Residence permit

What residence gives you

A residence permit means you live in Georgia lawfully, without counting a visa or a visa-free period.

With it you receive a card and a personal number, by which banks, schools, clinics and state portals recognise you.

Our role

The ground and the document list are confirmed by a licensed lawyer, and the decision is made by the state authority.

We gather the documents, arrange translations, go with you to the House of Justice and explain every notice from the authority in your language.

Who needs it

If the visa-free period is enough for you, residence may not be mandatory.

But for a long stay it makes many things easier: an account, a lease, a child's school.

Citizens of some countries, though, have a short permitted period, and residence is the only lawful route.

Choosing the ground

There should be one ground, and it should be real. Several weak grounds do not replace one strong one.

We start from what you already have: work, family, property, a company.

If the ground does not yet exist, we plan what needs to be set up before the application and by when.

The work ground

Work residence needs an employment contract with a Georgian employer.

The employer also submits documents, and its registration and activity are checked.

The contract and salary must be genuine - a contract on paper only causes problems at renewal.

Preparing the employer

If an employer is hiring a foreigner for the first time, they often do not know which documents are needed.

We send them a short list in Georgian and help with their accountant, so that the salary and declaration are shown correctly.

The employer's pack and your pack have to be ready at the same time.

Family reunification

A family member receives residence in relation to a person who already holds residence or Georgian citizenship.

The relationship is proven by a document: a marriage or birth certificate, with apostille and translation.

A family member's residence often follows the term of the main person's residence.

The marriage certificate

A marriage certificate issued abroad often needs an apostille and a notarised Georgian translation.

If the marriage was registered in Georgia, the Georgian certificate can be used directly.

A marriage not recognised under Georgian law may not count for this ground. The lawyer checks this in advance.

The property ground

Property above the value set by law can be a ground for residence.

The property must be in your name in the registry, and its value must be proven by a document.

Sometimes the value of several properties is counted together, sometimes not. We check this against the current rule.

Valuing the property

To prove the value, a valuation report from a recognised valuer is often needed.

The price in the contract is not always enough, especially for an older purchase.

We order the valuation before the application, so that property close to the threshold is checked in time.

The business ground

A company that is merely registered is, as a rule, not enough for residence.

The authority often checks turnover, declarations and signs of real activity.

If the company is new, residence on another ground is often better in the first year, with a switch to business later.

The study ground

A student enrolled at an accredited Georgian institution receives study residence.

An enrolment letter is needed and, sometimes, proof that tuition has been paid.

The residence term is tied to the period of study, and a break or expulsion changes it.

Permanent residence

You can apply for permanent residence after several years of lawful temporary residence, or earlier in some family cases.

The authority checks whether you actually lived in Georgia during that time.

Permanent residence spares you the yearly stress of renewal, and it is often the most valuable step.

The document list

Every ground needs a passport, its notarised translation, a photo and the application.

Then come the documents for the ground: a contract, a certificate, an extract, financial statements.

We send you the list for your ground in writing, with a note next to each document on where and how to get it.

Passport validity

The passport should be valid for the whole term of residence requested, or in some cases this creates a problem.

If your passport is expiring soon, it is better to get a new one first and then apply.

After a new passport every translation has to be redone, so planning ahead saves time and money.

The photo

The photo is often taken on the spot at the House of Justice when you apply.

A big change in appearance compared with the passport photo sometimes raises extra questions.

It is a small detail, but we always remind you before the visit.

Your address in Georgia

In the application you give the address where you live, and sometimes a document proving it is requested.

A lease or a property extract closes this question most easily.

If you live in a hotel or a short-term rental, we plan in advance which address to give.

Sufficient means

For some grounds the authority may ask how you support yourself in Georgia.

A bank statement, a salary certificate or another income document shows this.

If your income comes from abroad, we prepare the statement with a translation and a clear explanation.

Criminal record and residence

For some grounds, or for permanent residence, a criminal record certificate may be required.

A foreign certificate needs an apostille and a translation, and it often has a short validity.

If there is anything in the past, we tell the lawyer in advance - hiding it is the worst route.

Submitting the application

The application is submitted in person at the House of Justice. The operator checks the documents and scans them.

If you do not speak Georgian, an interpreter or someone going with you speeds the visit up considerably.

After applying you receive a receipt with a number that is used to check the status.

Review period

The review has a period set by law, and sometimes an expedited review is possible for an additional fee.

During the review you can often leave the country, but if an extra document is requested a timely reply matters.

We keep track of the status and tell you about every change.

A request for an extra document

Often, instead of refusing, the authority first asks for an extra document, with a deadline.

That deadline is short, and missing it is the most common reason for a refusal.

We translate the request the same day and prepare the reply.

Notifications

The authority often notifies you of decisions and requests electronically or by phone, in Georgian.

A short Georgian message is easy to miss, or to take for advertising.

So with your consent we often add our details as a contact in the application too.

Collecting the card

After a positive decision the residence card is issued at the House of Justice.

The card shows its expiry date and your personal number. Give this number to your bank and other services straight away.

The card does not replace your passport: when you travel you need both.

After the card

Once you have the card, the new personal number should go to your bank, employer and accountant.

At some services - a clinic, a school, utilities - account details are updated too.

We go through this list in one day, so that the new status shows everywhere at once.

Reasons for refusal

The most common reasons: a missing or expired document, a weak ground, inaccurate information.

Sometimes a refusal is made on security grounds, and in that case a detailed reason may not be given.

Inaccurate information is the most dangerous, because it also harms later applications.

After a refusal

First we read the reason and decide: a new application, a different ground or an appeal.

An appeal has a strict deadline, and a lawyer prepares it.

After a refusal the visa-free period usually keeps running, so we count the dates at once.

Children's residence

A child often receives residence in relation to a parent, on the ground of family reunification.

A birth certificate is needed and, if only one parent lives in Georgia, sometimes the other parent's consent.

We plan the child's application together with the parent's, so that the terms match.

The family together

When a whole family moves, the main person's application goes in first, then the family members'.

Sometimes the applications can go in at the same time, if the main ground is already confirmed.

We set the order so that nobody is left at the end of their visa-free period.

Changing the ground

If a job ends or a marriage ends, the ground for residence disappears too.

In that case an application on a new ground has to be submitted, often with new documents.

The sooner we know about the change, the more calmly we can move to a new ground.

Renewal

An application to renew temporary residence is submitted before it expires.

On renewal it is checked that the ground still exists and the conditions are met.

We write to you several months before the expiry date, so that the documents are prepared in time.

Long absences

A residence holder can leave the country and come back.

But a long absence may affect the conditions for permanent residence or citizenship, which take actual residence into account.

If you are planning a long trip, we first check how it will affect your plans.

A lost card

If the card is lost, a duplicate is issued on application at the House of Justice.

If the card was stolen, it is best to go to the police first and get a report.

Until you receive the duplicate, keep your passport and the application receipt with you.

Changes to your details

With a new passport, surname or other change of details, your residence details must be updated too.

The update needs a notarised translation of the new document.

We do this straight away, so that your details match at the bank and at the border.

Residence and work

Some types of residence do not in themselves give the right to work for any employer.

If you are planning to change employer, we first check whether your residence needs to change.

Working remotely for a foreign client is often a separate question and is discussed with the accountant.

Residence and the bank

With a residence card a bank often opens an account more easily and offers more services.

When the card expires, the bank may restrict the account until you present a new card.

After renewal we give the new card to the bank straight away.

Residence and tax

Residence does not in itself make you a tax resident, and the other way round.

Tax residency depends mainly on the number of days spent in the country.

We plan both statuses together, with the accountant.

Document validity

Some certificates and extracts have a limited validity on the day of application.

An old certificate can get an application sent back, even if everything else is correct.

So we obtain documents with a validity limit last, a few days before the application.

Translation quality

In a translation, names, dates and numbers must match the original exactly.

One wrong digit makes a document effectively useless.

We check the translation twice before it is certified by the notary.

Fees

The application fee is set by the state and depends on the review period.

The fee is usually not refunded if the application is refused.

So we check the pack in full before applying, so that you do not pay the fee for nothing.

Preparing from afar

Much of the preparation can be done before you arrive: apostilles, translations, certificates.

The application is still submitted in person, so we plan your arrival for when everything is ready.

That way often only a few days pass between arriving and applying.

Common mistakes

Applying in the last days of the visa-free period. A document without an apostille. An expired certificate.

A contract on paper only that cannot be supported at renewal.

A late reply to a request for an extra document.

What we need from you

A copy of your passport, your date of entry and the purpose you need residence for.

The documents for your ground that you already have, and who is in your family.

When you can go to the House of Justice and in which language you want support.

Price

The state fee is official and is paid directly.

Translation, the notary, a valuation and the lawyer are separate lines.

Our coordination is agreed in advance, and we add nothing to our partners' prices.