Most residency-by-investment programs start at half a million euros and come wrapped in lawyers, waiting lists, and political uncertainty. Georgia's property route starts at 150,000 USD, processes in weeks, and renews for as long as you keep the apartment. It is one of the most accessible property-linked residence permits in the world, and one of the least understood.
Here is how it actually works, who it fits, and where people get tripped up.
The two routes, side by side
Georgia offers two distinct permits tied to investment in real estate.
The short-term residence permit (the 150k route). Own residential immovable property in Georgia with a market value of at least 150,000 USD, confirmed by an accredited appraiser, and you become eligible to apply for a short-term residence permit. It is typically issued for one year and renewable while you continue to own the property. Your spouse and minor children can apply as family members on the strength of your ownership. Note that this threshold rose from 100,000 to 150,000 USD on 1 March 2026; property registered before that date is assessed against the old 100,000 USD figure.
The investment residence permit (the 300k route). Invest at least 300,000 USD in Georgia, real estate qualifies, and you can apply for an investment residence permit, initially valid for five years. Hold the investment and meet the conditions, and it opens a path to permanent residency. This route suits buyers assembling a portfolio rather than a single apartment.
For most readers, the 150k route is the relevant one, so the rest of this article focuses there.
What qualifies, precisely
The requirements sound simple and mostly are, but each word does work:
- Residential immovable property. The permit rules target residential real estate; commercial units follow different logic under the investment route.
- Market value, not purchase price. An accredited Georgian appraiser values the property at application time. This cuts both ways: a property bought for 130,000 USD that appraises at 150,000 today qualifies, and a property bought for 150,000 in a falling market might not.
- Ownership, registered at NAPR in your name. The registry extract is the core document. Multiple properties can be combined to reach the threshold, which matters in practice: two Batumi units of 80,000 USD each clear the bar together.
The application, step by step
- Buy and register the property. The purchase itself is fast and open to foreigners; the mechanics are covered in our buyer guide.
- Commission the appraisal. An accredited appraisal firm values the property and issues a report. This is the document that proves the 150,000 USD threshold.
- Prepare the file. Passport, registry extract, appraisal report, a completed application, the state fee, and depending on your situation, proof of legal entry or current legal stay in Georgia.
- Submit to the Public Service Development Agency, in person at a Public Service Hall or through a representative. Standard processing runs about 30 days, with faster paid tiers.
- Receive the permit and the residence card. Renewals repeat the process; the property must still be yours and still clear the value bar.
What the permit gives you, and what it does not
With the permit you can live in Georgia year-round without visa runs, sponsor your immediate family, open bank accounts more easily, and generally operate as a resident. Combined with Georgia's territorial tax treatment of individuals, where foreign-source income of non-residents largely stays out of Georgian taxation, the package is attractive for remote workers and retirees. The tax side, including the flat 5 percent on rental income, is detailed in our Georgian property tax guide.
What it does not give you: citizenship, a Schengen backdoor, or a guarantee. The permit is temporary and tied to continued ownership. Sell the apartment, and the basis for renewal disappears.
The honest part: approval is not automatic
This is where marketing materials from some agencies get ahead of reality. The Public Service Development Agency reviews every application and refuses some, and it is not obliged to detail its reasoning. Straightforward cases with clean documents are approved routinely, but treat the permit as a strong probability attached to your purchase, not a purchased product. If residency is the entire reason you are buying, structure your plans so a refusal or a rule change is survivable, and confirm the current requirements at application time, because thresholds and conditions have shifted before.
Choosing the property with the permit in mind
Since the appraised value is what counts, permit-motivated buyers should favor properties whose market value is comfortably above 150,000 USD, not scraping the line. A central Tbilisi two bedroom clears it with margin; a single budget studio does not, though two combined can. Location and rentability still matter, because the best version of this strategy is a property that would have been worth buying anyway, with the permit as the bonus rather than the justification.
Every listing on SafeBuy's verified properties shows its price openly and has been checked against the state registry, which also happens to produce exactly the ownership documentation the application requires.
Immigration rules change and individual circumstances differ. This is general information as of 2026, not legal advice; confirm current requirements with the Public Service Development Agency or a Georgian immigration lawyer before relying on the permit route.