Investment residence permit, with a five-year route to an indefinite residence permit.

What you get#

A five-year Georgian residence permit for foreigners who make an investment of at least USD 300,000 in Georgia, or own Georgian property worth more than USD 300,000. If your plans involve a Georgian company — an LLC, including one with International Company or Free Industrial Zone status — we help assess the structure and the documentation your application needs; the company's status doesn't qualify you on its own. Holders who keep the permit's conditions for five years can move to an indefinite residence permit.

The structure has four other clean properties:

Five-year route to an indefinite residence permit. The investment permit is issued for five years. Before it ends, holders who meet the conditions — the statutory annual turnover on the investment route, or five years' continued ownership of the qualifying property on the property route — can apply for an indefinite residence permit, which carries a right of permanent residence. The general route to a permanent residence permit takes 10 years living in Georgia on temporary residence permits. This five-year route is the investment permit's defining feature.

A statutory threshold, with conditions that run for five years. The investment permit rests on a threshold set in law — an investment of at least USD 300,000, or Georgian property above USD 300,000 in market value. On the investment route, the business then needs to show statutory annual turnover from its activity in Georgia, reported to SDA every year. If your investment project involves a Georgian company, we help assess its structure and the documents needed for your residence application; the qualifying investment threshold and, on the investment route, the ongoing turnover requirements still apply.

A route to permanent residence rights. An indefinite residence permit carries a right of permanent residence. Citizenship is a separate application with its own conditions, including 10 consecutive years of lawful residence, which the investment permit doesn't shorten; Georgia applies single citizenship. We review how your years in Georgia count toward it.

Distinct from the property residence permit. Georgian property (other than agricultural land) with a market value above USD 300,000, set by a certified assessor of an accredited body, can ground the investment permit on its own; property above USD 150,000 grounds the property residence permit. The property permit is extended one year at a time; the investment permit runs five years and leads to an indefinite residence permit for holders who meet the conditions. We work through the specific case in the consultation — sometimes the right answer is property residence, sometimes investment residence, and the choice depends on your configuration and timeline.

The combined effect: a residence permit pathway for foreign clients who meet the statutory investment or property threshold, with a five-year route to long-term Georgian status.

What we do#

We coordinate qualifying configuration setup, residence permit application, and the route to an indefinite residence permit as a long-horizon engagement. Investment residence is rarely a standalone engagement — it typically runs alongside or follows a company setup (LLC, IC, or FIZ structure), Georgian banking (Personal and Corporate Account), and (often) property purchase coordination.

Step 1 — Qualifying configuration assessment. We check how your Georgian commitment meets the statutory threshold — an investment of at least USD 300,000, or Georgian property worth more than USD 300,000 — and, on the investment route, whether the business can show the required annual turnover over the five years. Where a Georgian company is involved (LLC, International Company or FIZ resident company), we also assess its structure and documentation. Whether a particular asset, such as a financial holding, counts as a qualifying investment is something we confirm for your case. The output is a clear view of what supports the application and what needs to be in place before filing.

Step 2 — Configuration setup (when needed). Where the investment vehicle isn't yet in place, we coordinate the setup: the Georgian company and, where your activity qualifies, International Company or Free Industrial Zone status. The statutory threshold has to be met, and evidenced as SDA requires, before filing.

Step 3 — Residence permit application. With the qualifying investment or property documented, we file the Investment residence permit application at the SDA. The SDA reviews the evidence that the threshold is met. We prepare the documentation pack and accompany you through the process.

Step 4 — Your time in Georgia. Like every first residence permit, the investment permit application is filed while you are in Georgia: we file it under Power of Attorney (SDA's online channel with a video call is an alternative where available), and SDA can ask an applicant to attend in person. Once the permit is granted, plan to request the residence card in person at an SDA office or a Public Service Hall branch; the card carries your fingerprints and signature, and the law requires it to be taken out within one month of receiving the permit. Your time in Georgia is often combined with operational milestones (LLC operational visits, IC status documentation handovers, bank meetings) since the broader engagement usually has multiple Georgian touchpoints.

Step 5 — Residence card, yearly reporting and the indefinite permit. We confirm the hand-over arrangements for the finished card when you request it. The investment permit runs five years without extension; on the investment route, annual turnover information goes to SDA each year, and we track the figures with you; on the property route, you keep the qualifying property. Before the five years end, eligible holders apply for an indefinite residence permit, filed while you are in Georgia — we handle that application when the timing is right.

What's included#

• Pathway confirmation in the consultation (Investment residence vs property, work, IT residence)
• Qualifying configuration assessment of your Georgian footprint
• Investment-vehicle setup coordination (Georgian company; International Company or FIZ status where your activity qualifies) — typically coordinated with Company Setup and Banking engagements
• Power of Attorney drafting and notarisation coordination for the residence permit application
• Investment residence permit application file preparation
• Coordination of the initial Georgia visit (typically combined with operational milestones)
• Residence card request preparation (you request the card in person after the permit decision)
• Annual turnover reporting support on the investment route
• Indefinite residence permit application before the five-year term ends
• Briefing on Investment residence interaction with HNW Tax Residency Layer 2/3, citizenship pathway, and the broader Georgian operational structure

What you'll need to qualify#

Three things. We confirm all three before recommending the structure.

The statutory threshold. An investment of at least USD 300,000 (in GEL equivalent) made under the Law on Promotion and Guarantees of Investment Activity, or Georgian property, other than agricultural land, with a market value above USD 300,000 set by a certified assessor of an accredited body. On the investment route, the business then needs statutory annual turnover from its activity in Georgia for each of the five years. If your investment plans involve a Georgian company, we assess the structure and supporting documents during your free consultation.

Coordinated Georgian footprint. Investment residence typically runs alongside other Georgian operational pieces — Georgian company structure, banking, often property. We coordinate the broader footprint design when Investment residence is part of a multi-engagement Georgian setup.

Capacity to keep the conditions for five years. On the investment route, the permit ends if the statutory annual turnover is not confirmed; on the property route, you keep the qualifying property. Configurations that qualify at the time of application but can't sustain this (operations winding down, property sold) put the permit at risk. Investment residence is a long-horizon commitment that fits clients with stable forward-looking Georgian operational plans.

We work through all three in the consultation and confirm the application is solid before submission.

When Investment residence is the right pathway#

Investment residence fits readers who:

• Plan a qualifying investment of at least USD 300,000 in Georgia, or own Georgian real estate with a certified market value above USD 300,000
• Want a route to an indefinite residence permit after five years
• Have or are building a multi-piece Georgian footprint where company + banking + property + residence permit reinforce each other
• Want a five-year residence permit, with the potential to apply for indefinite residence after five years if the applicable conditions are met
• Can sustain the statutory annual turnover (investment route) or keep the qualifying property for the permit's five years

Georgian real estate — residential or commercial — worth more than USD 300,000 can support this five-year permit on its own, with no operating business needed; property worth more than USD 150,000 can instead support Property Residence, a one-year permit renewable each year. If you operate a Georgian IE for foreign-client work (the typical 1% Small Business Status freelancer configuration), Work Residence is the natural fit. If you're a foreign IT specialist meeting specific Article 15(l) NACE/ISCO code framework, IT Residence is the narrower-fit pathway — though most IT founders fit work or investment residence better.

How Investment residence interacts with company setup, banking, and HNW#

The Investment residence permit rarely runs in isolation — it typically anchors a broader Georgian operational structure with multiple pieces.

Company structure for your investment. If your investment plans involve a Georgian company — an LLC, one with International Company status, or a Free Industrial Zone resident company — we help structure it, including company formation, and assess the supporting documents your residence application needs. The company's status doesn't qualify you by itself; what counts is a qualifying investment of at least USD 300,000 and, on the investment route, the annual turnover. The company setup runs first or alongside the permit application.

Banking as operational support. Substantial Georgian operations require corporate banking for the company's foreign-client revenue, payroll, and operational expenses, plus personal banking for the foreign founder's personal use. Banking often opens via Power of Attorney coordinated with the company setup; the corporate account then supports the company's operations over the permit's five years.

HNW Tax Residency double-up potential. Investment-grade Georgian commitments, such as substantial equity in a Georgian company, can count toward Layer 2 of the HNW Tax Residency programme (USD 500,000+ of assets in Georgia). The rule doesn't list asset types, so we confirm how your specific holdings will be treated before you rely on them. Investment residence satisfies Layer 3 (residence permit). If the Georgian operations also meet Layer 1 (global assets/income), the same Georgian footprint satisfies all three HNW layers concurrently. See HNW Tax Residency.

Citizenship as the long-horizon goal. For foreigners who plan a multi-decade Georgian commitment, the investment permit leads, for holders who meet its conditions, to an indefinite residence permit after five years. Citizenship remains a separate, discretionary application with its own conditions.

Why Happy Georgia#

Independent advisory. No tied immigration services, no commission for steering you toward Investment residence when a simpler pathway fits. We recommend the residence permit pathway that matches your situation honestly — including alternatives like property or work residence when those genuinely fit better than Investment despite the 5-year track appeal.

Foreign clients only. Our entire practice is foreigners setting up in Georgia. Every engagement starts from your own situation: where you live and pay tax, who your clients are, and what you plan to do in Georgia.

Fixed pricing, no tourist tax. Investment residence engagement quoted as a coordinated multi-piece package or as a standalone engagement depending on scope. We quote in EUR, we honor the quote, no surprises later.

Frequently asked questions#

What's the minimum investment threshold for Investment residence?#

The threshold is set in law. The investment permit needs either an investment of at least USD 300,000 (in GEL equivalent) made under the Law on Promotion and Guarantees of Investment Activity, or ownership of Georgian property, other than agricultural land, with a market value above USD 300,000 set by a certified assessor of an accredited body. On the investment route, the business then needs to show statutory annual turnover each year. We confirm how your configuration maps onto these tests at scoping.

How does the five-year route actually work?#

The investment permit is issued for five years and is not extended. On the investment route, your business reports its annual turnover from activity in Georgia to SDA every year, and the statutory minimum rises from USD 50,000 in year one to USD 100,000 in year two and USD 120,000 in years three to five (GEL equivalent). On the property route there is no turnover test: the condition is keeping the qualifying property (or a replacement that meets the law's conditions) for the five years, shown by a Public Registry certificate. Before the five years end, a holder who meets the conditions of their route applies for an indefinite residence permit, which carries a right of permanent residence; the investment permit stays valid until SDA decides. The five years run from the first investment permit, not from earlier time in Georgia.

Does this lead to Georgian citizenship?#

Possibly, in the long run — citizenship has its own conditions, including 10 consecutive years of lawful residence and the Georgian-language and history-and-law tests, and the President decides. The investment permit can lead to an indefinite residence permit after five years for holders who meet its conditions, but it doesn't shorten the 10-year citizenship period; how your years count is something we review for your situation. Georgia applies single citizenship, so holding two is exceptional.

Can I switch from another residence permit to Investment residence?#

Yes, when the qualifying configuration changes. Clients sometimes start with work residence (because they registered an IE first), expand to LLC with operational scale, and switch to an investment permit once the statutory threshold is met. The five-year period runs from the first investment permit, not from earlier time on other permits. So the switch makes sense when your configuration genuinely meets the investment tests and you have the time horizon to benefit from the five-year route.

What if my LLC operations downsize after Investment residence is granted?#

The investment permit isn't extended, but its conditions run through its five years: on the investment route, the statutory annual turnover must be confirmed each year or the permit ends; on the property route, you must keep the qualifying property (or a replacement that meets the law's conditions). Clients planning operational changes within the Investment residence period should brief us before the change so we can plan continuity — sometimes via switch to a different residence permit pathway (work or property) to maintain residency, sometimes via configuration adjustment that preserves Investment residence eligibility.

How does Investment residence interact with HNW Tax Residency?#

Often together. Investment-grade Georgian commitments can count toward HNW Layer 2 (USD 500,000+ of assets in Georgia), subject to confirming how the specific holdings are treated, and the Investment residence permit satisfies HNW Layer 3 by definition. If your global wealth or income meets HNW Layer 1 (GEL 3M+ assets or GEL 200k+ income for 3 years), the Georgian footprint behind Investment residence can cover all three HNW layers. We coordinate Investment residence and HNW Tax Residency engagements when both are in scope. See HNW Tax Residency.

What's the typical engagement timeline?#

Typically 12–24 weeks from engagement start to first Investment residence permit card. The longer end of the range covers cases where we also help with preparation before filing — setting up an investment vehicle where appropriate, company formation or banking, special-status applications relevant to your business, property ownership documents, or arranging the required independent market valuation. Where that preparation is already done, it can run 8–12 weeks. Whatever the timeline, you need to be in Georgia when the application is filed and in person for the card request.

Can my family come on the Investment residence permit?#

The Investment residence permit category covers the investor's family members — spouse, minor children and certain other dependants — so the general family-reunification route isn't needed. Each family member holds their own permit and applies separately, and the later indefinite residence permit is also available to family members when the investor qualifies for it. We can assist with family members' applications on request, subject to eligibility and the agreed scope.

What if the SDA refuses the application?#

Refusals happen when the threshold isn't met or isn't evidenced as SDA requires, so we check the evidence before filing. If an application is refused, we review the decision and your options, including a different permit that fits your situation better.

Does Investment residence grant Georgian tax residency?#

Not automatically. Investment residence permit grants residency rights; tax residency is a separate determination based on either the standard 183-day rule (qualifying days in Georgia) or HNW programme three-layer satisfaction. Investment residence holders who don't reach 183 days don't become tax residents through residency alone. See Tax Residency.

Ready to set up?#

A free consultation maps whether Investment residence fits your situation, how you meet the investment or property threshold (existing footprint vs additional setup needed), and the engagement timeline. The Investment residence pathway is rarely a standalone engagement — it typically runs alongside company setup, banking, and (often) property purchase as a coordinated multi-piece Georgian footprint. The five-year route to an indefinite residence permit is the defining feature for clients with long-horizon Georgian plans. Pricing follows the engagement scope.