Georgian tax residency for modest HNW.

What you get#

Georgian tax residency status without the 183-day physical-presence requirement, when the three-layer eligibility framework is satisfied. Tax residency in Georgia means access to the Georgian tax regime — territorial taxation on most foreign-source income, 0% on capital gains for individuals on most asset classes, 0% on cryptocurrency gains, 0% on foreign-source dividends, 5% on Georgian-source dividends. The residency certificate issued by the Revenue Service evidences your status to other tax authorities.

The structure has three other clean properties:

No 183-day requirement. The HNW programme is the alternative path to Georgian tax residency for clients whose physical presence pattern doesn't fit the standard 183-day rule. Once the three layers are satisfied, the certificate issues based on the qualifying conditions, not on day-counting.

Annual renewal cycle. Tax residency under the HNW programme is renewed annually, with the renewal demonstrating continued satisfaction of the three layers. Most renewal cycles are clean for clients who maintain the qualifying configuration year-on-year.

Distinct from residency permits. HNW Tax Residency is a tax-status programme, not a residency permit. The two interact — HNW Layer 3 can be satisfied via a Georgian residence permit — but they're separate mechanisms with separate applications. See Residency for the residency-permit picture.

The combined effect: Georgian tax residency for modestly-wealthy foreign investors who want the Georgian tax regime without committing to spending 183+ days in Georgia.

What we do#

We assess your situation against the three-layer framework before recommending the engagement. The assessment is honest — most readers of this page don't qualify, some do, and we say which you are in the consultation.

If you do qualify, we handle the application end-to-end:

Initial application. The first HNW Tax Residency application goes to the Revenue Service and can be filed through an authorised representative. We prepare the file and file it for you under Power of Attorney. You don't travel to Georgia.

Annual renewals (remote via Power of Attorney). Once the initial certificate is in hand, annual renewals are handled remote-via-PoA — we file the renewal documentation, submit the supporting evidence demonstrating continued satisfaction of the three layers, and collect the renewal certificate on your behalf. You don't travel for renewals.

Layer 1, 2, 3 documentation throughout. The three layers each have specific documentation requirements that the Revenue Service expects in standardised forms. We assemble the documentation pack initially and maintain it for renewal cycles, including coordination with banking, brokerage, and any supporting evidence sources.

What's included#

• Three-layer eligibility assessment in the free consultation — honest fit analysis before any commitment
• Initial application file preparation
• Revenue Service correspondence handled on your behalf through to certificate issuance — no travel to Georgia
• Layer 1 documentation (global wealth or income evidence)
• Layer 2 documentation (USD 500,000 of assets in Georgia — we confirm how your specific holdings will be treated before you rely on them)
• Layer 3 documentation (GEL 25,000+ Georgian-source income evidence or a Georgian residence permit)
• Submission and Revenue Service correspondence
• First certificate collection
• Annual renewal handling via Power of Attorney
• Briefing on what to maintain year-on-year for clean renewals

What you'll need to qualify#

Three layers. All three required. The framework is genuinely strict — the consultation walks through your specific situation honestly.

Layer 1 — Global wealth or income. GEL 3,000,000 in personal assets globally, OR annual income above GEL 200,000, assessed over the three tax years before the application. The asset threshold equates roughly to USD 1.1 million; the income threshold roughly to USD 75,000. Wealth includes investments, property, and other assets globally — not restricted to Georgian holdings. Income evidence is typically tax returns and supporting documentation from your country of residence.

Layer 2 — Georgian asset footprint. Assets in Georgia worth USD 500,000 or more. The Ministry of Finance order sets the amount but doesn't list which asset types count. Georgian real estate is the clearest case. Shares in a Georgian company, deposits at Georgian banks and holdings in a Georgian brokerage account can be part of the plan, but their treatment isn't spelled out in a published rule — especially for securities issued outside Georgia and held through a Georgian broker. We confirm how your specific holdings will be treated before you commit capital.

Layer 3 — Georgian foothold. At least GEL 25,000 (roughly USD 9,000) of Georgian-source income in the tax year before the application, OR a Georgian residence permit. The income path needs a Georgian source of income (Georgian employment, a Georgian-paid IE, or similar), which not every investor has. Where it doesn't fit, typical residence-permit routes are the property residence permit for clients who already hold or plan to hold Georgian real estate, or the investment residence permit for clients with substantial Georgian business or financial-asset commitments.

We work through all three in the consultation. If your situation satisfies all three cleanly, we proceed. If your situation satisfies one or two, we explain what would need to change for full satisfaction. If your situation doesn't fit, we say so honestly — the HNW programme is genuinely strict and isn't right for clients in the early stages of building Georgian operational footprint.

How HNW interacts with banking, brokerage, and residency#

The three layers map operationally to three Happy Georgia services that often run together for HNW clients.

Layer 2 can combine Georgian property and financial holdings. Georgian real estate is the clearest Layer 2 asset. A Georgian brokerage account at Bank of Georgia, TBC Bank, or Galt & Taggart is liquid and easy to maintain, and can be part of the plan once we have confirmed how its holdings will be treated. We coordinate any brokerage setup with the HNW application so the funding flow, valuation documentation, and ongoing Layer 2 evidence work together.

Layer 3 can also be met with a Georgian residence permit. Where the Georgian-source income route doesn't fit, two routes are the property residence permit (Georgian property worth more than USD 150,000) and the investment residence permit (an investment of at least USD 300,000, or Georgian property above USD 300,000). The property residence path doubles up — the same Georgian property that grounds the residence permit can also count toward Layer 2 if the value reaches the USD 500,000 threshold. The investment residence permit requires a larger commitment, so we check whether it fits your plans.

Personal banking is operationally implicit. Most HNW candidates also want a personal bank account at the same Georgian bank where the brokerage portfolio sits, simplifying the operational footprint and the source-of-funds documentation across the three layers.

We coordinate banking, brokerage, residency permit, and HNW Tax Residency engagements so the layers reinforce each other and the documentation is consistent. The free consultation maps the right combination for your specific situation.

When HNW is the right structure#

HNW Tax Residency fits readers who:

• Have global wealth above GEL 3M, or annual income above GEL 200,000 over the last three tax years (Layer 1)
• Can establish or already hold USD 500,000+ of assets in Georgia — Georgian real estate is the clearest case (Layer 2)
• Had at least GEL 25,000 of Georgian-source income in the last tax year, or hold or can obtain a Georgian residence permit (Layer 3)
• Want Georgian tax residency without the 183-day physical-presence requirement
• Have a stable enough configuration that annual renewals are realistic for the foreseeable future

If you don't satisfy all three layers, the HNW programme isn't the right path. Common alternative configurations:

• Standard 183-day Georgian tax residency. The standard route generally requires 183 or more days of qualifying presence within the relevant 12-month period, and if you meet it you don't need HNW. Georgia also offers a separate tax-residency procedure for eligible high-net-worth individuals without meeting that day-count requirement — that is what the HNW programme is for.
• Foreign tax residency that already works. If your existing tax residency in your country of residence works for your situation and the marginal benefit of Georgian tax residency doesn't justify the three-layer commitment, staying with your current setup is often the right answer.
• Building Georgian operational footprint first. If you're in the early stages of building Georgian presence (recently formed an IE or LLC, recently bought property, recently opened banking), the HNW programme can be a 2–3 year forward-looking goal once Layers 2 and 3 mature naturally through the operational build-out.

We assess fit honestly in the consultation. The HNW programme is real but strict — most readers of this page don't currently qualify, and we say so when that's the case.

Why Happy Georgia#

Independent advisory. No tied banks, brokers, or property developers. We recommend how to meet Layer 2 (property, financial holdings or business holdings) and the Layer 3 path (whether the Georgian-source income route applies, or which residence permit) based on what fits your situation, not on referral commissions.

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. We quote in EUR, we honor the quote, no surprises later.

Frequently asked questions#

Does HNW Tax Residency really avoid the 183-day rule?#

Yes. The HNW programme is the alternative path to Georgian tax residency for clients whose physical presence pattern doesn't reach 183 days. Once the three layers are satisfied and the certificate issues, you hold Georgian tax residency status regardless of how many days you spend in Georgia in any given year. The renewal cycle confirms continued satisfaction of the three layers, not day-counting.

What documentation does Layer 1 need?#

For the asset path (GEL 3M global): documentation evidencing the asset value — typically bank statements, brokerage statements, property valuations, and similar standardised documentation from your country of residence. For the income path (income above GEL 200,000 over the last three tax years): typically tax returns or equivalent income documentation from your country of residence. The Revenue Service expects standardised forms; we assemble the file in the form they accept.

Which assets count toward Layer 2?#

The Ministry of Finance order requires assets in Georgia worth at least USD 500,000, but it doesn't list asset types. Georgian real estate is the clearest case. For shares in a Georgian company, Georgian bank deposits, Georgian securities and securities held through a Georgian broker, the treatment isn't spelled out in a published rule, so we confirm it for your specific holdings before you commit capital. The order doesn't mention crypto-assets; we don't recommend relying on them for Layer 2.

Can I use Georgian property to satisfy both Layer 2 and Layer 3?#

Yes, when the property qualifies for both. A Georgian property valued at USD 500,000+ can count toward Layer 2 (Georgian asset footprint) and ground a property residence permit (market value above USD 150,000) which satisfies Layer 3. A single property satisfying both layers is operationally efficient and well-suited to clients who already plan substantial Georgian property exposure.

Do I need to come to Georgia for the initial application?#

No. The application can be filed through an authorised representative, and we file it for you under Power of Attorney — the HNW service is completed without you travelling to Georgia.

How long do renewals take?#

Processing time depends on the Revenue Service and the Ministry of Finance, so we prepare and file each renewal in good time. The renewal documentation demonstrates continued satisfaction of the three layers — typically updated evidence of the Layer 2 holdings, updated income or asset evidence for Layer 1, and confirmation of continued Georgian-source income or residence permit for Layer 3. We handle the renewal entirely on your behalf via PoA; you don't travel.

What happens if my situation changes mid-year?#

The renewal cycle assesses Layer satisfaction at renewal, so mid-year fluctuations within continued substantial satisfaction don't typically affect status. Material changes — reducing the Layer 2 holdings below USD 500,000, terminating the residence permit without replacement Layer 3 satisfaction, asset value dropping below Layer 1 threshold — can affect renewal eligibility. We brief you on the configuration changes that warrant proactive discussion before they affect status, and structure renewals to be defensible at the renewal review.

How does HNW interact with my home-country tax residency?#

HNW Tax Residency in Georgia doesn't automatically end your home-country tax residency — most countries have their own residency tests (physical presence, centre of vital interests, habitual abode) that need to resolve cleanly. For most HNW candidates, the goal is becoming Georgian tax resident under HNW while ceasing to be tax resident in the country you're leaving, which usually requires actual relocation of life-base elements (not just paperwork). We discuss the home-country side in the consultation but the home-country tax-residency analysis sits in detailed consultation territory rather than body content.

Is the HNW programme actually used, or theoretical?#

Used. The programme has been operating with the three-layer framework for several years; the Revenue Service handles HNW applications routinely for foreign clients meeting the layers. The programme isn't experimental or seldom-used — it's a real path with established processing. The strictness is real, the path is real, and clients who satisfy the layers obtain the certificate.

What about HNW applicants who don't actually relocate to Georgia?#

The programme doesn't require relocation. It requires the three layers — Layer 3 can be satisfied with qualifying Georgian-source income, or with a residence permit you hold without spending substantial time in Georgia (a property residence permit, for example, doesn't require minimum stay). The intent is foreign investors with meaningful Georgian footprint who want Georgian tax residency status while continuing to live primarily elsewhere. The 183-day-avoidance is the core feature, not a side effect.

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Ready to assess?#

A free consultation maps your situation against the three-layer framework honestly. If you satisfy all three, we plan the engagement and quote a fixed price. If you satisfy two, we explain what would need to change for full satisfaction. If you don't fit, we say so — the HNW programme is genuinely strict and we don't push readers into engagements that won't satisfy at the Revenue Service. Most consultations resolve into a clear yes / not-yet / no within 30 minutes.