Georgia's investor permit: $300,000, your family, five years
Put the money into a Georgian company or own property worth more than that, and you also skip the work permit Georgia added in 2026.
A U.S. passport already gets you up to 365 days in Georgia with no visa. This permit is for staying on with your capital in the country, and it's the only Georgian permit that can turn into permanent residence after five years.
The two routes
Show $300,000 one of two ways
Through a Georgian company
Invest at least $300,000 under Georgia's investment law and prove it with an audit report. Then the business has to grow every year.
Through property
Own non-agricultural real estate that a certified assessor values above $300,000. No turnover test; you just keep it.
The amount is set in dollars and paid in the lari equivalent. On a pension or a remote salary? The 365-day visa-free stay usually fits better.
$300,000
Minimum investment
company or property
5 years
Permit term
then permanent
$115
Government fee
GEL 300, decision by day 30
30 days
Legal review limit
from a complete file
Keeping it
The company route comes with yearly targets
Your business has to show turnover of at least $50,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and $120,000 in each of years three to five. Skip the report or miss the first-year number and the permit ends. Hit all five and your family qualifies for permanent residence.
The property route is simpler: keep the property for five years after the permit is issued. Sell it and the permit ends.
The good news is that investment permit holders are exempt from the right-to-work approval Georgia introduced in March 2026. A smaller business without the $300,000 goes through a work residence permit instead, and that now needs the approval first (GEL 200, about $75, on the standard track).
Under $300,000? The $150,000 property permit
Own non-agricultural property worth more than $150,000 and you can get a one-year permit, renewed a year at a time while you own it. The bar rose from $100,000 on March 1, 2026. There's no five-year shortcut here: permanent residence comes after 10 years on temporary permits.
Step by step
Applying, in order
Georgia's law gives the agency 30 days once your file is complete. Prices below use the late September 2026 exchange rate.
- Arrive on your U.S. passport. Since January 2026, visitors need health insurance with at least GEL 30,000 of coverage (about $11,500) to enter.
- Make the investment. For a company, get an audit report confirming it. For property, register it and get a recent valuation from a certified assessor.
- Ask your lawyer about a recommendation letter. Georgia's procedures rules still list one, from a government member or three Georgian business representatives.
- File at a Public Service Hall. The fee is GEL 300 (about $115) for a decision by day 30, GEL 450 (about $175) by day 20 or GEL 600 (about $230) by day 10.
- On the company route, report turnover every year.
Looking past year five
Permanent residence
An unlimited permit once you've met the turnover targets or kept the property for five years. The standard fee is GEL 500 (about $190).
Citizenship
Takes 10 consecutive years of lawful residence plus Georgian language, history and law. Regular naturalization requires renouncing your U.S. citizenship.
Georgian tax
You're a tax resident after 183 days in any 12-month period. The rate is a flat 20%, and residents don't pay Georgian tax on foreign-source income.
U.S. tax
You still file a U.S. return every year. For 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900.
Partners who can help with the move
Plan-B Outbound Migration
Multi-Country Visa Support
Visa and relocation support across several countries, useful if Georgia is one of a few places you're weighing.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
Coaches you on how you'll get medical care abroad, so healthcare is sorted before you pick where to live.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Sets up international health insurance policies for people living outside the U.S.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Prepares the U.S. federal returns and foreign account filings Americans owe while living abroad.
Moneycorp
Currency Exchange
Handles currency exchange and international transfers out of U.S. dollars.
Flamingo Compliance | Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
Tax Residency and Visa Tracker Platform
Tracks the days you spend in each country, so tax residency lines don't catch you off guard.
Georgia investment residence permit questions
Can I work in Georgia with an investment residence permit?
Yes. The right-to-work approval Georgia introduced on March 1, 2026 doesn't apply to investment residence permit holders, according to KPMG's April 2026 summary of the rules. Foreigners on most other permits who work locally or are self-employed need that approval.
Can my spouse and children get residence with me?
Yes. The permit covers your spouse, minor children and fully dependent family members. They qualify through your investment rather than making their own.
Will I pay Georgian tax as an investment permit holder?
Only if you become a tax resident, which happens after 183 days in Georgia in any 12-month period. Georgia charges a flat 20% on personal income and exempts residents' foreign-source income. As a U.S. citizen you still file a U.S. return every year.
How long does the Georgian investment permit take and what does it cost?
The law gives the agency up to 30 days once all documents are in. The government fee is GEL 300 (about $115 as of September 2026) for a decision by day 30, GEL 450 (about $175) by day 20, or GEL 600 (about $230) by day 10. Audit, valuation and legal fees come on top.
Do I have to live in Georgia full time to keep an investment permit?
No. Georgia's immigration law sets a 183-day absence limit for IT-sector and study permits, and we found no such rule for the investment permit. Spending 183 days or more in Georgia in any 12-month period does make you a Georgian tax resident.
How much do you need to invest for residency in Georgia?
The investment residence permit takes at least $300,000, either invested in Georgia under its investment law or held as non-agricultural property valued above $300,000. It runs for five years. Since March 1, 2026, property worth more than $150,000 gets a separate one-year permit that's renewed annually.
Does the Georgia investment residence permit lead to permanent residence?
Yes. After five years, company investors who showed turnover of $50,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and $120,000 in years three to five can get an unlimited permit. Property investors qualify by keeping the property for those five years. The standard fee for the permanent permit is GEL 500 (about $190 as of September 2026).
Can I become a Georgian citizen and keep my U.S. passport?
Usually not. Regular naturalization takes 10 consecutive years of lawful residence plus Georgian language, history and law, and it only takes effect once you've renounced your other citizenship. Dual citizenship is limited to citizenship granted by exception and a few other cases the law names.
Other ways to stay in Georgia
Your U.S. passport is good for 365 days in Georgia, as long as you're insured
No application and no visa fee. Since January 2026 you need health and accident coverage of at least 30,000 lari for every day you're there, and since March the rules on working got stricter.
Is $300,000 in Georgia the right move for you?
Talk it through with an Expatsi advisor before you commit the money.
Why not you?