What the law says
Article 10 of the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons works on two levels. The second paragraph sets the general rule: a foreigner who does not need a short-stay visa to enter may enter and stay in Georgia for no more than 90 calendar days within any 180-day period. This is the same principle as in the Schengen Area, and by default it applies to all visa-free entries.
The third point makes an exception: the list of countries whose citizens may enter without a visa and stay for a different period — specifically a full year — is determined by a Georgian government decree. In other words, the one-year stay is not set by statute but by a subordinate act, which means it can be changed more easily and quickly than a law.
Fourth point, separately: holders of a Georgian residence permit enter visa-free for the entire validity period of their document. This is the difference between a stay and a status, written into a single article: for some, a time limit is counted; for others, it simply matches the document.
- The basic rule — 90 calendar days in any 180-day period
- The one-year period is set by government decree, not by law
- The list of countries in the regulation is subject to change
- A residence permit holder may enter without a visa for the entire validity period of their document
What this year gives you and what it doesn’t
It gives exactly one thing: the right to stay in the country legally for the specified period. That is enough to rent a home, start a business, enrol a child in school, and live a normal life — Georgia is accommodating in this regard, which is precisely why people here tend to put off formalising their status.
It does not confer resident status. There is no card, no document confirming a residence permit, and none of the predictability that a document provides: your stay ends on a date, not by discretion, and whether you can enter next time is decided by a border officer each time.
And there is a consequence that people tend to discover only years later. Permanent residence under Article 15 of the law is granted, beyond family-based grounds, to a foreigner who has lived in Georgia for the last ten years on the basis of a temporary residence permit. The wording is crucial: on the basis of a temporary residence permit. Years spent under a visa-free regime do not count — a person may have lived in the country for eight years and find that their clock is still at zero.
| Visa-free year | Residence permit | |
|---|---|---|
| What this is | length of stay | status with a document |
| Document in hand | no | resident card |
| Re-entry after departure | decided by the border officer | visa-free for the full duration of the document |
| Does it count toward the 10 years for permanent residency | no | yes |
| What it depends on | of a government decree | of the foundation and its preservation |
When a year is no longer the answer
There are several situations in which visa-free stays stop working — and none of them happen on the day you move, but later.
The first is when you need a document. Banks, rental agreements, enrolling children, transactions — wherever status is checked, an entry stamp does not substitute for a residence card.
The second is when the regulation changes. The list is approved by the government, and amending it requires neither parliament nor a transition period. A person whose plan depends on a by-law is at the mercy of a decision that can be issued on any given day.
Third — when you need a long-term horizon. The ten years toward permanent residence begin only from the date of the first permit, meaning that every delay in formalising status also delays everything that follows.
- You need a document for a bank, a transaction or a school
- The plan rests on a subordinate regulation, not on the law itself
- Years need to count toward permanent residence
- You want predictability at the border, not a decision left to the officer
What options are available if one year is no longer enough
The law lists the types of residence permits in a dedicated article, and almost all common grounds are covered there.
A work residence permit is issued to a foreign national who has been granted the right to work — these are two separate documents, and the procedure for each is set by government regulation. A study permit is issued for enrolment in an accredited educational institution. A family reunification residence permit is issued to family members of a foreign national who already holds a status.
The residence permit for IT-sector workers stands apart, and from 1 September 2026 the requirements were eased: the obligation to register a labour migrant with the relevant ministry was removed from the law. The basis is now defined through the right to work and covers three groups — a labour migrant working in IT, a foreigner registered in Georgia as a sole trader with small-business status engaged in IT activity as defined by the government, and a person authorised to manage and represent an international IT company. Family members receive the status together with the primary holder.
And there are property- and investment-based grounds, which we have covered in a separate breakdown: they come with their own thresholds and their own consequences.
| Grounds | First card duration |
|---|---|
| Work, study, family reunification | from 6 months to 1 year |
| Information technology specialist | 3 years |
| Former Georgian citizen | 6 years |
| A stateless person | 3 years |
| Special case | up to 5 years |
From 1 September 2026, lawful stay acquired an official document
The main argument in favour of getting status sooner used to go like this: without the card you have no document to prove your situation. From 1 September 2026, the law rewrote that argument — and not in the direction of relaxation.
A provision on a certificate of lawful stay in Georgia has been added to the law. The wording is straightforward: to receive a public or private service — other than medical — a foreigner may be required to present such a certificate; it is issued by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia or another government body designated by a government decree. And then the operative part, which is the whole point of the provision: if the certificate is not presented, the service provider decides to refuse the service.
Note the word ’private.’ This is not limited to government counters: the list of services for which the certificate is required is set by the government, and the law explicitly allows private services to be included. Medical services are carved out separately — you can seek medical assistance without a certificate.
What this changes in practice. Visa-free stay is itself lawful, and the certificate is not a residence permit. But now you have to prove the lawfulness of your stay with a document rather than a passport stamp, and in situations where a passport alone used to suffice, a separate trip to obtain the certificate may be required. For those who have been living on a visa-free basis for years, this is an extra recurring step that card holders don’t have to take.
Timelines that became stricter from 1 September
The same law added two provisions to the text that affect anyone dealing with the agency — and both shorten the time allowed to respond.
The first concerns appeals. A decision by the agency made under this law is not subject to appeal to a higher administrative body; it may be challenged in court within ten calendar days of the date of delivery. In other words, there is no intermediate tier where you could first file an administrative complaint, and ten calendar days means weekends and public holidays are included.
The second concerns notifications. Anyone who has applied for a residence permit or already holds one is required to notify the agency immediately of any change in their mobile phone number and/or actual address. For a minor, this obligation falls on their legal representative. The rule may look technical, but it is connected to the first: decisions are served in person, and the deadline for going to court runs from the date of service.
There is also a long-standing rule worth remembering in case of refusal: a repeat application on the same grounds may not be submitted until at least one month after the rejection decision. This is notably more lenient than, for example, Turkey, where the same situation bars reapplication for six months.
| Action | Duration | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge the agency’s decision in court | 10 calendar days from delivery | Article 21², Part 1 |
| Appeal a visa refusal or entry denial — first to the superior authority | 10 calendar days from delivery | Article 21², Part 2 |
| Notify the agency of any change of phone number or address | immediately | Article 20¹, Part 6 |
| Obtaining the card after the residence permit decision | 1 month | Article 20, Part 2 |
| Re-applying on the same grounds after a refusal | no earlier than 1 month later | Article 19 |
Status in Georgia: breakdown and application
- Review of your situation: whether a visa-free regime is enough or it is time to formalise a status
- Finding the right basis for your situation — employment, business, family, study, IT, or property
- The right to work where it is required before obtaining a residence permit
- Assembling and checking the package before submitting to the agency
- Calculating the timeline: from what point your years towards permanent residence start running
- Renewal and change of basis if circumstances have changed
A legal consultation — 150 GEL · $56.Credited toward the full service fee if you continue with us.
During the consultation the lawyer reviews your situation based on your documents and provides filing route: which basis, what will be needed and in what order.
Government fees, notarisation, certified translations and apostille, where required, billed separately at actual cost — we will itemise them for your situation. Processing time depends on the authority and its workload, which is why we do not publish an average figure.
Frequently asked questions
How long can you stay in Georgia without a visa?
By law the default rule is 90 calendar days in any 180-day period. For nationals of countries on the list approved by a separate government regulation, the period is a full year. The list has been amended several times, so it should be checked against your travel date.
Is the visa-free year a residence permit?
No. This is a period of lawful stay, not a status: there is no resident card, and each re-entry after leaving is at the discretion of the border officer. A residence permit holder, by contrast, enters without a visa for the full validity of their document.
Do visa-free years count toward permanent residency?
No. The law refers to ten years of residence on the basis of a temporary residence permit. Years spent under a visa-free regime do not count toward this period, so the clock starts only from your first residence card.
Can you leave and re-enter?
A border officer always has the final say on entry, and no length of stay or document — other than a residence permit — guarantees admission. Building a long-term plan around repeated entries means making it dependent on a decision that is made fresh each time.
How long is the first residence permit granted for?
For work, study, and family reunification — from six months to one year. A first permit of three years is granted, for example, to IT specialists; six years to former Georgian citizens. In special cases, the first card may be issued for up to five years.
What is the certificate of lawful presence in Georgia?
This is a new document: from 1 September 2026, the law allows it to be required from a foreigner in order to receive a public or private service, with the exception of medical services. It is issued by the service agency of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs or another body named in a government decree. If you do not present the certificate, the service is refused. The list of services is defined by the government in a separate act.
How long do you have to appeal a refusal?
Ten calendar days from the date the decision is served, and directly to court: from 1 September 2026, agency decisions under this law cannot be appealed to a higher administrative body. Separately, a fresh application on the same grounds may not be submitted until at least one month after the refusal.
Verified September 11, 2026. The thresholds and amounts are tied to indicators that are reviewed annually — check the official source for your country before filing.
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons — current consolidated version (Georgian version: the English version on matsne is behind and marked as non-final). Article 10 — visa-free regime; Article 15 — types of residence permit; Article 17 — terms; Article 19 — re-application; Articles 20¹, 21², 21³ — notifications, appeals, and certificate of lawful stay
- Georgia Law No. 1803-Vმს-XIმპ of 25 June 2026 — amendments effective 1 September 2026: certificate of lawful stay, ten-day appeal period, obligation to report change of phone number and address
- Government Regulation No. 255 of 5 June 2015 — list of countries for visa-free entry (the current composition is specified in the document)
- Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — consular information on visa requirements
Services and prices — openly, before any conversation
People usually add: registration address and id — 590 GEL · $219 · notarized translation of a document — from 50 GEL · $19. Two or more services — 5% off each.
Prices are in Georgian lari; the dollar figure is for reference. Government fees are paid separately and directly. 18% VAT does not apply to these services: it only applies once turnover exceeds 100,000 GEL within a 12-month period.