Georgia

Georgia visa and residence permit guide

  • 14 visa types
  • checked 25 October 2026

How visas for Georgia work

Georgia runs one of the most open entry regimes in the region. A government decree lets citizens of a long list of countries enter without a visa and stay for up to one full year. Travellers from other countries need an ordinary (C) visa for short visits, which most can obtain online through the e-Visa Portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for USD 20, or at a Georgian embassy or consulate. Since 1 January 2026 every tourist, visa-free or not, must carry health and accident insurance with at least GEL 30,000 of cover for the whole stay.

Longer stays are built on two layers. Immigration (D) visas, issued by Georgian missions abroad, cover arrival for work (D1), missions and freelancing (D2), study (D3), family reunification (D4), property ownership (D5) and minors at school (D6). Inside Georgia, the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice issues residence permits at Public Service Halls: work, study, family reunification, investment, short-term (property), IT, spouse of a citizen, permanent and indefinite-stay permits, with fees of GEL 300 to GEL 1,000 depending on the type and how fast you want the decision.

Work rules changed on 1 March 2026. Under the amended Law on Labour Migration, foreigners without permanent residence who work for a local employer or run their own business must first obtain a right to work from the State Employment Support Agency through its electronic portal. Employees get it through the employer; self-employed people apply themselves. Foreigners who were already registered as working in Georgia on 1 March 2026 must hold the right to work and a matching residence permit by 1 January 2027.

Georgia also operates a national asylum procedure run by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A new Law on International Protection took effect on 1 October 2025 and introduced an admissibility stage and an accelerated track with shorter deadlines.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday, family visit or short business trip: check whether your passport is visa-free; if not, use the e-Visa or an ordinary C visa from a consulate.

Working for a Georgian employer: the employer obtains your right to work, then you get a D1 visa (if you need one) and a work residence permit. IT specialists earning at least USD 25,000 a year can use the IT residence permit instead.

Running your own business or freelancing in Georgia: obtain the right to work as a self-employed person, then a work residence permit.

Working remotely for a company outside Georgia: the C5 ordinary visa allows a one-year stay; visa-free nationals with a one-year allowance may not need it.

Buying property: a home worth more than USD 150,000 supports a short-term residence permit; investment or property above USD 300,000 supports a 5-year investment permit that can lead to indefinite residence.

Studying, joining family or marrying a Georgian citizen: use the study, family reunification or spouse permits; after 10 years of temporary residence (5 for spouses of citizens) you can ask for permanent residence.

Visa types for Georgia

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Visa-free stay and ordinary (C) visa for tourism and visits

    Citizens of countries on Georgia's visa-free list can visit for tourism, family or business for up to one year without a visa.

    Maximum stay: Visa-free list (Decree No. 255): up to 1 year. C visa holders: 90 days in any 180 days; single-entry visas up to 30 days.
  • Transit visa Transit visa (T category) and airside transit

    Stopover passengers who stay in the transit area of a Georgian airport, railway station or seaport need no visa if they can enter their destination and spend no more than 10 days in Georgia.

    Maximum stay: Up to 10 days for passage through Georgia

Business and self-employment

  • Self-employed and freelancer visa Right to work for self-employed aliens and work residence permit for entrepreneurial activity

    Foreigners who run their own business, act as individual entrepreneurs or work as independent contractors in Georgia must apply personally for a right to work as self-employed persons.

    Maximum stay: Permit first issued for 6 months to 1 year; extendable, up to 12 years in total.
  • Investor visa Investment residence permit (USD 300,000 investment or property)

    Georgia's investment residence permit, often called its golden visa, is issued for five years to a foreigner who invests at least USD 300,000 in Georgia or owns non-agricultural property worth more than USD 300,000, and to their family.

    Maximum stay: 5 years; may be extended in 3-year steps up to 12 years.

Study and training

  • Student visa D3 study visa and study residence permit

    Adults enrolled in a higher-education or vocational programme at an authorised Georgian institution can obtain a study residence permit, for GEL 300 to 600, if they show monthly income of at least twice the subsistence minimum.

    Maximum stay: Permit first issued for 6 months to 1 year; extendable while studies continue, up to 12 years.

Work

  • Digital nomad visa Ordinary visa category C5 (stay of up to one year while working for a non-resident person)

    Georgia has no separate digital nomad permit, but its aliens law created ordinary visa category C5 for people who come for tourism and work only for a non-resident person whose activity is outside Georgia.

    Maximum stay: Right to stay 1 year.
  • Work visa Right to work, D1 immigration visa and work residence permit

    Since 1 March 2026 a foreigner without permanent residence may work for a Georgian employer only after the employer obtains a right to work for that specific job from the State Employment Support Agency.

    Maximum stay: Permit first issued for 6 months to 1 year; extendable, up to 12 years in total.
  • Skilled worker visa Temporary residence permit for persons employed in information technology (IT residence permit)

    Georgia's IT residence permit is a three-year temporary permit for IT employees who hold a right to work, IT sole proprietors registered under specific activity codes, and managers of international IT companies, together with their families.

    Maximum stay: 3 years on first issue.

Family

  • Family reunification visa D4 family reunification visa and family reunification residence permit

    Family members of a foreigner who holds a Georgian residence permit can obtain a family reunification residence permit, provided there is monthly income of at least twice the subsistence minimum.

    Maximum stay: Permit first issued for 6 months to 1 year; extendable, up to 12 years in total.
  • Spouse and partner visa Residence permit for the spouse of a Georgian citizen

    A foreigner married to a Georgian citizen can obtain a dedicated residence permit, first for one year and then extended two years at a time up to five years.

    Maximum stay: 1 year, then 2-year extensions, 5 years in total.

Residence

  • Residence permit Short-term residence permit based on property ownership (and D5 visa)

    A foreigner who owns non-agricultural real estate in Georgia with a market value above USD 150,000 can obtain a short-term residence permit, renewed one year at a time while the property is owned.

    Maximum stay: Renewed one year at a time while the property is owned; temporary permits cap at 12 years.
  • Permanent residence Permanent residence permit and residence permit for indefinite stay

    Georgia grants a permanent residence permit to minor children and parents of minor Georgian citizens, to spouses who have spent five years on the spouse permit, and to foreigners who have lived in Georgia for the last ten years on temporary permits.

    Maximum stay: No time limit; issued with the right of permanent living.

Online travel permits

  • e-Visa Georgian e-Visa (ordinary short-stay visa issued online)

    Nationals who need a visa for Georgia can request a short-stay ordinary visa online on the e-Visa Portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Maximum stay: Shown for your nationality on the portal; e.g. 30 days per visit on a 120/30 visa, or 90 days in 180 days.

Asylum and international protection

  • Asylum and international protection International protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection)

    Georgia decides asylum claims itself through the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which grants refugee status or subsidiary protection.

    Processing time: Admissibility decision in about 10–15 days; accelerated procedure decision within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Who can visit Georgia without a visa?

Citizens of the countries listed in Government Decree No. 255 may enter visa-free and stay up to one year; you can check your nationality on the Entering Georgia page of geoconsul.gov.ge. Insurance with GEL 30,000 cover is mandatory for all tourists from 1 January 2026.

How much does a Georgian e-Visa cost?

USD 20 plus a 2% card service charge, and a separate USD 15 DuVerify identity check that the portal asks you to complete within 24 hours. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused or not used.

Can I work in Georgia while staying visa-free?

Not without a right to work. Since 1 March 2026 foreigners who work for a local employer or run a business in Georgia need a right to work from the State Employment Support Agency, unless they hold permanent residence or fall under a legal exemption such as an investment residence permit.

How much property do I need to buy for a Georgian residence permit?

Non-agricultural property with a market value above USD 150,000 (in GEL equivalent, valued by an accredited assessor) qualifies for a short-term residence permit renewed yearly. Property or investment above USD 300,000 qualifies for a 5-year investment residence permit.

Where do I apply for a residence permit in Georgia?

At a Public Service Hall or office of the Public Service Development Agency, or through its online services. You must be in Georgia lawfully when applying and should file at least 40 calendar days before your current lawful stay ends.

Is there a digital nomad visa in Georgia?

The law provides a C5 ordinary visa for people who come for tourism but work only for a non-resident person on activities outside Georgia; it gives a one-year stay and can be issued with up to five years of validity. Such work also falls outside the Law on Labour Migration.

Embassies and consulates

Last checked 25 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.