If you read about Georgian residence permits on most property sites, you will still see a 100,000 dollar threshold. That figure is out of date. The official requirement for the property-based short-term residence permit is now real estate worth more than the equivalent of 150,000 US dollars in GEL.
The two property-related routes
The short-term residence permit for property owners. You must own residential or commercial real estate in Georgia valued above the 150,000 dollar equivalent, confirmed by a certified appraiser. The permit covers the owner and can extend to family members, and it renews as long as you hold the property.
The investment residence permit. A larger route for investments from 300,000 dollars, which grants a five-year temporary residence with a path toward permanent status.
Processing is straightforward by regional standards: the standard track takes 30 days for a 300 GEL fee, with faster 20-day and 10-day options at higher fees.
What the permit actually gives you
Legal residence in Georgia: the right to live in the country, a basis for local administration like banking and contracts, and renewability tied to your ownership. For buyers from outside visa-friendly arrangements, it converts a property purchase into a stable legal footing in the country.
What it does not give you
This is where marketing often overpromises, so let us be precise.
- It is not citizenship and not a passport, and it does not by itself put you on a fast track to either.
- It does not give visa-free access to the EU or anywhere else beyond what your own passport provides.
- It is not unconditional: sell the property and the basis for the permit goes with it.
- The 150,000 dollar valuation must be supported by a certified appraisal, not by the price on your contract alone.
How this interacts with a Batumi purchase
Several projects on our shortlist sit naturally above the threshold, and for buyers below it, ownership structures across more than one unit can sometimes reach it; that is a conversation for a lawyer, not a sales page. Foreign buyers own Georgian apartments freehold, so the permit sits on top of clean ownership rather than some leasehold construction.
If residency is part of why you are buying, say so in the first call. It changes which units make your shortlist, and it is much easier to plan for the appraisal before you sign than after. Here is how the process works end to end.
