The property threshold over time
The most watched number in Georgia's residence rules is the property value a residence permit requires. It has been raised twice in seven years, and each rise applied to new applicants while earlier holders kept their rights under the old rules. The chart shows the three levels; the table under it gives the same numbers with their dates and sources, so the chart is never the only record.
| Period | Property value threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Until 4 July 2019 | $35,000 | OC Media |
| 5 July 2019 to 28 February 2026 | $100,000 | OC Media; IMI Daily |
| From 1 March 2026 | $150,000 | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, Article 15(j); IMI Daily |
Every change, dated
This is the tracker itself: each change to the rules that decide whether a foreigner may stay, work or settle in Georgia, in date order, with the source we relied on. Primary legal texts come first where we could read them; where a change is reported by a law firm or news outlet before the official English text is available, the source says so.
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2015 | Government Ordinance No 255 sets the list of countries whose citizens may stay in Georgia without a visa for one full year. | Ordinance No 255, Legislative Herald of Georgia |
| 5 July 2019 | Property threshold for the short-term permit raised from $35,000 to $100,000; investment permit threshold raised from GEL 300,000 to $300,000 and the permit set at five years. | OC Media |
| 7 March 2025 | Consolidated Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship states ten years of lawful residence for general naturalisation; some secondary sources report five years from 2024, which our lawyer is reviewing. | Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship, Legislative Herald of Georgia |
| 1 September 2025 | New IT residence permit: three years, renewable in three-year periods up to twelve, for IT professionals with two years of experience and pay of at least $25,000 a year; it ends after 183 days of absence in any twelve months. | First Channel, 3 June 2025 |
| 1 January 2026 | Tourists entering Georgia must hold health and accident insurance; minimum coverage reported as GEL 30,000. | Law on Tourism, Article 12; Georgia Today |
| 1 March 2026 | Property threshold raised from $100,000 to $150,000; holders under the previous rules may keep renewing while they keep the property. | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, Article 15(j); IMI Daily; legal.ge |
| 1 March 2026 | Labour Migration Law amendments in force: most foreigners without permanent residence need the right to work before paid work or business activity; GEL 200 for a 30-day review, GEL 400 for ten working days. | First Channel, 23 February 2026; Andersen; Fragomen |
| 1 May 2026 | Enforcement of the right-to-work requirement begins for self-employed foreigners who were already active on 1 March 2026. | First Channel, 23 February 2026 |
| 25 June 2026 | Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons: its latest consolidated version, checked for this tracker. | Legislative Herald of Georgia |
| 1 January 2027 | Reported end of the transition period for registered labour migrants under the 2026 work rules. | Andersen |
The rules as they stand today
| Route | Requirement | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free stay | Citizen of a country on the Ordinance No 255 list | One year |
| Short-term permit by property | Non-agricultural property with an appraised market value above $150,000 | One year, renewable while the property is held |
| Investment residence permit | Investment of at least $300,000, or non-agricultural property worth more than $300,000 | Five years |
| IT residence permit | Two years of IT experience and pay of at least $25,000 a year | Three years, renewable up to twelve |
| Permanent residence | Among other grounds, ten years on temporary residence permits | Indefinite |
| Right to work | Required for most foreigners without permanent residence | Issued by the State Employment Promotion Agency |
The state fee for short-term and investment residence permits is GEL 300 for a decision within 30 days, GEL 450 within 20 days or GEL 600 within ten days, according to the Public Service Development Agency. The guide to a residence permit by property explains the documents and the procedure.
What the changes mean for buyers
Three patterns stand out from the tracker. First, thresholds rise in steps and apply to new applicants: in 2019 and again in 2026, people who already held permits under the earlier rules were allowed to continue renewing while they kept their property. A buyer who plans to rely on the property route should therefore look at the rules on the day of application, not the day of the purchase decision, and leave a margin above the threshold, because the valuation, not the price, decides.
Second, the direction of travel is towards more conditions, not fewer. The 2026 package added mandatory insurance for visitors and a right-to-work requirement for most foreigners, alongside the higher threshold. Living, working and owning property in Georgia are now more clearly separated in law than they were a few years ago, and each needs its own check.
Third, new routes appear as well as old ones tightening. The IT residence permit created a three-year option for tech professionals that does not depend on owning property. For some buyers it will be a better basis for living in Georgia than a property-based permit, which ends if the property is sold.
For anyone planning a purchase partly for residence, the practical rule is simple: decide which permit you will apply for, check its current conditions on this page and with a lawyer, and plan the purchase so that it still works if the rules change again before your next renewal.
Methodology
What we track. Changes to the rules that decide whether a foreigner may enter, stay, work or settle in Georgia: visa-free entry, residence permits and their thresholds, permanent residence, the right to work, mandatory insurance for visitors, and the citizenship rules that follow from long residence.
Sources. We read the consolidated English texts on the Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge) and the pages of the responsible agencies first. Where a change is announced before the official English text is updated, we record it from law firms (Andersen, Fragomen, Eurofast, legal.ge) or news outlets (First Channel, OC Media, Georgia Today, IMI Daily), name the source, and replace it with the primary text when it appears. Every row in the downloadable file carries its source and the date we accessed it.
Frequency. We check the sources monthly and whenever a change is announced. The next scheduled check is shown at the top of the page; every update is dated in the change log below.
Limits. English translations on the Legislative Herald can lag behind the Georgian originals, secondary sources sometimes disagree, and implementing rules are often set by government ordinances that are published separately. Where sources conflict, as on the naturalisation period, we say so rather than choose. This tracker is general information under review by our partner lawyer, not legal advice for an individual case.
How to use this tracker
- Before buying for residence: check the property threshold and the valuation rule, and leave a margin.
- Before renewing: check whether anything has changed since your last permit, including transitional rules for earlier holders.
- Before working: check whether your status requires the right to work, and apply before you start.
- Before travelling: check the visa-free list and the insurance requirement for visitors.
- When in doubt: download the data, follow the source link for the change that matters to you, and confirm it with a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the property threshold for a residence permit in Georgia now?
Since 1 March 2026, non-agricultural property with an appraised market value above $150,000 supports a one-year short-term residence permit. The threshold was $100,000 from 5 July 2019 and $35,000 before that.
What happens to people who qualified at $100,000?
Holders who qualified under the previous rules may continue to renew while they keep the qualifying property, as reported by the law firms covering the 2026 change.
Do I need a work permit if I live in Georgia?
Since 1 March 2026, most foreigners without permanent residence need the right to work before paid work or business activity. The State Employment Promotion Agency issues it for GEL 200 in 30 days or GEL 400 in ten working days.
Is insurance required to enter Georgia?
Since 1 January 2026, tourists entering Georgia must hold health and accident insurance under the Law on Tourism, with minimum coverage reported as GEL 30,000.
What is the IT residence permit?
A three-year permit in force since 1 September 2025 for IT professionals with two years of experience and pay of at least $25,000 a year, renewable in three-year periods up to twelve years.
How often is this tracker updated?
We check the sources monthly and whenever a change is announced. Each update is dated in the change log, and the data file carries the source and access date of every row.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Government Ordinance No 255 on visa-free entry, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Organic Law of Georgia on Georgian Citizenship, consolidated 7 March 2025, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Tourism (Article 12), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Residence permits, Public Service Development Agency (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Georgia toughens residency permit requirements, OC Media (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Georgia to hike property-based investor visa to $150,000 next month, IMI Daily (accessed 10 October 2026)
- Georgia raises real estate investment bar for residence permits by 50%, legal.ge (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Georgia introduces new residence permits for IT workers, First Channel, 3 June 2025 (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Health Ministry clarifies new procedure for granting work rights to foreign nationals, First Channel, 23 February 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Work permits in Georgia, Andersen in Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- New work permit rules in Georgia, Fragomen (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Mandatory health insurance for tourists entering Georgia, Eurofast, 3 February 2026 (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Mandatory health insurance for visitors, Georgia Today, 16 December 2025 (accessed 12 October 2026)
Change log
- - Tracker published with ten dated entries from 2015 to 2027, sourced from the Legislative Herald of Georgia, the Public Service Development Agency, law firms and news reports; under review by the partner lawyer.