The topic of residency through investment in Georgia tends to get oversimplified, and the most common mistake is treating three different routes as one. Here's how it actually works.
Important: this is the property's market valuation, not the price stated in the purchase agreement. And these are different statuses in weight, not just in price — buying real estate from $150,000 gets you short-term residency, not the five-year investment residency. The two get mixed up often in descriptions found online, and that's the first mistake worth avoiding.
Business investment — the obligation doesn't end at the initial outlay
A single initial contribution isn't enough to keep the status. Each year, you need to confirm your business turnover in Georgia with the Revenue Service: a minimum of $50,000 in the first year, $100,000 in the second, and $120,000 in each of the third, fourth, and fifth years. The requirement is turnover, not profit — but if it isn't confirmed, the permit lapses.
Real estate — what happens after the purchase
You need to retain title to the property that served as the basis for your status. Selling it can terminate the status. The law allows for a replacement — but only if, before losing title to the original property, you've already acquired title to another one of equal or greater market value, backed by a new valuation. A "sell now, find another one later" approach doesn't protect your status automatically.
After five years
Investment residency is granted for five years. After that, you apply separately for permanent residency — it's not an automatic renewal: for business investment, you need to confirm all five years of the required turnover; for real estate, five years of holding a qualifying property, accounting for the replacement rules.
Documents and timelines
Applications can be filed in person, through an authorized representative, or electronically, generally in Georgian (a passport with Latin-script personal data doesn't need translation). The standard package: an application, passport, proof of legal stay, the auditor's report or title and valuation documents, a written recommendation from a member of the Georgian government or from three Georgian citizens authorized to represent a company operating in the country, a photo, and proof of payment.
Review timelines and fees: 30 days — GEL 300; 20 days — GEL 450; 10 days — GEL 600. Once the permit is issued, you still need to obtain a residence card and register your address.
I don't handle residency applications myself — that's the work of a certified auditor or appraiser and a specialized lawyer. My role here is the same as everywhere else on this page: to show how this actually works before you decide which path to take.
