Georgian visa and entry — which path actually fits your situation.

What you get#

A clear answer about which Georgian visa or entry pathway actually fits your situation. For most foreign clients we work with — nationals of the 90+ countries with the 1-year visa-free regime — the answer is "you don't need a visa at all, the visa-free regime is operationally better than any application path." For a minority of cases, a C-series visa (tourism with extras, including the 2026 C-5 for remote workers) or a D-series visa (long-term immigration categories) is the right path. We confirm which one applies and handle the application end-to-end if one is needed.

The structure has three other clean properties:

The 1-year visa-free regime is genuinely strong. Foreigners from 90+ countries can enter Georgia and stay up to 365 days per entry without any application, fee, or paperwork. Western European nationals, US, UK, Canada, Israel, Australia, most developed-Asia, and many others qualify. For these passports, no Georgian visa application improves the entry position — the visa-free regime is operationally cleaner than any visa.

C-series and D-series cover specific configurations. The C-series handles short-stay tourism (and tourism-with-extras for the 2026 C-5 remote-worker category). The D-series handles long-term immigration where the foreigner is actually settling — D-3 for foreign workers, D-5 for property owners, others for specific configurations. These aren't alternatives to the visa-free regime for nationals already covered by it; they're pathways for cases where visa-free doesn't apply or where the foreigner wants formalised long-term status.

Visa decisions interact with residency decisions. A foreigner who plans to spend substantial time in Georgia long-term often wants a residence permit rather than a long-stay visa. A foreigner who wants the Georgian tax regime under the HNW programme has Layer 3 residency-permit considerations. The visa-and-entry conversation is rarely fully separable from the broader residency-and-status conversation — we map both together when both are in scope.

What we do#

The first 30 minutes of any visa-and-entry conversation is determining which path actually fits.

Step 1 — Residency Scoping. We map your specific situation: your nationality (which visa-free regime applies, if any), your intended Georgian footprint (visit duration, frequency, work configuration, family component), your reasons for wanting formalised status (predictability, future progression to residency, family travel). The Review identifies the actually-better path — for most readers, this is "use the existing visa-free regime, don't apply for anything." For a minority, it's a specific C-series or D-series path.

Step 2 (only if a visa application is needed) — Application file preparation. For cases where a visa application is actually the right path, we assemble the documentation pack appropriate to the specific visa category: the C-5 for remote workers (proof of remote work for non-resident employers, financial evidence, health insurance), D-3 for foreign workers (employment contract, employer registration, qualifying configuration documentation), D-5 for property owners (property purchase documentation), other D-series as configurations require.

Step 3 (only if a visa application is needed) — Submission and tracking. Visa applications are filed via Georgian government channels — typically the geoconsul.gov.ge online portal for online applications, or Georgian consulates abroad for in-person applications, depending on the visa category and the applicant's location. We submit on your behalf where the channel supports authorised representative submission, otherwise prepare the complete file and brief you for submission. We track the application through consular review and respond to any requests for clarification.

For visa-free entries, no application is needed and no Happy Georgia engagement applies — the Residency Scoping confirms this and you proceed without further service from us.

The pathways#

Visa-free regime — 1-year. Foreigners from 90+ countries can enter Georgia and stay up to 365 days per entry, exit, and re-enter for another 365 days. No application, no fee, no paperwork. Western European, US, UK, Canada, Israel, Australia, most developed-Asia nationalities qualify. For these passports, this is operationally the strongest entry path Georgia offers — no Georgian visa application improves on it.

Visa-free regime — 90/180. A separate group of countries has 90-day visa-free entry within any 180-day rolling window. This is meaningful for short-stay tourism but doesn't support the long-stay patterns the 1-year regime allows. For nationals of these countries who want longer Georgian presence, C-5 (if eligible by nationality) or D-series visas may apply.

C-1 to C-4 — short-stay visas. Standard short-stay categories for nationals of countries without visa-free access. Tourism, business visits, transit. Up to 90 days. Filed via Georgian consulates abroad or, increasingly, the geoconsul.gov.ge online portal.

C-5 — long-stay visa for remote workers (introduced April 2026). Multiple-entry, valid 5 years, up to 12 consecutive months stay per visit. Designed for foreigners working remotely for non-resident employers, with no Georgian client base. Restricted to nationals on Georgia's "safe country" list. For most readers we work with — nationals of 1-year-visa-free countries — C-5 doesn't add value. For nationals of 90/180-regime or no-visa-free countries, C-5 can be a meaningful upgrade. See C-5 Visa for the full picture.

D-series — long-term immigration visas. D-1 (study), D-2 (medical treatment), D-3 (foreign workers), D-4 (family reunification), D-5 (property owners — Georgian property at USD 150,000 or higher, parallel to the property residence permit threshold raised March 2026; typically used in conjunction with property residence permit). Designed for foreigners actually settling in Georgia for the visa-defined purpose. Filed via Georgian consulates or geoconsul.gov.ge online portal. The D-series is more substantive than the C-series — the application bar is higher, the documentation is more substantial, and the visa supports a path toward residence permits.

Residence permits as the long-term alternative. For foreigners who want formal long-term Georgian status with broader rights (work authorisation in some categories, family residency, path toward permanent residence and citizenship), a residence permit is the right path rather than a long-stay visa. C-5 and the D-series visas address specific configurations; residence permits address the long-term-presence question with more rights and progression.

When you don't need any application#

For most foreign clients we work with, the answer to "which Georgian visa do I need?" is "none — the visa-free regime is the better path." Specifically:

• Western European nationals (EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland, etc.) — 1-year visa-free regime
• US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand nationals — 1-year visa-free regime
• Israeli, Japanese, South Korean, Singaporean nationals — 1-year visa-free regime
• Most other developed-economy nationals — 1-year visa-free regime

Holders of these passports who want to spend substantial time in Georgia don't need C-5, don't need D-series visas, and (unless they want formal long-term status with progression rights) often don't need residence permits either. The visa-free regime + occasional re-entry + a Georgian operational footprint covers most foreign-founder configurations cleanly.

The Residency Scoping for these clients typically results in "your existing visa-free regime is the better path" with documented confirmation explaining why C-5 or D-series wouldn't improve the position.

When a visa application is the right path#

A visa application is the right path when:

• Your nationality doesn't have 1-year visa-free access (90/180-day regime nationals, no-visa-free nationals)
• You want predictability that visa-free regimes don't always provide (regulatory changes, border-crossing variability)
• You're pursuing a configuration the visa-free regime doesn't support (long-term family travel under one status, long-term remote work with non-Georgian employer, formal Georgian-employed work)
• You're pursuing residency-and-citizenship progression where a D-series visa is part of the pathway

For these cases, the Residency Scoping identifies the specific visa category (C-5, D-3, D-5, etc.) and we handle the application end-to-end. Pricing is engagement-specific — Residency Scoping pricing is fixed; Application Support pricing depends on the visa category and complexity.

Why Happy Georgia#

Independent advisory. No tied visa services, no commission for steering you toward an application you don't need. Our recommended path for most readers is "use the existing visa-free regime" — that's the actually-correct answer, and it's the answer we give honestly even when it means no Application Support engagement.

Foreign clients only. Our entire practice is foreigners setting up in or visiting Georgia. We've worked through the visa-comparison conversation across many nationalities and configurations — the German freelancer comparing C-5 against 1-year visa-free, the American digital nomad asking about long-stay options, the Indian software founder needing D-series to establish Georgian operations.

Fixed pricing, no tourist tax. The same rate for foreign and Georgian clients. Residency Scoping pricing is fixed; Application Support pricing depends on the visa category and complexity. We quote in EUR, we honor the quote, no surprises later.

Trusted by clients across Western Europe, Israel, the UK, Singapore, and beyond.

Frequently asked questions#

How do I know which visa-free regime my passport qualifies for?#

The Georgian government maintains an official entry-requirements database at geoconsul.gov.ge that lists each country's regime. Nationals of 90+ countries qualify for the 1-year visa-free regime; a separate group has 90/180-day visa-free; some nationalities require a visa for any entry. The Residency Scoping confirms your specific entitlement and identifies the right path.

If I have 1-year visa-free entry, why would I ever apply for C-5 or another visa?#

Almost never. The 1-year visa-free regime is operationally better than C-5 for nationals who already have it — same stay capacity, no application paperwork, no fee, no portal friction, no "safe country" list dependency. C-5 makes sense for nationals without the 1-year regime. For 1-year-visa-free nationals, the only common reasons to apply for a visa are pursuing D-series visas as part of a long-term immigration path (toward residence permits and progression) or specific configurations the visa-free regime doesn't support.

Can my family come on the same regime I use?#

For visa-free entries, each family member's regime depends on their individual nationality — a German father and Georgian-citizen mother and Israeli minor children each have their own entitlement. For C-5, spouses and minor children of the primary applicant are eligible alongside, which makes C-5 more flexible than visa-free for non-1-year-regime nationalities travelling as a family. For D-series, family reunification (D-4) is the dedicated category for family members joining a primary applicant.

Where do I actually apply for a Georgian visa when I need one?#

Visa applications go through Georgian consulates abroad (in-person submission for some categories) or the geoconsul.gov.ge online portal (where online application is supported). The C-5 specifically is being deployed with both standard and e-visa channels — the e-visa option is expected to process in approximately 5 working days once the system is live. Application channels and processing times are subject to change as Georgian authorities deploy new visa categories; we track the current state of each channel in active engagements.

How long does a typical visa application take?#

Depends on the category and channel. C-series short-stay visas typically process in 5–10 business days through the standard channel, faster through e-visa where supported. D-series long-term visas typically process in 10–30 business days depending on the specific category and whether additional employer or sponsor documentation is being reviewed. Refusals are uncommon for properly prepared applications — the file completeness is what separates clean approvals from delays or refusals.

What if my nationality doesn't have any visa-free regime?#

Some nationalities require a visa for any entry to Georgia. For these passports, the C-series (short-stay) or D-series (long-term) handles the entry. The Residency Scoping identifies the specific category that fits your purpose for entering — tourism, business, study, work, family reunification, property ownership, etc. We handle the application end-to-end where the engagement makes sense; some configurations are better served by a different jurisdiction's pathway entirely, and we say so when that's the case.

Can I switch from a visa to a residence permit?#

Yes, in many configurations. D-series visa holders often progress to residence permits — a D-3 work visa can transition to a work residence permit, a D-5 property-owner visa often coexists with a property residence permit. The visa and residence permit serve different functions: the visa governs entry; the residence permit governs long-term lawful residence with broader rights. We coordinate visa and residence permit engagements together when both are in scope.

What's the relationship between visa-and-entry and tax residency?#

Independent. Spending more than 183 days in Georgia in a calendar year makes you a Georgian tax resident automatically, regardless of which visa or visa-free regime brought you here. C-5's 12-month-per-visit capacity, in particular, can put a holder over the 183-day threshold during their first stay. We brief active engagements on the tax-residency interaction and coordinate with Tax Residency planning when the visa stay length crosses into tax-residency territory.

Ready to assess?#

A free consultation maps your nationality and situation against the visa and visa-free pathways. For most readers we work with, the answer is "your existing visa-free regime is the right path — no application needed" and the Residency Scoping documents this in writing. For cases where C-5, D-series, or another application path actually fits, we handle the engagement end-to-end. The free consultation determines which engagement actually applies — most consultations resolve in 30 minutes.