🗺️ How to obtain a residence permit in Georgia?

Georgia is one of the most open countries in the world. People from the vast majority of countries do not need a visa to enter this Caucasian country. But in case you want to reside in this country or obtain tax residency in Georgia, it is necessary to know what types of permits exist and which of them you can apply for.

Actually, Georgian bureaucracy is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency, so if all the requirements are met, it is easy to obtain a residence and work permit. There are also very few requirements for obtaining permission to reside and work in Georgia.

Having said that, lets see what kind of authorizations exist, what requirements must be met and what documentation is needed to apply for them.

🇬🇪 What are the different types of residence permit?

Residence permit for employment

A work permit is granted to a foreigner for conducting business or labor activity in Georgia. Employment activity is considered to be any activity for which a person receives remuneration or profit.

In case you want to apply for a work permit in Georgia, you should contact the National Agency of Public Registry, which is part of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. To apply for this permit you must submit a number of documents and certain conditions must be met:

  • Application for work residence permit;
  • Photograph, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • Copy of Visa (see here if you need visa to enter Georgia);
  • Employment contract or certificate of legal ownership of a Georgian company. If you cannot prove that you receive remuneration or perform business activity, in this case the money deposited in your bank account (including a certificate issued by your bank) will be considered as income; the amount of the deposit, taking into account the duration of the one-year work residence permit, should not be less than five times the monthly subsistence level of the average consumer in Georgia (917.5 GEL for the year 2020 - in total you should have 11,010 GEL in the account).
  • In addition, the company that hires you or your own company created in Georgia must have 50,000 GEL of turnover;
  • Finally, proof of payment of the service fee. The prices are as follows: 210 GEL - 30 working days, 330 GEL - 20 working days, 410 - 10 working days.

Student Residence Permit

If you are a student and are interested in pursuing your studies in Georgia, it will be a relatively easy task. The documentation to be submitted is as follows:

  • Application for study stay in Georgia;
  • Photograph, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • Copy of Visa or other document confirming your legal stay in Georgia;
  • Letter of admission issued by an authorized educational institution in Georgia (indicating the estimated duration of study);
  • Certificate of bank account ownership showing the amount of your deposit. This amount of money should not be less than twice the monthly subsistence level of the average consumer in Georgia (approximately 367 GEL per month - 4,404 GEL per year);
  • Proof of payment of the service fee. The prices are as follows: 210 GEL - 30 working days, 330 GEL - 20 working days, 410 - 10 working days.

Residence permit for family reunification

If you have already obtained Georgian citizenship, residence permit or have been granted stateless status in Georgia, you have the possibility to apply for family reunification. The following are considered as family members: spouse, children, parents and persons under the guardianship of the person concerned.

For family reunification you must present the following documentation:

  • Application for family reunification;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of your passport;
  • Copy of your Georgian residence card;
  • Family book or other document confirming family relationship or dependency of the interested parties.
  • Employment contract or other proof of legal income. In case you do not have an employment contract or other document, the amount of the bank deposit will be considered. This amount of money should not be less than twice the monthly subsistence level of the average consumer in Georgia (approximately 367 GEL per month - 4,404 GEL per year).
  • Proof of payment of the service fee. The prices are as follows: 210 GEL - 30 working days, 330 GEL - 20 working days, 410 - 10 working days.

Special residence permit

This residence permit is granted to foreigners who have the status of a victim of human trafficking and to a person about whom there is a reasonable suspicion that he or she may be a victim of a human trafficking crime.

A special residence permit is also issued to a foreigner for whom a member of the Georgian Government submitted a written initiative to issue a temporary residence permit in Georgia.

The following documentation must be submitted, depending on the circumstances of the applicant:

Presentation by the interested party:

  • Application for special residence permit;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;

Presentación por parte de un miembro del Gobierno de Georgia:

  • Application for special residence permit;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • A written letter from a member of the Government of Georgia stating the situation of the person concerned;
  • A copy of the document proving legal presence in Georgia;

Permanent residence permit

This type of residence is issued to the spouse, parents or children of a citizen of Georgia. A permanent residence permit is also issued to a foreigner who has lived in Georgia with a temporary residence permit for the last 6 years. This period does not include the period of residence in Georgia for the purpose of study or medical treatment and work in diplomatic missions and equivalent.

To obtain a permanent residence permit, the following documents must be submitted:

Application for permanent residency for the spouse, parents or children of a citizen of Georgia

  • Application for permanent residence permit;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • A copy of the document proving legal presence in Georgia;
  • Documentation proving kinship with the Georgian citizen (Family Book, Birth Certificate…).

Application for permanent residence for citizens who have lived continuously in Georgia for more than 6 years.

  • Solicitud del permiso de residencia permanente;
  • Fotografías, tamaño ¾;
  • Copia del pasaporte;
  • Copia de la tarjeta de residencia temporal;
  • Contrato de trabajo u otro comprobante de ingresos legales. En el caso de no disponer de un contrato de trabajo u otro documento, se considerará la cantidad del depósito bancario.

In both cases, proof of payment of the service fee must be provided. Prices are as follows: 180 GEL - 30 working days and 300 GEL - 20 days.

Residence permit for investment activity

Investment residence permit is granted to those persons and their family members who have invested at least 300,000 USD equivalent in GEL. Persons who own real estate worth at least 300,000 USD equivalent in GEL (except agricultural land) are also eligible to apply for a residence permit for investment.

The following are considered family members: spouse, children, parents and persons under the guardianship of the interested party.

To obtain a residence permit for investment, a foreigner must present the following documents:

  • Application for permanent residence permit;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • A copy of the document confirming legal presence in Georgia;
  • Document confirming the investment of at least 300,000 USD in Georgia (e.g. Financial Statement Audit Report issued by an Independent Auditor).
  • In case of owning real estate, the Certificate of Real Estate Registration must be submitted. Also an appraisal of the real estate by an appraiser of the National Accreditation Agency of Georgia must be submitted.
  • Letter of recommendation from a member of the Government of Georgia or from 3 Georgian citizens doing business in Georgia;
  • Proof of payment of the fee. The prices are as follows: 210 GEL - 30 working days, 330 GEL - 20 working days, 410 - 10 working days.

In the case of receiving the residence permit due to the investment made through a business activity, during the following 5 years, the annual turnover of the company must be submitted. In addition, this turnover must reach the following amounts:

- During the first year: at least 50,000 USD equivalent in GEL;

- Second year: at least 100,000 USD equivalent in GEL;

- Third, fourth and fifth year: at least 120,000 USD equivalent in GEL;

With respect to obtaining residency by investment in real estate, you must keep that real estate in possession for the following 5 years.

Short-term residence permit

The short-term residence permit is granted to those persons who own real estate worth at least 100,000 USD equivalent in GEL. This permit is also extended to the family members of the person concerned. The documentation to be submitted is as follows:

  • Application for permanent residence permit;
  • Photographs, ¾ size;
  • Copy of passport;
  • A copy of the document proving legal presence in Georgia;
  • Certificate from the Land Registry that is in possession of the interested party. The appraisal of the property by the competent body must also be submitted.
  • Proof of payment of the fee. The prices are as follows: 210 GEL - 30 working days, 330 GEL - 20 working days, 410 - 10 working days.

In short, as I have mentioned, it is easy to obtain one of these residence permits in Georgia which gives the residence and work authorization to the interested party. Likewise, a foreigner who resides legally in Georgia and has one of the existing types of residence permits, can obtain another permit, provided that he/she meets all the requirements.

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