Georgia (GE)
Caucasus gateway with long visa-free stays for many nationalities, low business taxes, mountain-and-wine culture, and a fast-changing 2026 work-permit environment.
Capital: Tbilisi
Region: Europe
Language: Georgian
Currency: GEL (₾)
Cost of living: Very affordable (index 34)
Emergency: 112
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Citizenship & Permanent Residency
Long-term settlement options in Georgia.
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Permanent Residency
Name
Georgian Permanent Residence Permit
Eligibility
Foreign nationals may apply for permanent residence in Georgia through any of the following pathways: (1) Lawful continuous residence: 5 consecutive years of legal residence with a valid Georgian residence permit; (2) Long-term documented stays: 10 years of total lawful documented stay in Georgia (not necessarily continuous); (3) Investment pathway: investment of USD 150,000 (1-year renewable residence) or USD 300,000 (5-year renewable leading to indefinite stay) in Georgian real estate or a qualifying business; (4) Family of Georgian citizen: married to a Georgian citizen for 2+ years; (5) Exceptional cases: by decision of the President or government on individual grounds.
Duration
Permanent — indefinite validity, with a renewal of the ID document every 10 years
Requirements
- ✓Valid Georgian residence permit (for 5-year continuous residency path)
- ✓Proof of legal, continuous residence for 5 years (CRA records, tax filings, etc.)
- ✓Clean criminal record (both Georgian and home country)
- ✓Proof of financial self-sufficiency
- ✓Private health insurance (expats are not covered by Georgian state healthcare)
- ✓Application at the Civil Registry Agency (CRA — cra.gov.ge)
- ✓Application fee (current rates at CRA)
The 5-year continuous residency requirement means maintaining a valid Georgian residence permit throughout the period — gaps or lapses invalidate the continuous residence count and the clock restarts. The investment pathway (USD 150,000+ for 1-year renewable; USD 300,000+ for 5-year leading to indefinite stay) is commonly used by expats who are not employed by a Georgian company and cannot qualify for the employment-based route. Permanent residents in Georgia enjoy most of the rights of citizens including: unrestricted right to live and work, access to Georgian healthcare system (enrolled as resident), and social services eligibility (after permanent residency). Voting rights remain reserved for citizens.
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Citizenship
Name
Georgian Citizenship
Eligibility
Georgian citizenship can be obtained through: (1) Standard naturalisation: permanent residence for 5 years + Georgian language test (B2 level) + constitutional knowledge test + oath of citizenship; (2) Extended track: 10 years of total lawful residence + language and knowledge tests; (3) Marriage to Georgian citizen: 5 years of legal residence following marriage (not automatically at marriage); (4) Extraordinary naturalisation: by Presidential or government decree for individuals who have made exceptional contribution to Georgia — science, culture, economy, sport, or national defence. No minimum residence required for extraordinary naturalisation; (5) Investment/contribution naturalisation: by Presidential decree for those making significant economic investment benefiting Georgia — assessed case by case.
Duration
Indefinite — Georgian citizenship is permanent
Requirements
- ✓5 years of permanent residence (standard track)
- ✓Georgian language proficiency (B2 level) — language test administered by National Examinations Centre
- ✓Georgian constitutional knowledge test
- ✓Clean criminal record (Georgian and home country)
- ✓Renunciation of previous citizenship may or may not be required — Georgia does NOT require you to renounce your previous citizenship for naturalisation (dual citizenship fully permitted)
- ✓Oath of loyalty to Georgia
- ✓Application at the Civil Registry Agency
The standard naturalisation path takes a minimum of 10 years from initial arrival: 5 years with residence permit → permanent residence → 5 years as permanent resident → citizenship application. The language requirement (B2 Georgian) is a substantial commitment — Georgian is one of the world's more challenging languages. Special Contribution Citizenship Program (launched February 2025): Georgia introduced a formal citizenship-by-contribution programme offering citizenship in months without residency or language requirements. Three routes exist: (1) Direct contribution of €250,000–€300,000 to Georgian state entities; (2) Business investment of €3,000,000+ creating at least 10 jobs; (3) Refundable investment of €2,000,000 in a Georgian state fund (held 5 years). Ordinary extraordinary naturalisation by Presidential decree for individual merit also continues.
Other Routes to Residency & Citizenship
Citizenship by Birth (Limited)
Eligibility
Children born in Georgia to at least one Georgian citizen parent receive Georgian citizenship at birth. Children born in Georgia to two non-Georgian parents do NOT automatically receive Georgian citizenship (no unconditional jus soli). However, if the child would be stateless, or if the child's parents are unknown, special provisions may apply.
Duration / Outcome
Lifelong
Requirements
- ✓At least one Georgian citizen parent
- ✓Birth registration at CRA within 30 days
This primarily affects expat families where one parent is Georgian. The child of two non-Georgian parents born in Georgia acquires the nationality of the parents — not Georgian nationality.
Citizenship Restitution
Eligibility
Ethnic Georgians (or those of Georgian descent) whose ancestors held Georgian citizenship before the Soviet occupation may apply for citizenship restitution. Historical documentation of Georgian citizenship required.
Duration / Outcome
Lifelong
Requirements
- ✓Documentary evidence of Georgian ancestry and prior Georgian citizenship
- ✓Application to CRA
- ✓Ministry of Justice review
This provision primarily affects Georgian diaspora communities in Russia, Ukraine, the former Soviet states, and the Armenian-Georgian border regions.
🌍 Dual Citizenship
✓
Dual citizenship is allowed — Georgia explicitly permits dual (and multiple) citizenship. Georgian citizens who acquire a foreign citizenship do not lose their Georgian citizenship. Foreign nationals who naturalise as Georgian citizens do not need to renounce their previous citizenship. HOWEVER: your home country rules still apply. Many countries (Germany, Netherlands, China, Japan, South Korea, and others) do NOT permit their citizens to hold dual citizenship without specific exceptions. If you naturalise as Georgian while holding one of these nationalities, you may: (a) automatically lose your home country citizenship; (b) need to apply for special permission to retain dual citizenship; or (c) face administrative and legal consequences in your home country. Check your home country's dual citizenship rules carefully BEFORE applying for Georgian citizenship. The following nationalities generally CAN hold Georgian dual citizenship without losing their home citizenship: UK (yes), USA (yes), Canada (yes), Australia (yes), France (yes — with some nuance), Ireland (yes), Italy (yes — with some conditions), Spain (varies), EU citizens in general (varies by country — check individually). Georgia does NOT currently have a "citizenship by investment" programme in the traditional sense (Golden Visa style), but exceptional naturalisation by Presidential decree has been granted to individuals making significant economic investments — this is discretionary, not a structured programme.
Citizenship & Permanent Residency
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