Georgian Legal Residency Without Relocating

A Georgian residence permit can give you a legal base in Georgia without moving your life there. Depending on your permit, you may be able to enter Georgia without a visa and stay beyond the limits of a visa-free visit while it remains valid.

Not relocating does not mean never travelling. Every residence permit route involves visits to Georgia at set points, and the right route is the one whose conditions you can meet from where you live. This article explains which routes fit, what Happy Georgia handles for you and when you need to be in Georgia.

Choosing a residence route#

Property residence. Georgian property with a market value above USD 150,000, set by a certified assessor, can ground a property residence permit. It is granted for one year at a time and extended while you keep the property and meet the permit's conditions. For many owners who live abroad it is the most practical route. Our guide to Georgian residential property covers the tax side of owning it.

Investment residence. A qualifying investment of at least USD 300,000, or Georgian property with a certified market value above USD 300,000, can ground a five-year investment residence permit. On the investment route, the business must also meet annual turnover conditions throughout the five years. Holders who meet the conditions can then apply for an indefinite residence permit, a separate application with its own requirements.

Work residence through an Individual Entrepreneur. If you run your business through a Georgian Individual Entrepreneur, a work residence permit may be available. Registering the IE does not qualify you on its own: the permit has its own turnover and activity tests, and whether you also need the right to work in Georgia is a separate check we carry out.

IT residence. The IT residence permit requires its holder to be in Georgia for at least 183 days in any continuous 12-month period. It suits people who are moving to Georgia, so it is rarely the right choice if you intend to remain based abroad.

For the property, investment and work routes, Georgian law does not set a general minimum number of days you must spend in Georgia each year. Each route's own conditions still apply, and we confirm the position for your route before you commit. The legal residency overview compares all four routes.

What Happy Georgia handles#

We start with an eligibility assessment: what you own or plan in Georgia, what you do and how often you can travel. From there we recommend the route that fits and tell you plainly where it does not.

We then prepare the application file, arrange the Power of Attorney, and file the application with the State Services Development Agency (SDA) on your behalf. Where the route depends on a property purchase or an Individual Entrepreneur, we handle those steps under Power of Attorney too. Throughout the process we deal with the SDA for you and plan your visits around the dates that matter.

When you need to be in Georgia#

The first application. Under the currently published procedure, you must be in Georgia on the day the application is filed. We file it under Power of Attorney, but your presence in the country is required, and the SDA may also ask you to attend in person.

The residence card. Once the permit is granted, you request your residence card in person at an SDA office or a Public Service Hall branch. The card must be taken out within one month of receiving the permit, so we plan this visit before you apply.

Further attendance. If the SDA asks you to appear during the process, you will need to attend. We explain the known attendance requirements before filing and coordinate any additional visits the SDA requires.

We do not offer a residence permit that can be completed without travelling to Georgia, and we do not promise when you can leave after filing.

Keeping and extending your permit#

A residence permit lasts only while its conditions are met: you keep the qualifying property, maintain the investment and its turnover, or keep the Individual Entrepreneur's activity in line with the permit's tests. Extensions are not automatic, and neither is any later move to an indefinite permit.

We track your permit's term, prepare each extension and file it under Power of Attorney. An extension may also require a new residence card and personal attendance. We confirm the applicable SDA procedure before each deadline and coordinate any required visit.

Legal residence is not tax residence#

A residence permit concerns your right to live in Georgia. It does not make you a Georgian tax resident, and Georgian tax residency does not require a residence permit.

Georgian tax residency comes from 183 or more qualifying days in Georgia within a continuous 12-month period, or through High Net Worth tax residency, which Happy Georgia completes under Power of Attorney without you travelling. Its third condition can be met with at least GEL 25,000 of Georgian-source income, which needs no permit, or with a Georgian residence permit. Our HNW guide explains the conditions, and Benefit From Georgia Without Relocating covers the wider company, banking and tax picture.

How Happy Georgia helps#

We assess which route fits your assets, business and travel, prepare and file the application under Power of Attorney, coordinate with the SDA and plan each visit you need to make. After the permit is granted, we manage the extension cycle and tell you in good time when you need to be in Georgia.

Book a free consultation. Tell us what you own or plan in Georgia, where you live and how often you can travel, and we will confirm which residence route fits and when you need to be in Georgia.