia) — missing these deadlines can terminate the permit.

Typical costs

Labour-permit fee plus the subsequent D1 visa or work-residence-permit fee; self-employed applicants must also show business turnover of at least GEL 50,000/year (GEL 35,000 for education/medical organizations).

Government fees

GEL 200 — GEL 200 (~USD 75) for standard 30-calendar-day review, or GEL 400 (~USD 150) for expedited 10-business-day review; renewals are also GEL 200.

Work and study rights

Full work rights tied to the approved employer/role and permit category; initial permits run 6 months to 1 year (up to 3 years for IT activities).

Family

Not directly covered by the labour permit itself; family members generally need their own family residence-permit application.

Important: IMPORTANT (new March 2026 regime, Decree No. 70): self-employed people already working in Georgia had to apply by 1 May 2026 or risk fines of GEL 2,000-6,000; contract migrant workers already registered in the Ministry of Labor register by 1 March 2026 have until 1 January 2027 to comply; new entrants after 1 March 2026 get no transition period. Employers…

Sources reviewed: https://pbservices.ge/blog/rules-for-foreign-nationals-working-in-georgia-2026, https://expathub.ge/labour-permit-in-georgia-a-consolidated-guide/

Student Residence Permit

Foreign nationals admitted to a licensed Georgian higher-education institution can apply for a student residence permit, generally valid for the duration of the study programme.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed; commonly processed within a few weeks.

Typical costs

Tuition, proof-of-funds requirement, accommodation, and mandatory health insurance.

Government fees

Exact current fee not confirmed by sources reviewed; confirm with the Public Service Development Agency.

Work and study rights

Limited part-time work rights may be available depending on current regulations.

Family

Dependants are not typically included under a student residence permit.

Sources reviewed: https://wheretoemigrate.io/guide/programs/georgia/student/

Investment Residence Permit

Foreign nationals investing at least USD 300,000 (commonly in real estate) can apply for an Investment Residence Permit, which is exempt from the new 2026 labour-permit requirement. High-net-worth applicants now face materially stricter documentation under Resolution No. 317/the March 2026 reforms.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed; investment-residence applications are commonly reported to take a few months.

Typical costs

Minimum qualifying investment (commonly cited as USD 300,000, though thresholds were reportedly increased from 1 March 2026 — confirm the current figure) plus legal, notary, and registration costs.

Government fees

Application and administrative fees apply; exact current amount not confirmed by sources reviewed.

Work and study rights

Exempt from the standard labour-permit requirement, but actual work activity beyond managing the investment may require separate authorization — confirm with a licensed adviser.

Family

Qualifying family members (spouse, minor children, and sometimes dependent parents) can generally be included.

Important: effective 1 March 2026, Georgia tightened and reportedly increased the real-estate investment threshold for residence permits and introduced much stricter documentation for high-net-worth applicants — asset declarations with valuations, source-of-wealth records, and evidence that the applicant's 'financial center of gravity' is moving to Georgia. Incomplete…

Sources reviewed: https://www.gegidze.com/post/georgia-work-residence-permit-rules-2026-what-resolution-317, https://eiglaw.com/georgia-to-increase-real-estate-investment-threshold-for-residence-permits-effective-march-1-2026/

Family Residence Permit

Spouses, minor children, and dependent parents of a Georgian citizen or of a foreign national holding a qualifying residence permit can apply for a family residence permit.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

Application fee plus legalization/translation of foreign civil documents.

Government fees

Fee not confirmed precisely by sources reviewed; confirm with the Public Service Development Agency.

Work and study rights

Family residence-permit holders can generally access the labour market, though a separate labour permit may still apply under the 2026 regime — confirm current interaction between the two.

Family

This is itself the family-joining pathway for the qualifying relative.

Sources reviewed: https://madloba.info/en/faq/residence-and-citizenship/residence-permit-in-georgia/

Standard / IT Work Residence Permit

Following an approved labour permit, foreign nationals can hold a classic work residence permit (requiring an employment contract, a salary of at least 5x the minimum subsistence level — about GEL 1,500/month — and employer turnover of GEL 50,000+ per foreign employee) or, for qualifying tech workers, an IT residence permit (2+ years' experience, annual…

Processing time

10-30 days for the labour permit; a further 10 days to apply for the residence permit once in Georgia.

Typical costs

Labour-permit and residence-permit fees, plus ongoing salary/turnover compliance.

Government fees

GEL 200 — GEL 200 standard / GEL 400 expedited for the underlying labour permit, plus a separate residence-permit fee not fully confirmed by sources reviewed.

Work and study rights

Full work rights tied to the sponsoring employer/role.

Family

Family members can apply for their own family residence permits once the primary applicant is established.

Sources reviewed: https://pbservices.ge/blog/rules-for-foreign-nationals-working-in-georgia-2026

Georgian Citizenship by Naturalization

Standard naturalization requires a continuous qualifying period of legal residence in Georgia, followed by a knowledge test on the Georgian language, Georgian history, and basic legal principles administered by the Public Service Development Agency.

Processing time

Not precisely stated by sources reviewed.

Typical costs

Government application fee plus exam and document costs.

Government fees

Application fee not confirmed precisely by sources reviewed.

Work and study rights

Full citizenship rights upon approval.

Family

Each applicant is generally assessed individually.

Important: Georgia's Parliament has amended the Law on Georgian Citizenship to CUT the standard required residence period from 10 years to 5 years — a major, recent reform. Confirm which threshold applies to your specific application, as older guidance may still cite the former 10-year rule.

Sources reviewed: https://civil.ge/archives/566824/amp

Visit Georgia (Visa-Free / Visa)

Georgia allows visa-free entry for citizens of roughly 90+ countries, commonly for up to 90 days in a 180-day period (some nationalities get up to 1 year). This is Georgia's own visa-free list and is separate from Schengen rules.

Processing time

Visa-free: immediate on arrival. Visa-required: typically a few days to a few weeks.

Typical costs

Visa fee (where applicable) plus travel insurance.

Government fees

No fee for visa-free entry; visa fees for non-exempt nationalities vary and were not confirmed precisely by sources reviewed.

Work and study rights

None; for tourism and short-term visits only.

Family

Each traveller applies/enters individually.

Sources reviewed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Georgian_citizens