Residence Permit by Property in Georgia 2026: the $150,000 Threshold, Steps and Costs

A foreigner who owns non-agricultural real estate in Georgia can apply for a residence permit. Since 1 March 2026 the required value is more than $150,000 (it was $100,000 before). The value is set by an accredited appraiser, not by the price written in the contract.

Three routes by value

• More than $150,000: a short-term residence permit, renewed for 1 year at a time. A spouse and children receive permits on the same property.
• More than $300,000: an investment residence permit (5-year term).
• Indefinite residence: if you keep the property for 5 years after the investment permit, you can apply for indefinite residence before the 5-year term ends; you need a Public Registry certificate of 5 years' ownership.

Below these thresholds a property gives no permit, but nothing stops you from buying it: a foreigner can buy an apartment with just a passport, see the guide for foreigners.

Steps

1. Pick non-agricultural property and check the land category on the registry extract (how). A house yard can be registered as agricultural land, and such property does not count.
2. Register ownership in the Public Registry. The application needs a title document, so an off-plan flat whose ownership is not yet registered will not work.
3. Get a market-value report from an accredited appraiser.
4. File with the Public Service Development Agency: application form, passport copy, proof of lawful stay in Georgia, title document, valuation report, a 3×4 photo and the fee receipt.
5. File at least 40 calendar days before your lawful stay expires.

What it costs

• Agency fee: ₾300 (30 days), ₾450 (20 days) or ₾600 (10 days). Family members pay the same tariff.
• Property registration: ₾150, ₾270 or ₾350 depending on speed; transfer tax is 0%. The full purchase budget is in the purchase-costs calculator.
• Appraiser: sets their own fee, so ask for a quote before you buy.

In numbers: price and value are different things

Illustrative example: you buy a flat for $155,000 and the appraiser sets market value at $148,000. That is below $150,000, so you have no basis for a permit even though the contract says $155,000. Buy with a margin above the threshold, or ask an appraiser before you buy. The figures illustrate the rule; they are not a real valuation.

Common mistakes

• Treating the contract price as the value; the appraiser's report is what counts.
• Buying a flat whose ownership is not yet registered (preliminary contract only).
• Buying agricultural land: foreigners are barred from it by law and it gives no basis for a permit.
• Selling the property: the permit ends when ownership ends.
• Relying on the old $100,000 rule: the threshold for new applicants is $150,000. For renewing an existing permit, confirm with the agency.

Properties above the threshold on sivrce

One price is not enough, but start here: apartments in Tbilisi from $200,000 and apartments in Batumi from $200,000. The $100,000–$200,000 band straddles the threshold (Tbilisi, Batumi), so check each listing separately. Use the price valuation to sanity-check a price and the new-build catalog for developments: ownership only exists after handover and registration.

Sources

Verified 2026-10-09.

• Public Service Development Agency: residence permits — thresholds, documents, fees, deadlines.
• Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (Matsne) — legal basis.
• Public Registry (NAPR) — extracts and registration tariffs.
• The date of the 1 March change comes from law-firm summaries; the official page shows the current threshold. This text is information, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the agency or a lawyer before you decide.