The opportunity to obtain a residence permit in Georgia is of interest to many non-residents, and especially to residents of neighboring countries: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan. Having a residence permit equalizes the rights of foreigners and Georgians and simplifies the process of crossing the border. With a residence permit, non-residents will no longer need to apply for a visa. And besides, after 10 years you can apply for a Georgian passport. True, a residence permit does not allow you to take part in elections or serve in the army, but for businessmen or citizens who want to move to Georgia, this is not necessary.
Types of residence permits in Georgia
Georgian legislation provides the opportunity to obtain a temporary or permanent residence permit in the country. A temporary residence permit is issued for a period of 1 year with the right to extension. After 6 years of using a temporary residence permit, a non-resident receives the right to apply for a permanent residence permit.
Citizens can apply for a temporary residence permit:
- those wishing to start a business or work for hire or as freelancers;
- students of higher educational institutions;
- those wishing to be reunited with family;
- previously had Georgian citizenship;
- those who have received the status of stateless persons or victims of domestic violence;
- who have purchased real estate (except land plots) in Georgia worth at least 35,000 USD.
Having lived in the country for at least 6 years, spouses, their children and parents can apply for permanent residence. But this period does not include the period spent: on study, treatment or stay in diplomatic or other similar service. Another option for obtaining a permanent residence permit is to invest at least 300,000 lari (approximately 122,000 USD) into the Georgian economy.
Planned changes in the legislation of Georgia
Soon the availability of residence permits for non-residents will decrease. In 2021, the Georgian government plans to raise the monetary threshold for foreigners wishing to obtain a residence permit by investing in the country’s economy or by purchasing real estate here, and also limit the validity of a permanent residence permit to five years. Currently, there are two versions of bills regulating the receipt of residence permits under consideration in parliament.
Investment residence permit in Georgia
So, very soon, those wishing to obtain an investment residence permit will be offered:
- Make an investment of at least 300,000 USD in the country’s economy or spend the same amount on the purchase of real estate (except for agricultural land). The validity period of the residence permit in this case will be 5 years. But it can be transformed into a permanent one if one of the following conditions is met: provide income from business activities in the amount of at least 120,000 USD annually within 5 years or own the acquired real estate for 5 years.
- The second option provides for the following conditions: investing in the Georgian economy of at least 100,000 USD together with the purchase of 5-year government bonds in the amount of 400,000 USD or making investments in the amount of at least 300,000 USD with the mandatory creation of at least 8 jobs for Georgian citizens .
Until the new changes are adopted and come into force, an investment residence permit is provided subject to investment in the Georgian economy of at least 300,000 lari (approximately 122,000 USD) and it is issued for a permanent period.
Having made investments in the Georgian economy for 300,000 USD, a permanent residence permit is received by the investor and his family members: spouse, minor children, incapacitated or disabled persons who are in the care of a foreigner.
Preparation of internal documents for company registration in Georgia
Short-term residence permit in Georgia
This residence permit is provided to non-residents who have purchased Georgian real estate worth more than 35,000 USD. The validity period of a short-term residence permit is 1 year, but if a foreigner continues to own real estate after a year, he can extend its validity for another year. The main thing is to have time to contact the House of Justice or the State Services Development Agency no later than 40 calendar days before the expiration of the legal period of stay in Georgia.
One of the versions of the bill provides for an increase in the value of real estate from 35,000 USD to 100,000 USD. The second option approaches this type of residence permit more radically - it is proposed to abolish it altogether.
In 2021, 34,591 apartments were sold in Tbilisi for a total cost of more than 37 million USD, which is 37% better than the 2021 figure. The average cost per square meter of housing in the capital of Georgia in a new building is 716.0 USD, in the secondary market – 660 USD. The average area of apartments for sale is 67 sq. m. And, by the way, more than 65% of sales come from new buildings.
Average cost of apartments in Tbilisi for 2021:
- “black frame” - 642 USD;
- partially “white frame” - 693 USD;
- apartment with simple renovation – 773 USD;
- “white frame” - 792 USD;
- newly renovated apartment – 910 USD;
- fully equipped apartment with new renovation – 1,008 USD.
It should be noted that short-term residence permits in Georgia are received not only by foreigners who have purchased real estate, but also by their family members.
Residence permit in Georgia for workers
Current legislation provides for the possibility of obtaining a residence permit for hired workers for a period of 6 months to 1 year, subject to the existence of an employment contract, where the monthly income level is stipulated in an amount exceeding the subsistence level by 2 times (as of February 2021, 179.1 GEL, which is approximately 66.58 USD).
In one option, it is planned to provide for the possibility of obtaining a residence permit for hired employees. But provided that the minimum annual turnover of the company where they work is at least 50,000 lari (approximately 18,600 USD) for each person wishing to obtain a residence permit. That is, if a company has three employees applying for a residence permit, then the company’s annual revenue must be at least GEL 150,000. In addition, a mandatory requirement is to ensure an average monthly salary of at least 900 lari (approximately 334.57 USD). The second version of the bill provides for the issuance of a residence permit only to those people whose specialty will be included in the list approved by the Government of Georgia. It is planned to be formed from the professions that the country needs most.
Now, in order to obtain a residence permit for work, you must also confirm that you have a bank account balance of at least 4,200 lari (approximately 1,700 USD). It is issued for a period of 6 months to 1 year. But the usual practice is to provide a residence permit for six months, with the possibility of renewal every year. After 6 years, a non-resident receives the right to obtain a permanent residence permit, but on the condition that he continues to work.
Preparation of employment contracts in Georgia
Obtaining permanent residence
To become an official resident of Georgia, you must live as a residence permit for 3 years. The exception is certain categories of foreigners - refugees, repatriates, investors and people married to a Georgian citizen. Permanent residence is awarded on a permanent basis, but to confirm it you must visit the House of Justice every 10 years. Status may be lost if the citizen has not lived in Georgia for 5 years, has not visited the country during this period, or has committed a serious offense.
To obtain permanent residence, an application is submitted to the House of Justice, accompanied by documents confirming legal income in Georgia. It will be considered for a month, and representatives of the Ministry can submit an official request to the tax and police regarding offenses during the residence permit status. When obtaining permanent residence, a foreigner will have to undergo an interview to test his knowledge of the language and Georgian culture, after which he will actually become a full-fledged resident of Georgia and will receive the same rights as Georgian citizens, with the exception of the opportunity to participate in elections.
Documents required to obtain a Georgian residence permit
Just investing money in real estate or opening a business in Georgia is not enough to obtain a residence permit. In order to reduce the likelihood of abuse in this area, the government of the country requires, when applying for a permit, in addition to standard documents, to provide:
- to obtain a short-term residence permit (purchase of real estate) - a report from an independent expert confirming the cost of real estate at the level of 35,000 USD, and recommendations of three citizens of Georgia;
- to obtain an investment residence permit - a report from an independent auditor confirming the value of the investment, as well as recommendations from three managers of the enterprise, who must have Georgian citizenship.
In addition to the above documents, to obtain a residence permit in Georgia, foreigners must provide:
- international passport or other identity document;
- 2 photos 3x4;
- application - filled out during the application by an employee of the House of Justice.
It should be noted that absolutely all requests are thoroughly checked by the security service and police of Georgia. As practice shows, residents from Western countries are more likely to have their application approved than citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria or Pakistan.
Residence permit through the purchase of real estate
To qualify for a short-term residence permit, you need to own real estate such as an apartment, house, building land or any other residential or commercial property (but not agricultural land) valued at US$100,000 or more. The value of the investment must be confirmed by an independent auditor. A short-term residence permit is valid for one year and can be renewed for one year and so on up to 5 years, after which it can be converted into a permanent residence permit, provided that the investment remains valid.
What steps need to be taken to obtain a residence permit through real estate?
- Find property (apartment, house or other property)
- Open a bank account (optional)
- Buy real estate
- Obtain an audit report confirming the value of the property.
- Payment of state duties and translation of documents
- Visit Georgia (if not already in the country)
- Apply for short-term government residency
- Wait 10-30 days for the residence to be approved (the applicant may leave Georgia in the meantime)
- Apply for and receive a residence permit (ID card)
Documentation
- Identity document - original and certified Georgian translation.
- A copy of a visa or other document confirming legal stay in Georgia
- Audit report confirming the value of the property
- Certificate of ownership
- Photos (3x4 cm)
- Receipt for payment of state duty
- Application form
Expenses
- Government fees
- Audit fees
- Legal services
- Transaction costs in connection with the purchase of real estate
- Bank fees (if a bank account is opened)
- Other minor costs (translation, photographs, copies, mailing, etc.)
- Travel, accommodation and other personal expenses
Cost of obtaining a residence permit in Georgia
When submitting documents for a permanent residence permit for investment in the economy, a non-resident must pay a state fee. Its size depends on the period for consideration of the request:
- on the 30th calendar day – 180 lari (about 67 USD);
- on the 20th calendar day – 300 lari (about 112 USD).
The prices for obtaining a temporary residence permit for the purchase of real estate or under an employment contract are as follows:
- on the 30th calendar day – 210 lari (about 78 USD);
- on the 20th calendar day – 330 lari (about 123 USD);
- on the 10th calendar day – 410 lari (about 153 USD).
The process of obtaining a residence permit in Georgia
Conventionally, the entire process of obtaining a residence permit in Georgia can be divided into the following stages:
- Visa application - only foreigners with immigration visas can apply for a residence permit (category D, including D1 - work visa, D3 - study visa, D4 - for the purpose of family unification, D5 - issued by owners of real estate worth more than 35,000 USD). It should be noted that citizens of countries that can stay in Georgia for 1 year will not need a visa. This list includes 98 states, including EU countries, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Armenia.
- Visit Georgia.
- Register a company or select real estate.
Preparation of contracts for real estate transactions in Georgia
- Open an account in a leading Georgian bank. Foreigners are advised to contact Bank of Georgia, Silk Road Bank, TBC Bank or Tera Bank.
- Transfer money to account.
- Pay the cost of real estate or invest money in other assets.
- Collect all documents, including obtaining an independent assessment of real estate/investment.
- Apply for a residence permit. This can be done at the House of Justice or at the State Services Development Agency.
- Take the permit and apply to the House of Justice within a month to issue an ID card.
What is required to document a residence permit?
To register and obtain a residence permit, you must submit an application to the House of Justice, at the place of registration, along with a folder of documents that are needed by the Ministry of Justice, which is directly involved in this issue. The next step will be an interview with one of the immigration officials. For entrepreneurs who want to expand their activities there, there is another, simplified program for obtaining a residence permit. The decision to issue a residence permit is considered and made within 30 working days. A refusal can be obtained if the applicant:
- had a previous conviction;
- gave false information about himself;
- seriously or terminally ill;
- had problems with deportation in this country or any other.
With all of the above methods of obtaining a residence permit, a person who plans to enter the territory of Georgia will need to have a medical report on the examination and insurance.
Today you can fill out such an application without even leaving your home, that is, via the Internet. All necessary documents, photos and copies are scanned and attached to the file. The result will be available on the official website of the Civil Registry.
Advantages of a Georgian residence permit for a foreigner
A residence permit in Georgia allows non-residents to enjoy all the benefits that are available to citizens of the country. They have the right to do business, work, study, and invite other foreigners to the country. In other words, foreigners with a residence permit have the opportunity to enjoy all the rights and freedoms that are provided for by the country’s constitution, except for the right to vote and cannot serve in the army.
It should also be noted that after 10 years of staying in Georgia with a residence permit, a foreigner has the right to apply for Georgian citizenship. But to obtain the latter, you must pass exams in the Georgian language, history and law. A Georgian passport, in turn, allows you to visit 114 countries of the world without a visa, including EU and Schengen countries, as well as most CIS countries, Iran and Turkey.
In the freedom of movement ranking as of March 2021, the Georgian passport ranks 49th in the world. Among the CIS countries, the best result is only in Russia (47th place).
If you want to obtain a temporary or permanent residence permit in Georgia by purchasing an apartment or investing capital in the country’s economy, please contact us at Offshore Pro Group.
Our email address Our employees are always ready to assist in selecting real estate, registering a company, opening a bank account, and preparing an independent assessment report. Tags:
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