Who in your family can live in Georgia on your property?
The property route was written with families in mind. In Article 15(j), the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons extends the short-term residence permit to the owner and, in the same sentence, to the owner's spouse and child or children. One property above $150,000 can therefore carry a household: the owner, the person they are married to and their children, each with a permit of their own.
What the sentence does not mention is just as important. It does not name parents, brothers and sisters, grandchildren or an unmarried partner. Those relatives are not shut out of Georgia, but they need a ground of their own, and choosing the right one before the move saves a refused application. This page goes through each family member in turn, then the documents, the order of applications, the cost for a whole family and the situations in which a family member's permit ends.
Which relatives are covered, and on which ground?
| Relative | Covered by your short-term permit? | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Your spouse | Yes | Article 15(j) names the spouse. Proof is a marriage certificate. |
| Your minor child | Yes | Article 15(j) names the child or children; the application is made by the child's representative. |
| Your adult child | Ask the lawyer first | Article 15(j) says "child/children" without the word "minor", while the law's general definition of a family member speaks of minor children. How an adult child is treated is not settled by the text alone. |
| Your parents | No | They are not named in Article 15(j), and the law's definition of a family member does not include the parent of an adult. They need their own ground. |
| An unmarried partner | No | The law speaks of a spouse. A partner without a marriage needs a separate ground. |
| Brothers, sisters, grandchildren | No | Not named; each needs a ground of their own. |
The investment residence permit, for property above $300,000 or an investment of at least $300,000, draws the family more widely. Article 15(h) covers the spouse, a minor child, a fully dependent beneficiary of support or disabled person, and a fully dependent person recognised as legally incompetent. If your household includes an adult relative who depends on you, compare the two routes before you buy; our investment residence permit guide sets out the conditions.
What does the law mean by "family member"?
Article 2 of the law defines a family member, for the purposes of the law as a whole, as a spouse and a minor child of an alien, or a fully dependent minor, beneficiary of support or disabled person and persons under the alien's guardianship or custody, and a parent of a minor alien. The definition is used, among other places, for the family reunification permit under Article 15(c), which is issued to family members of an alien who holds a residence permit.
Two practical points follow. First, "parent of a minor alien" means the parent of a child who is the foreigner, not the parent of an adult owner; it does not open a door for an owner's own mother or father. Second, family reunification is a separate permit with its own conditions. The agency's list for it includes proof of income, in the form of a document showing monthly income of at least double the subsistence minimum, or bank funds of that amount. It is a route for some relatives of permit holders, but it is not an extension of the property permit and it has its own documents and its own decision.
What can your parents do instead?
Parents who want to spend long periods in Georgia have three realistic paths, and the right one depends on their nationality, their means and how long they plan to stay.
- The visa-free year. Nationals of the countries on Georgia's visa-free list (among them the USA, the UK, the EU states, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) can remain for a full year after they enter. For many families this covers long visits without any permit.
- A property of their own. A parent who owns non-agricultural property in Georgia above $150,000 qualifies for the short-term permit in their own right. A family can register a property in a parent's name for exactly this reason.
- Another ground in the law. The law lists other grounds, from work to special cases. Which one fits a retired parent is a question for the lawyer, with the parent's documents in hand.
What documents does each family member need?
The agency publishes a separate list for the spouse and children of a short-term permit holder. Every family member submits a separate application, made up of: the completed form; a copy of the travel document; a copy of whatever document proves their lawful stay in Georgia; a copy of the owner's residence permit; proof of kinship; an electronic colour photograph sized 3 by 4; and evidence of the fee payment. The full checklist, with notes on each item, is in our documents checklist.
Proof of kinship can be a birth, marriage, paternity or adoption certificate, or a document on the appointment of a guardian or custodian, according to the procedure order. A certificate from another country has to carry an apostille or be legalised, and then be translated into Georgian by a certified translator. For a child, one parent can file without the other's consent for this permit; if someone files for the child under a power of attorney, the consent of both parents is needed.
In what order should the family apply?
Because each family member's list includes a copy of the owner's residence permit, the owner applies first and the family follows once the owner's permit is granted. That order has a cost in time, and the time has to fit inside everyone's lawful stay. A family that entered Georgia together on visa-free entry runs on one clock, and the procedure order asks for applications at least 40 calendar days before lawful stay ends. Plan the owner's application early enough that the family's applications, filed after the owner's decision, still meet that line.
Owner applies
With the property documents and the valuation. The fastest speed shortens the wait before the family can file.
Family documents prepared in parallel
Marriage and birth certificates apostilled or legalised and translated while the owner's application is pending.
Family members apply
Each with a copy of the owner's new permit and their own fee.
What does it cost for a family of four?
Take an owner, a spouse and two children, all applying at the standard speed. The agency's fee of GEL 300 applies to each application, so the family pays GEL 1,200 in state fees, about $457 at the official rate of 2.624 lari per dollar. At the fastest speed, GEL 600 each, it is GEL 2,400, about $915. These are the agency's fees only. Translations, apostilles, the valuation and any legal help are paid separately to whoever provides them, and the valuation is needed only once, for the owner's property.
When does a family member's permit end?
A family member's permit stands on the owner's. When the owner's ownership of the property ends, the short-term permit ends under Article 21(11), and the permits that rest on it lose their ground too. A divorce raises the same kind of question for a spouse, because the ground is the marriage to the owner; that question belongs with the lawyer before any change is made. For children, the moment to check is a birthday: before a child turns 18, ask how the change affects the next renewal.
Risks and exceptions
- Assuming parents are included. They are not named in Article 15(j); plan their stay on a ground of their own.
- Filing the family before the owner. The family's list needs a copy of the owner's permit.
- Running out of lawful stay. Two rounds of applications take time; start early enough for both.
- Names that do not match. A child's name spelled differently in a passport and a birth certificate can stop a family file.
- Changes in the family or the property. A sale, a divorce or a child's 18th birthday can change the ground; check before, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Can my spouse be the owner and I the family member?
Yes. The permit follows whoever holds the property right; the other spouse applies as the owner's spouse.
Does a child born in Georgia need proof of lawful stay?
The procedure order exempts a foreign child under 6 months old who was born in Georgia from submitting proof of lawful stay, if the child has not left Georgia before the application.
Can my children go to school on these permits?
The permit gives the right to live in Georgia. Enrolment is decided by the school, which sets its own documents and conditions.
Do family members need their own valuation?
No. The valuation concerns the owner's property and is filed once, with the owner's application.
Can a family member work on this permit?
Holding a residence permit does not by itself entitle you to work. Since 1 March 2026 most foreigners need a right-to-work permit before paid work.
Is a religious marriage enough?
The agency needs proof of the marriage in a form it can accept, legalised and translated where it was registered abroad. Whether a particular marriage document qualifies is a question to settle with the lawyer before filing.
Each family member's permit is renewed with the owner's; see annual renewal. The full route is in the complete guide to the residence permit by property.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (Articles 2, 15 and 21), consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Migration and residence permits: short-term, investment and family reunification permits, Public Service Development Agency (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 520 on the procedures for residence permits (Articles 3 and 4), consolidated 26 August 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Government Ordinance No 255 on visa-free entry, consolidated 24 February 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Lari strengthens in July too, GBC, 4 August 2026, citing official rates of the National Bank of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
Change log
- - Explainer published from Articles 2 and 15 of the law, the agency's family document lists and Resolution No 520; being reviewed by the partner lawyer.