If you plan to stay in Georgia for more than 12 months, or you wish to obtain legal residency and benefit from its advantages, Georgia offers several types of residence permits. The most common options for expats include:
Work Residence Permit (for individuals with employment contracts or conducting business in Georgia)
Short-Term Residence Permit (based on property ownership)
Residence Permit for Family Reunification
This guide provides information on the types of residence permits that are flexible for expats, their requirements, and how to obtain them. If you are planning to move to Georgia or are already here and want to carry out freelance business activities, a work residence permit is a suitable option for you.
If you are a national of one of those countries that have a visa-free regime in Georgia, you do not need a separate visa or residence permit to carry out freelance activities or to set up a company in Georgia. Your visa waiver regime is considered a lawful stay in the country for residency purposes.
When applying for the residence visa/permit type it is required to select the type of visa depending on the motivation to live in Georgia.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of Georgian visa/residence process for non-visa free country citizens with all the available options according to each case, along with the detailed support offered by Relocate Now Georgia to ensure a smooth and successful journey.
Georgian residency for non-visa-free countries goes in steps as follows:
If you are a resident or you hold a visa of one of the visa-free countries, you can enter the territory of Georgia without requiring a visa and apply for the specific visa type that suits your goals at the Public Service Hall. The application can be filed online or onsite, and then all the papers should be printed out with the relevant documentation and submitted to the Public Service Hall.
If you are not in the territory of Georgia, you can apply online through the Georgian consulate website, make an appointment, or choose the service (e.g., postal delivery), print out the documents, sign them, and send them to the representative of Georgia/consulate in your country.
(Note: Sometimes the consulate requires in-person appointments, even if you see a postal option in the application. Our advice is to always double-check this information).
In order to obtain a work visa, you shall be employed in Georgia, or be a representative of a Georgian company or branch, or have completed freelance registration.
A work residency visa is issued with the right of multiple entries and is valid for 90 calendar days. You must submit the visa application no later than 45 days before your lawful stay in Georgia expires.
Once you obtain the relevant type of visa and if you are eligible for a Freelance Residence, you can submit your residency application. The residency permit application documents are similar for both visa-free and visa-required citizens.
You must submit your residency renewal application no later than 40 calendar days before your lawful stay in Georgia expires.
The current available residency visa/permit are as follows:
Work-related residence visa/permits
D1 category – to individuals arriving in Georgia to conduct labour activities; representatives and consultants of companies and firms who travel to Georgia to perform their official duties; foreigners entering Georgia to work under concluded contracts; individuals arriving in Georgia to carry out entrepreneurial activity (including - freelance activities) under the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs.
Other residence visas/permits
D2 category – To persons arriving in Georgia on scientific, sports, cultural or educational missions; freelancers; aliens visiting Georgia to take an internship, or as volunteers; mass media workers visiting Georgia to perform their official duties.
D3 category – To persons arriving in Georgia to study or conduct research in or at the premises of authorised educational institutions in Georgia; persons arriving in Georgia to study under international programmes.
D4 category – For family reunification.
D5 category - Is granted to individuals who, in accordance with Georgian legislation, own real property within Georgia (excluding agricultural land) with a market value exceeding USD 100,000 (or its equivalent in Georgian Lari). This applies to the individual, their spouse, and children. To obtain a D5 immigration visa, the market value of the property must be assessed by a certified evaluator from an accredited body under the Legal Entity under Public Law – the Georgian Unified National Accreditation Body, the Georgian Accreditation Centre.
How Relocate Now can help
Initial call: we begin with a comprehensive call to understand your current situation and residence motivations to assess your eligibility for a specific residence visa/permit and the required steps.
Documentation: our team prepares and reviews all the documents to meet the specific requirements for the residence visa/permit at issue.
Ongoing support: we provide continuous guidance with the residence visa/permit application until you receive your residence permit/visa card.
What's not included
Preparation of lease, employment, professional services agreements, or any other type of contracts
Consulate or Public Registry Fees
Official translations of documents
Hague apostille
Litigation representation, action, or assistance regarding immigration processes
What is our estimated time
Service time varies depending on the specific circumstances of the case. Generally it is around 1-2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am from a visa-required country and I want to come to Georgia and register as a freelancer. What should I do?
Answer - If you do not hold residency in a visa-waiver country, you will need to obtain a tourist visa, as the D1 work visa is issued to those who are already employed, have set up a company, or are freelancers. The easiest way to do this is to issue a Power of Attorney (POA) on our behalf so we can register you as a freelancer and handle all the necessary steps to minimize your costs
I am a citizen of a visa-required country. Do I need to translate and notarize my passport?
Answer - Usually, the agency requires notarized copies of the passport for nationals of visa-required countries. Our recommendation is to do so to avoid any delays or issues with your application.