Real Estate and Residence — Two Mechanisms from One Law
For a foreigner who owns or plans to acquire real estate in Georgia, the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons offers two mechanisms: a D5 category immigration visa and a short-term residence permit based on the right of ownership in an immovable thing. Both routes rest on the same economic logic — the presence in the country of real estate above a defined value — and both cover not only the owner but also his or her spouse and child or children.
Both mechanisms concern the right of ownership in an immovable thing on the territory of Georgia, formalised in the manner established by the legislation, with the exception of agricultural land — such land is excluded from this route, so an application built on a plot of agricultural land will not stand.
The visa category and the permit type are different instruments: the D5 visa is the entry document for a person who wishes to come to and reside in Georgia on the basis of property, while the short-term residence permit defines the status of a person already in the country. In practice the two are often used sequentially, and planning them correctly — which one first, for which family member, and at which moment — is precisely where the decisive value lies.
From 100 000 to 150 000 US Dollars — What Changes on 1 March 2026
Under the wording in force today, both the D5 category visa and the short-term residence permit are granted for an immovable thing whose market value exceeds the equivalent of 100 000 US dollars in lari. This threshold is uniform for the two mechanisms, and it is converted into lari as an equivalent.
An amendment has already been incorporated into the law, quoted in the text in brackets with its effective date: under the new wording the threshold rises to 150 000 US dollars and enters into force on 1 March 2026. The change affects the visa route and the permit route simultaneously — from that date the minimum market value of real estate serving as the basis for residence in Georgia increases from 100 000 to 150 000 US dollars.
The sharpest question of this transition period is, of course, which wording will govern a particular application. Until the effective date arrives, the current wording governs; afterwards, the bracketed text becomes the only operative one. If your property sits between the two thresholds — worth more than 100 000 but not more than 150 000 US dollars — timing becomes the decisive factor, and preparing the application with deliberate timing is exactly the service our team provides.
The Certified Valuer — Who Sets the Market Value
The central figure of both mechanisms is the certified valuer: both for the short-term residence permit and for the D5 category visa, the market value of the immovable thing is determined by a certified valuer of a body accredited by the Unified National Accreditation Body — the accreditation centre, a legal entity of public law. This is a statutorily mandatory link: no other valuation, including the price stated in the purchase agreement, is sufficient.
The certified valuer's conclusion determines whether the property's value exceeds the applicable threshold and how the equivalent in lari is computed. Choosing the valuation body and framing the assignment correctly is therefore half of a successful application. Our team helps you plan this chain smoothly — from verifying the legal status of the property to working with the valuer.
Family Members and Neighbouring Routes — 300 000 US Dollars and Indefinite Residence
Family coverage is a significant advantage: both the D5 category visa and the short-term residence permit are issued not only to the foreign owner but also to his or her spouse and child or children. One property can thus give the whole family nucleus a basis for staying in Georgia.
The same law contains other, higher-threshold routes connected with property and investment. An investment residence permit is issued to a foreigner and his or her family members who has made an investment of not less than the equivalent of 300 000 US dollars in lari or who owns, on the territory of Georgia, an immovable thing with a market value exceeding 300 000 US dollars — and here too the value is determined by the same certified valuer.
For holders of the 300 000 investment permit the law further provides an indefinite-term residence permit: it is issued to a foreigner and his or her family members who confirms an annual turnover from entrepreneurial activity of not less than the equivalent of 50 000 US dollars in the first year, not less than 100 000 in the second year, and not less than 120 000 US dollars in the third, fourth and fifth years; or, in the case of real estate worth more than 300 000, to a person who retains ownership of that property for 5 years from receipt of the investment permit. These three tiers — the short-term route with its 100 000 threshold (150 000 from 1 March 2026), the 300 000-dollar investment route and the indefinite ladder — together reflect the state's approach to property-based migration, and choosing the path is a matter of your budget and plans.
Preparing the Application — What We Do for You
The general rules, bodies and documentation for issuing visas and residence permits are defined by other provisions of the same law; the core of the property route — the threshold, the valuer and family coverage — is governed precisely by the rules described on this page. Our team accompanies the whole chain: verifying the legal status and designation of the property (not agricultural), checking the current and forthcoming thresholds against the timing of your application, working from the certified valuer's conclusion, planning the applications of family members, and preparing the complete documentary package.
If you do not yet own property and need clarity on the thresholds before deciding, we plan the purchase and the status in a single schedule — so that you miss neither the threshold nor the timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about residence based on real estate.
What value of real estate is sufficient?
Under the wording in force — an immovable thing whose market value exceeds the equivalent of 100 000 US dollars in lari; from 1 March 2026, under the wording that enters into force — more than 150 000 US dollars. The value is set by a certified valuer of a body accredited by the accreditation centre, and agricultural land does not work for this route.
Is the 150 000 threshold already in force?
No — in the text it is still quoted in brackets with its effective date, and it enters into force on 1 March 2026. Until that date the 100 000 US dollar threshold governs applications; afterwards the 150 000 wording becomes the only operative one.
Do my spouse and children also receive status?
Yes — together with the foreign owner, both the D5 category visa and the short-term residence permit cover the spouse and the child or children.
What changes if I choose the 300 000 route?
That is a different, higher-threshold lane: the investment residence permit is granted for an investment of not less than 300 000 US dollars or for real estate worth more than 300 000, and it opens the path to indefinite residence through the turnover ladder of 50 000, 100 000 and 120 000 US dollars per year. The short-term route is the lower lane with its 100 000 threshold — 150 000 from 1 March 2026.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Our team offers the full cycle of property-based residence: verifying the property's status, checking the thresholds under the current and forthcoming wording, working from the certified valuer's conclusion, planning family members' applications and preparing the documentary package. Contact us — we will draw up a precise plan for your specific case at the very first consultation on Legal.ge.