Georgian Residency by Investment

The Georgian residency by investment option is open without nationality limitations, however, a minimum investment amount is mandatory, as per the Law on Promotion and Guarantees of Investment. Investors who are interested in exploring available options in Georgia can obtain a residence permit that will allow them to remain in the country on the long term. We can provide needed assistance during the application process as well as oversee the response of the Georgian authorities and bring forward any other needed documents, as they may be required for the purpose of obtaining residence.

Quick Facts
Nationalities accepted (EU/Non-EU)	EU and non-EU
Business investment option (YES/NO)	Yes
Real estate investment option (YES/NO)	Yes
Other investment options (if available)	Entreprenuerial activity and real estate investments
Living requirement in Georgia (YES/NO)	No mandatory living requiements
Residence or direct citizenship option	The investment residence permit has indefinite term and citizenship is applied for via the naturalization route
Direct immigration with family members (YES/NO)	Yes
Family members allowed to join the program	Yes
Residence visa/citizenship processing time (approx.)	30 days
Additional financial requirements for family members (YES/NO)	No
Timeframe for obtaining citizenship/residency by investment	– residency by investment is awarded after the investment is made (subject to the processing time); – citizenship is granted after 10 years
Dual citizenship permitted (YES/NO)	In some cases
Reasons to choose Georgia	– low cost of living at European standards; – good business environment; – low taxes; – unique and beautiful places; – interesting history and culture; – Georgia’s economy is growing
Personal income tax rate	– 20% on employment income; – 5% or 20% on other types of income
Visa free travel to other countries (approx. number of countries)	> 100
Minimum business investment for residency by investment	300,000 USD equivalent in GEL
Minimum property value for obtaining residency by investment	300,000 USD equivalent in GEL
Documents needed for obtaining residency by investment in Georgia	– passport copy, – proof of lawful stay, – document proving the invested minimum amount, – written recommendation, – photograph, etc.
Annual turnover requirements for valid residency permit	– at least 50,000 USD in the first year, – at least 100,000 USD in the second year, – at least 120,000 USD in third year and further
Requirements for owners of properties	Individuals who choose to apply for Georgian residency through property purchase are required to maintain ownership of the property they purchased.
How to buy a property in Georgia	– verify the property’s background, – comply with ownership regulations, – consider mortgage if necessary, – sign required paperwork, – pay fees and taxes, – register your property
How to open a company in Georgia	– choose suitable business form, – appoint directors and shareholders, – prepare documentation, – register your business
Period of validity for the residence permit by investment	5 years
Obtaining Georgian citizenship through naturalization requirements	– having residency in Georgia for minimum 10 years; – demonstrating proficiency in the Georgian language and knowledge of its history; – possessing legal employment status or ownership of real estate; – engaging in entrepreneurial activities or having ownership stakes or shares in a Georgian company
Special cases of obtaining citizenship in Georgia	– citizens who have made an outstanding contribution to the country, – individuals that present a national interest for Georgia
Other types of residency permits in Georgia	– special residence permit, – study permit, – temporary residence permit, – permits for former citizens of Georgia, etc.
Restricted nationalities	None, although note that foreigners are not allowed to buy agricultural land in Georgia.
Can tourists apply for residency by investment permit?	No, if you visit the country via a tourist visa, you cannot apply for a residency by investment permit on that visa.
Rejected applications	If a foreigner’s application for a residence permit in Georgia is rejected, he/she can submit a new application on the same grounds, but must wait for at least one month after the initial rejection decision has been sent.
Assistance with obtaining residence permit in Georgia	Yes, we offer assistance in obtaining residency by investment in Georgia, as well as citizenship.

An investor in Georgia will first reside in the country, then apply for citizenship by naturalization. This is a fairly uncomplicated process and the applicant will have, by the time he or she wishes to become a citizen, acquired sufficient language and cultural knowledge to qualify. Our team can assist investors who have already been residing in the country and wish to apply for Georgian citizenship.

In this article, our agents highlight the main conditions to obtain a residence permit in Georgia for a confirmed investment and also present further information about residency in the country and the acquisition of citizenship.

Foreign nationals who are interested in more information about the available types of residence permits can reach out to us for details.

What are the conditions for obtaining residency by investment in Georgia?

The main criteria applicable according to the Law of Georgia on Promotion and Guarantees of Investment Activities are the following:

• there are no nationality restrictions: this type of permit is issued to an alien and their family members;
• the investment amount: according to law, the minimum investment is 300,000 USD equivalent in GEL;
• the ownership: an alternative is to purchase property in Georgia (except for agricultural land) that has been appraised for a value of over 300,000 USD equivalent in GEL;
• others: proof of investment or of ownership as well as additional documents are submitted with the authorities when applying for Georgian residency by investment.

Applicants should know that their documents and the ones for their family members (if applicable) are submitted separately. The individual who makes the investment will provide the following documents:

• travel document photocopy;
• proof of lawful stay in the country, for example a short-term visa, as may be applicable;
• document proving the minimum investment amount (an audit report made by a certified auditor for a company) or proof of ownership for a property valuated immovable property;
• a written recommendation issued by a Georgian government member or by three Georgian citizens who have the authority to represent a business based in the country;
• photograph according to the specified size;

The family members of an alien who applies for Georgian residency by investment will provide photocopies of their travel documents and of the document that allows them to stay lawfully in Georgia, the photocopy of their relative’s residence permit for investment purposes as well as proof of kinship to the holder of the investment residence document.

Please keep in mind that the conditions outlined above are only briefly described. In practice, the applicant will follow a process that starts with making the investment first, before submitting the documents for the permit for residency by investment in Georgia.

Our team can provide complete assistance during this process as well as information for those who are interested in a different residence permit in Georgia, for example, the one for employment.

You can also watch the following video for details:

What are the conditions applicable to an individual who has obtained the permit for residency by investment?

Apart from the initial conditions described above, several others apply once the investment is made.

Entrepreneurs who open a company in Georgia, and register it accordingly with the Public Service Hall, need to observe the annual turnover amounts during the validity of the investment residence permit:

• an annual turnover for the Georgian company of at least 50,000 USD (the equivalent in GEL) for the company’s first year;
• an annual turnover of at least 100,000 USD (the equivalent in GEL) for the second year;
• an annual turnover of at least 120,000 USD (the equivalent in GEL) for the third, fourth and fifth year.

Those who choose to apply for Georgian residency by investment through property purchase need to remain in possession of the said property (retain the title of ownership of the said immovable property).

Gaining Georgian citizenship by investment

The goal of some investors in Georgia who obtain a long-term residence permit for investment can ultimately be to apply for citizenship by naturalization.

Investors who have lawfully resided in Georgia under their investment permit for ten consecutive years can choose to apply for Georgian citizenship.

Several other conditions apply for naturalization, such as having knowledge of the Georgian language, Georgina law, and history and being able to show that they are still in the ownership of the immovable property, or the business in Georgia.

When the foreign national is married to a Georgian citizen, the minimum time spent in the country before being able to naturalize is shorter, only 5 years. The applicant needs to have lived in the country legally and uninterruptedly during this time.

It should be noted that the short-term residence permit for investments in immovable property of USD 100,000 grants the right of temporary residence for 6 years.

The residence permit for indefinite stay following investment is the one issued for those who make a USD 300,000 investment, to which the other minimum amounts for entrepreneurial activities apply.

With the indefinite residence permit, used by most investors who wish to obtain Georgian residency by investment, applying for citizenship will be simpler, given the fact that the residence permit already allows the holder to remain in the country.

In order to become naturalized as a Georgian citizen, the holder of a residence permit for an indefinite stay following investment will be subject to the mandatory conditions for language and history knowledge, along with the other applicable rules.

Investments in Georgia

As the two main investment routes for acquiring residency by investment in Georgia include opening a company and purchasing property, our team lists the main steps for both of these options below.

Please keep in mind that the information is only summarized herein. Our team can provide you with counsel and additional details, based on your particular investment goals.

When buying property, the foreign national needs to be over 18 years of age and present a valid passport.

There are no nationality restrictions and the foreign investor can own 100% of the property, except for agricultural land, which cannot be acquired by foreigners.

As with other property purchases, a real estate due diligence verification is advisable in all cases.

The process will uncover any liabilities, as well as provide the buyer with a transparent history of the property for purchase, its ownership history, tenancy history and others, along with technical and construction information.

Mortgage options are offered by the Bank of Georgia and other banks, however, it is advisable to discuss this option with our team, in the context of using the investment in real estate as a gateway for permanent residency in the country.

As far as company creation is concerned, foreign investors also enjoy full foreign ownership (can own 100% of the shares in the company, without the need for the participation of a Georgian citizen).

Entrepreneurs interested in opening a company in Georgia will follow the general steps below:

1. Choose the business form: the recognized types of business entities are the limited liability company, the joint-stock company the joint liability society, the limited partnership, and the cooperative;
2. Decide the company’s particulars: shareholder structure, appointing the director, choosing a registered office in Georgia for the company;
3. Prepare the documents: these are the constitutive documents for the legal entity when a corporation is the chosen business form; they include details on the type of company, its scope, shareholders, business activity classification code, and other data;
4. Register the business: business registration is mandatory with the official Business Registry operating under the National Agency of Public Registry.

According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, the number of registered entities according to ownership type was the following in July 2022:

• Private foreign person (fully owned): 48,621 total registered entities;
• Private foreign person (fully owned): 7,034 active entities.

Our agents can give you more details about the investment options.

Residency in Georgia can also be awarded for purposes other than investment-related ones. Examples include permits for work (including freelancing activities), study residence permits, special residence permits, for stateless persons, or those for family reunification. Each of the available residence permits is subject to certain conditions for the applicants.

Contact our team of agents who specialize in Georgian residency for more information on how to apply for residency by investment and other types of residence permits.