Georgia: residence through property or a USD 300,000 investment

Georgian residence permits are governed by the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons and are issued by the Public Service Development Agency under the Ministry of Justice. Two routes are linked to capital. Article 15(j) provides a short-term residence permit for a foreigner who owns non-agricultural real estate in Georgia with a market value above USD 150,000 in GEL equivalent; the value is set by a certified assessor from an accredited body, and several properties can be combined. Article 15(h) provides an investment residence permit for those who invest at least USD 300,000 in Georgia under the investment promotion law, or who own non-agricultural real estate valued above USD 300,000. The property threshold for the short-term permit rose from USD 100,000 to USD 150,000 on 1 March 2026, following amendments adopted in 2025.

Neither permit requires a minimum period of stay, but both depend on the underlying asset. The short-term permit is extended one year at a time and lapses if the property is sold. The investment permit is issued for five years and may be extended by three years at a time, up to twelve years in total. Where it rests on a cash investment rather than property, the holder must report annual turnover of at least USD 50,000 in the first year, USD 100,000 in the second and USD 120,000 in each of the third to fifth years, and failure to show those figures can end the permit. A residence permit allows residence only; since the 2025 reforms, paid work in Georgia requires separate labour authorisation.

Georgia taxes individuals who spend at least 183 days in the country in any continuous twelve-month period ending in the tax year. Georgian-source income is taxed at a flat 20%, while foreign-source income of individuals is generally exempt, which makes the regime effectively territorial for private wealth. Wealthy individuals who do not meet the day count can apply annually to the Revenue Service for tax residence under the high-net-worth route, which requires, among other conditions, assets above GEL 3 million or annual income above GEL 200,000 in each of the previous three years. There is no wealth tax, and no separate inheritance or gift tax. Residence and tax residence are distinct: a permit alone does not make someone tax resident.

Family inclusion follows the law's definitions: the spouse and minor children of the applicant, and for the investment-based permits also a fully dependent person or a person with a disability supported by the applicant. Adult children and parents generally need their own grounds. The investment permit is also the route to longer-term status. A holder whose permit is based on a USD 300,000 investment and who meets the turnover thresholds, or whose permit is based on property above USD 300,000 kept for five years, may apply for an unlimited residence permit with the right of permanent living. Ordinary permanent residence otherwise requires ten years on temporary permits. Citizenship is by naturalisation only: ten consecutive years of lawful residence, tests in the Georgian language, history and basic law, and an economic tie such as property, work or a business. Georgia generally does not allow dual nationality, so a foreign nationality must be renounced unless the President grants citizenship by exception, a discretionary power that is not an investment programme.