Georgia raises the property threshold for residence permits to US$150,000

Georgia’s property route to residence has been one of the most accessible in the region since 2019. Buy non agricultural real estate worth at least US$100,000, and you could apply for a temporary residence permit for yourself and your immediate family. As of today, March 1, 2026, that figure is US$150,000.

The change comes from amendments to the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, the main statute that governs how foreigners live in the country. Parliament passed the amendments in 2025 and set the start date well in advance, which gave buyers time to complete purchases under the old figure. Every application filed from today must meet the new threshold.

What the property route offers

The permit is a temporary residence permit, issued for one year at a time and renewable for as long as you keep the qualifying property. It covers the owner, a spouse and minor children under the same holding. There is no income test, no language exam and no minimum number of days you must spend in Georgia each year.

For many nationalities this is less about entry than about security. Citizens of dozens of countries can already stay in Georgia for up to a year without a visa. A residence permit adds a formal legal status, which makes it easier to open bank accounts, sign long leases, register a company and plan around the country without relying on visa free rules that can change.

How the new rules work

• Non agricultural property only. Apartments, houses, commercial units and other non agricultural land qualify. Farmland does not.
• Market value, not purchase price. The figure that counts is the property’s current market value, set in a report by an appraiser accredited by the Unified National Accreditation Body, the state agency that licenses valuers and other assessment bodies in Georgia. A high price on a sale contract does not on its own prove the threshold is met.
• Properties can be combined. The threshold applies to total holdings. Two or more registered properties can be added together to reach US$150,000, provided each is valued by an accredited appraiser.
• The value must hold. Authorities can revoke the permit if the property is sold or if its combined market value falls below the threshold.

The emphasis on accredited valuations is deliberate. Reports from appraisers without accreditation are not accepted, which is meant to stop sellers and buyers from inflating values on paper to clear the bar.

What existing holders keep

People who already hold a permit based on property bought under the US$100,000 rule can continue to renew under the old terms, as long as they keep owning the qualifying property. The higher figure applies to new applicants. Anyone planning to rely on the old threshold needed to complete the purchase before today.

This is the third increase in the program’s history, and it fits a wider tightening of Georgian immigration rules that began in September 2025, including mandatory work authorisation for foreign employees and stricter documentation across residence categories.

Other routes worth knowing

The property permit is separate from Georgia’s investment residence permit, which starts at US$300,000 in real estate or a Georgian business. That route grants a five year temporary permit to the investor, spouse and children under 18, and can lead to permanent residence after five years instead of the usual ten. In September 2025 Georgia also added a three year permit for information technology professionals with at least two years of experience and annual income above US$25,000.

What it means if you are considering Georgia

At US$150,000, Georgia remains one of the lower cost property based residence options available, and the rules are clearer than before. The practical points are the ones that tend to cause delays: buy non agricultural property, order the valuation from an accredited appraiser before you commit, and treat the market value, not the asking price, as the number that matters. If you plan to combine properties, make sure each title is registered and valued.

Georgia does not offer citizenship by investment in the normal course, and it is not part of the European Union, so the permit is best seen as a flexible long term base rather than a route to a passport or to Schengen rights. We help clients choose the right route, work with our local team for the purchase and valuation, and quote our fees in writing.

Buying property as part of a residency or citizenship plan? Our real estate due diligence service checks the title, the developer and the valuation before you commit, so the purchase also satisfies the visa rules.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.