How to Emigrate to Georgia

In order to emigrate to Georgia, interested persons need to follow a number of steps. While not all foreign nationals are required to obtain a visa prior to entering the country on a regular basis, this changes even for exempted countries when a foreign citizen wishes to stay more than one year in Georgia. Read below how to emigrate to the country and about the main types of residence permits available to foreign nationals.

Options for Tbilisi immigration

The main condition for those who wish to emigrate to the country is to obtain and maintain a valid residence permit and residence card during their prolonged stay in the country. The application for the chosen category of residence permit is made in person with the Public Service Development Agency and it is accompanied by the documents relevant to the chosen type of permit.

The following types of residence permits are available:

1. Work residence permit: for those who wish to emigrate and have taken up employment with a Georgian company, as well as freelancers or entrepreneurs;
2. Study residence permit: for foreign nationals who have been accepted to a University or another recognized educational institution;
3. Family reunification residence permit: for those individuals who are interested in Tbilisi immigration because they have a family member who is already a resident in Georgia;
4. Investment residence permit: for foreign nationals who have invested at least GEL 300,000 in real estate; other investment routes are possible.

Steps for moving to Georgia

Those who wish to emigrate to Georgia have to consider a number of important steps. The process will be unique to each new expat as it will concern one’s personal situation, whether or not a job is secured and whether or not the family is also joining. Below, we list some of the most important things to consider for those who move to Georgia:

• Work: employment is one of the main reasons why many foreign nationals choose to move to Georgia; in most cases, they enter into a work agreement or a business venture before they make their move permanent;
• Accommodation: looking for accommodation, namely renting or purchasing property can also take place before arriving in the country, unless other options are possible (such as temporarily living with a Georgian resident);
• Location: choosing where one will live in Georgia can influence existing employment or business opportunities; Tbilisi is a city of choice for many expats;
• Language: learning to speak Georgian is mandatory for those who wish to emigrate to Georgia; a language test is taken when applying for citizenship.

Of course, there are many other aspects to consider, and the ones listed above are simply four of the main ones. Expats who move to the country with their children will also want to find out more information about the education system, schools, or high schools near their location. For students, the Tbilisi State University or the Tbilisi State Medical University are popular choices for higher education.

Lawful relocation to Georgia is based not only on having a properly document and justified reason for acquiring residency in Georgia, but also on applying for a residence card. This is a document issued by the Public Services Development Agency and the foreign national shall apply for this within one month and no later than six months of receiving the residence permit.

Expat services in Georgia

Our team can help you understand the relocation requirements as well as handle the steps in order, so that you may comply with the current regulations and focus on Tbilisi immigration either alone or with your family.

We can help you prepare the needed documents and follow the submissions, in order, and as required by the authorities in the country, namely the Migration Commission. If you are already living in the country, our team can give you step-by-step details on how to apply for Georgia citizenship and what are the conditions that you should check before making this application.

One route to emigrate to Georgia can be through marriage and, in this case, the person who is married to a Georgian citizen is allowed to benefit from a simplified procedure to also obtain citizenship. In this case, the minimum number of years in the country uninterruptedly needs to be 2, instead of the 5 that are required for the ordinary procedure. Our team is able to tell you more if you are the spouse of a Georgian national.

Some of the statistical information according to GeoStat, the country’s National Statistics Office, reveals the following:

• area: 69.700 square miles;
• population: estimated at 3,716,900 thousand people in 2020;
• businesses: 709,729 registered entities in 2018;
• foreign direct investments in 2020 (provisional data for the third quarter) amounting to approximately 302.6 million $.

The decision to emigrate to a new country is an important one and, for those relocating here, applying for Georgian citizenship through the ordinary procedure will be an expected step. Those interested in acquiring this status should know that the ordinary and the simplified procedure can apply, the latter is applicable in those cases in which the applicant is married to a Georgian citizen.

Georgia has a lot to offer to expats, starting with its rich cultural heritage, increasing business and employment opportunities as well as beautiful scenery. If you would like to know more about how to move to this country, contact our Tbilisi immigration team that can help you.