Foreign investors seeking residency in Georgia through property ownership will face a higher entry bar starting March 1, 2026, when the country’s revised threshold for its real estate investor visa officially takes effect.
Georgia’s short-term residence permit, which grants renewable 1-year permits to foreigners who purchase property in the country, will require real estate holdings valued at $150,000 or above, a 50% increase from the previous $100,000 threshold in place since 2019.
The property threshold applies to total holdings, not to single-property purchases. Investors can combine multiple properties to reach the $150,000 minimum, provided all holdings are properly registered and valued by accredited assessors.
Georgia maintains a separate $300,000 Investor Visa route providing immediate 5-year temporary residency for the principal applicant, spouse, and minor children. This route accepts various investment types beyond real estate and leads to permanent residency after five years rather than the standard ten-year period.
The government also introduced a specialized three-year IT residence permit in September 2025, targeting technology professionals with at least two years of industry experience and annual income exceeding $25,000.
Investor Visa Hike Anchors Immigration Policy Overhaul
The property threshold hike forms part of broader changes to Georgia’s immigration system that began in September 2025.
The reforms introduced new requirements for foreign workers and entrepreneurs, including mandatory employment authorization and stricter documentation standards across all residence categories.
Georgian authorities cited discrepancies between foreign arrivals and official registrations as justification for the overhaul, explaining that in the first half of 2024, nearly 250,000 foreigners entered Georgia, yet only several thousand were registered as labor migrants over an eight-year period.
Officials said the gap fostered an informal labor market and limited policy oversight, prompting the stricter requirements.
The investor visa’s property route remains among the more straightforward options for Georgian residency. Applicants must provide certified appraisals from bodies accredited by Georgia’s Unified National Accreditation Body. The permit covers the property owner and immediate family members.
Unlike work-based permits requiring extensive documentation of employment contracts and company turnover, property-based residency imposes no income requirements beyond proof of ownership.
Authorities can revoke the permit if the property is sold or its total market value falls below the threshold.
Property investors must obtain formal appraisals from bodies accredited by Georgia’s National Accreditation Body, with market valuations rather than purchase prices determining eligibility, a requirement aimed at preventing inflated property values.
EU Tensions May Cloud Investment Climate
Georgia’s immigration reforms proceed against escalating friction with Brussels. The European Commission warned in December that Georgia risks losing visa-free access to the Schengen Area due to systematic democratic backsliding and failure to align visa policies with EU standards.
The Commission cited Georgia’s maintenance of 26 visa-free agreements with countries subject to EU visa requirements, including a 2024 decision to grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens.
Georgia joined the EU’s visa liberalization program in 2017, but relations have deteriorated sharply since 2024.
The EU implemented a revised visa suspension mechanism in December 2025, allowing visa-free revocation with approval from 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population, making suspension easier to trigger than previous unanimous-vote requirements.
IMI Pros Who Can Help with Georgia Residency
