Georgia · long-stay visa routes and official sources
4 routes tracked · last reviewed · every route links to its official government source
Long-term visa difficulty for Georgia: Easier (34/100, lower is easier). Most practical route: Individual entrepreneur / temporary residence.
Common questions
What is the most practical long-term visa route to Georgia?
Based on our July 2026 review, the most practical route is usually: Individual entrepreneur / temporary residence. Overall difficulty is rated "Easier" (34/100, lower is easier).
Can I move to Georgia without a local job offer?
Yes — 1 of the 4 tracked routes do not require a local employer: Student residence. Each has its own income, funds, or admission requirements.
Qualifying entrepreneurial activity can support work residence, but business registration alone is not residence or work permission. Assess the labour-law scope and entry basis first.
Typical timeline / duration: Validity is set by the granted residence decision; D1 entry validity and the right to work are separate.
Prove genuine entrepreneurial activity in Georgia; registration alone is not sufficient.
For covered activities, obtain the right to work through the competent labour authority; apply the current statutory exclusions rather than assuming every overseas service is covered.
For ordinary work residence, monthly income/remuneration or eligible bank resources must support at least five times the current average-consumer subsistence minimum for each permit month; this is not five times the minimum wage.
Show employer/enterprise turnover of at least GEL 50,000 per applicant, or GEL 35,000 for educational/medical institutions, plus identity, lawful-stay, registration-code, photograph and fee evidence under SDA's checklist.
Work residence requires a qualifying Georgian employment/activity basis and supporting evidence; right-to-work approval and residence/visa procedures are distinct.
Typical timeline / duration: Validity is set by the granted residence decision; D1 entry validity and the right to work are separate.
Provide the Georgian employment contract or equivalent evidence of qualifying local labour activity.
For covered activities, obtain the right to work through the competent labour authority; apply the current statutory exclusions rather than assuming every overseas service is covered.
For ordinary work residence, monthly income/remuneration or eligible bank resources must support at least five times the current average-consumer subsistence minimum for each permit month; this is not five times the minimum wage.
Show employer/enterprise turnover of at least GEL 50,000 per applicant, or GEL 35,000 for educational/medical institutions, plus identity, lawful-stay, registration-code, photograph and fee evidence under SDA's checklist.
Adult study D3 / qualifying minor-study D6; separate residence stage
September's Ordinance 443 distinguishes adult study/research and specified international-programme D3 from qualifying minor-study D6. A school offer does not by itself establish entry or residence permission.
Typical timeline / duration: D3 visa: 90 days; D6 visa: one year, subject to the study/family basis and continuation rules. Residence permission is separate.
D3 covers adult study/research at authorised institutions and specified international study programmes. D6 covers qualifying minors in authorised higher/vocational or general education; confirm the age and programme basis.
D6 family applications can accompany or follow the minor's application; the minor must hold or concurrently receive D6 and normally remain a minor at the decision. School-continuation and family rules have specific exceptions, not a general visa for every student's relatives.
For adult study residence, SDA requires passport, lawful-stay proof, school certificate with anticipated study duration, legal income or bank resources covering at least twice the current subsistence minimum per permit month, photo and fee receipt.
The visa's current document list is separate from the residence checklist. Ordinance 443 requires long-stay travel insurance throughout visa validity except D5; apply the actual D3/D6 instructions.
Eligibility for mainland Chinese applicants: A Chinese ordinary passport alone does not qualify for the one-year visa-free long stay. The bilateral short-visit exemption remains available within its limits; longer residence/work/study needs a separate qualifying visa or permission.
No general passive-income residence route is established by this visitor reference. Chinese ordinary passports have a short-stay exemption, not the one-year entitlement applicable to some other nationalities.
Typical timeline / duration: Chinese ordinary passport visits: 30 days per stay; 90 days within any 180-day period. Not long-term residence.
The bilateral ordinary-passport exemption from 28 May 2024 permits each stay of no more than 30 days and a cumulative 90 days in any 180-day period.
The Chinese Embassy says an appropriate visa is needed before entry for residence, employment, study, media activities or other activities requiring prior approval; the exemption is not an immigration shortcut.
For a work/business residence route, assess actual activity, current labour-law scope and the separate visa/residence conditions.
Visa rules change frequently. Figures and requirements above were reviewed on the dates shown; always confirm against the linked official source before applying.