Frequently Asked Questions

Citizens of more than 90 countries do not require visa to visit Georgia for tourism purposes. These include all European Union and CIS member states, USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and others. If you have not found your residency in the list, you will be required to obtain a short-term entry-visa. Applicants might need to provide confirmation of their travel purposes, such as hotels, flights reservations, booked Georgia tour schedule, etc. The application process can be made online. More information on visa types, application procedures and others is available here.

he following types of residence permit are issued in Georgia:

Labor residence permit

issued in the manner established by the legislation of Georgia for implementation of entrepreneurial activities or employment in Georgia to an alien who will submit to the Agency a document confirming their entrepreneurial activities or employment in Georgia and also a certificate confirming that monthly income/salary obtained by them from entrepreneurial activities or employment in Georgia is not less than five-time amount of minimum subsistence level of an average customer in Georgia and annual turnover of their employer enterprise/an enterprise established by them (except for the educational institution or medical facilities) is not less than 50 000 GEL per each alien seeking the work residence permit. For the purposes of this article, annual turnover of an educational institution or medical facility employing an alien or established by the alien is not less than 35 000 GEL per each alien seeking the work residence permit.

Residence permit for study purposes

issued for the purpose of study at educational institutions accredited in Georgia.

Residence permit for family unification

issued to family members of an alien holding residence permit.

Residence permit of former Georgian citizen

issued to an alien whose Georgian citizenship is terminated.

Stateless person residence permit

issued to a person whose status of stateless person has been established in Georgia.

Special residence permit

issued to an alien who is reasonably supposed to be a victim of human trafficking or injured as a result of human trafficking in cases stipulated by the law of Georgia “On fighting human trafficking”, to an alien for whom a member of the Government of Georgia files a written application for temporary residence permit in Georgia; temporary residence permit is issued to an alien whom it is impossible to exile from Georgia in one of the following cases: a person is persecuted for political belief or an action that is not considered to be a crime in accordance with the legislation of Georgia; a person is persecuted for protection of human rights and freedom, progressive social, political, scientific and creative activity; life or health of a person is under threat or when the basis for deferment of exile of an alien is still valid after 30 days following deferment of exile or when a person cannot be identified or when none of the states consents to receive them.

Permanent residence permit

issued to a spouse, parent and child of a citizen of Georgia. Permanent residence permit is also issued to an alien who has been residing for the past 6 years based on temporary residence permit in Georgia. Residence in Georgia for study or medical treatment and employment at diplomatic and equivalent representative offices in Georgia is not included in this period.

Residence permit for investment purposes

issued to an alien and their family members who, in accordance with the Law of Georgia On Promotion and Guarantees of Investment Activities, made investment in Georgia of at least 300 000 USD equivalent in GEL or who holds a title to an immovable property in Georgia (except for agricultural land plots) in the manner established by the legislation of Georgia with a market value exceeding 300 000 USD equivalent in GEL. A certified appraiser of an organization accredited by the Legal Entity of Public Law – Unified National Body of Accreditation – Accreditation Centre shall determine the market value of an immovable property for issuance of an investment residence permit. For the purposes of this sub-clause, family members of an alien shall be as follows: a spouse, a minor child or a beneficiary of support or a disabled person completely dependent on an alien, also a fully dependent person who is recognized as disabled in the manner established by the laws of a relevant country.

Temporary residence permit

issued to an alien who has been assigned the status of a victim under the Law of Georgia “On Elimination of Domestic Violence, Protection and Support of Victims of Domestic Violence”

Short-term residence permit

issued to an alien, under the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia, has the right of ownership of real property within the territory of Georgia (other than agricultural land) with its market value exceeding USD 100 000 equivalent in GEL, and to his/her family members. To grant a short-term residence permit, the market value of the real property shall be established by a certified assessor of a body accredited by the Legal Entity under Public Law Unified National Accreditation Body – Accreditation Centre.

Indefinite leave to remain

issued to an alien and their family members holding an investment permit that has been issued to them for making an investment of 300 000 USD equivalent in GEL, who can confirm that a turnover during first year of entrepreneurial activities implemented by them in Georgia is at least 50 000 USD equivalent in GEL, during second year – at least 100 000. USD equivalent in GEL, and during third, fourth and fifth years – at least 120 000 USD equivalent in GEL, or to an alien and their family members holding an investment residence permit that has been issued for owning an immovable property of more than 300 000 USD equivalent in GEL, who has been holding the title to the immovable property during 5 years after obtaining an investment residence permit. For the purposes of this sub-clause, family members of an alien shall be as follows: a spouse, a minor child or a beneficiary of support or a disabled person completely dependent on an alien, also a fully dependent person who is recognized as disabled in the manner established by the laws of a relevant country.

In Georgia we have 3 International airports: Tbilisi Airport, Batumi Airport and Kutaisi Airport and 3 local ones to Svaneti, Telavi and Ambrolauri.
A lot of Airlines are operating flights to Georgia, including Wizz Air and Ryanair, where you can find the cheapest flights to Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

Yes, there are a number of companies in Georgia, which offer car rental services for both, locals and tourists. Most of them provide pick-up and drop-off options in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi with some companies also working in Telavi. In order to rent a car a person is required to provide a valid ID/passport, a driving license, and in some cases a deposit.

Costs for healthcare services is high in Georgia, and expats are not entitled to subsidized or free service. Thus, purchasing a comprehensive insurance policy is necessary. There are plenty of healthcare insurance companies to choose from depending on provider and your monthly budget.

There are three main health insurers in Georgia: Aldagi, GPI, and ImediL. There are other places that offer pricier travel insurance, but if you’re interested in long-term insurance in the country, these are the companies you should be looking out for.

there are also some smaller companies like Ardi, Irao, Unison etc.

National currency of Georgia is Lari (GEL). One lari consists of 100 tetri. Currently there are lari banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 denominations, and coins of 1 and 2 laris. More information about currencies used in Georgia is available here.

VISA, MasterCard cards are accepted almost everywhere in Georgia.

Train, subway, bus, mini-bus, taxi, and airplane – these are the types of transport that Georgia can offer tourists. The Georgian railway offers an international standard of train between Tbilisi and Baku (Azerbaijan) and Tbilisi and Yerevan (Armenia). As for local trains, there is night, fast, and electric passenger trains in almost every direction within Georgia. The Subway is the fastest and most comfortable type of transport to travel around Tbilisi. It goes to almost every part of the capital. Georgian buses take passengers to almost any part of Tbilisi. There are a lot of buses operating in Tbilisi. The buses are gradually being replaced by new more eco-friendly buses. In addition to the larger buses, there are also minibusses going around the capital. They are more comfortable and faster than buses. As for taxis, there is a huge variety of taxi cars in the city. Some of them operate under a taxi company, while others are individual private taxi drivers. The price for this type of transportation depends on the destinations.

Tbilisi is an incredibly appealing option for those location-independent individuals on the hunt for an affordable, well-connected base.

The main thing that potential expats want to know about the cost of living in Tbilisi is the price of rent and utilities. Tbilisi has some of the lowest property costs in Europe and the cost of rent will seriously not break the bank. This could be the greatest opportunity to live and work from the World’s safest destination, which also turns out to be one of the most exciting places to visit

There are several vegetarian friendly dishes in traditional Georgian cuisine. Among the most popular dishes are Khachapuri (cheese filled pies or cheese filled breads that vary depending on the region), Khinkali (Georgian dumplings; make sure you order them with either cheese, mushrooms or vegetables), Lobio or Lobiani (bean stew served in a clay jar), baked mushrooms with Sulguni cheese (traditionally served in a clay pot), Churchkhela (Georgian candy made from grape jelly and nut), Jonjoli (pickled shrub flowers), walnut paste and some more.

In Georgia the following mobile operators provide communication services:
MAGTI
GeoCell
Beeline

Fast passenger and electro commuter trains connect most of the Georgian major cities. Fast trains run daily between Tbilisi and Zugdidi, Tbilisi and Ozurgeti, Tbilisi and Batumi, the last makes stops in Gori, Zestaphoni, Kutaisi and Kobuleti. More information on Georgian railway schedule and trains can be found here.

Train, subway, bus, mini-bus, taxi, and airplane – these are the types of transport that Georgia can offer tourists. The Georgian railway offers an international standard of train between Tbilisi and Baku (Azerbaijan) and Tbilisi and Yerevan (Armenia). As for local trains, there is night, fast, and electric passenger trains in almost every direction within Georgia. The Subway is the fastest and most comfortable type of transport to travel around Tbilisi. It goes to almost every part of the capital. Georgian buses take passengers to almost any part of Tbilisi. There are a lot of buses operating in Tbilisi. The buses are gradually being replaced by new more eco-friendly buses. In addition to the larger buses, there are also minibusses going around the capital. They are more comfortable and faster than buses. As for taxis, there is a huge variety of taxi cars in the city. Some of them operate under a taxi company, while others are individual private taxi drivers. The price for this type of transportation depends on the destinations.

Georgia offers visitors international and local flights too. There are airports in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Svaneti, Telavi, and Ambrolauri. Apart from local flights, there are international flights to almost every airport in the world. One of the cheapest flight companies is Wizz Air which provides international flights from Kutaisi airport.

Georgian traditional wine making process is different from the of European one. Winemaking traditions that count 8000 years of history, today mainly concentrated in Kakheti, Eastern region of the country. The major distinguishing feature is that wine is fermented and stored in Qvevris – egg-shaped earthenware vessels. Qvevris are buried under the ground, that way an optimal temperature for ageing and storage is guaranteed. Traditional Qvevri wines are unique in their composition and have rich distinctive bouquet and taste. The most widespread are dry and semi-dry red and white wines. Click here to find more about the traditional way of Georgian winemaking.

International Crime Index rated Georgia as the seventh safest country in the world

Taxes in Georgia is collected on both state and local level. The most important taxes are collected on federal level, these taxes include an income tax, corporate taxes and value added tax. On local level property taxes well as various fees are collected. There are 6 flat tax rates in Georgia – Corporate Profit Tax, Value Added Tax, Excise Tax, Personal Income Tax, Import Tax and Property Tax.

Personal Income tax in Georgia are collected at a flat rate of 5% for International IT Companies, and 20% on local-source income. Foreign-source personal income is tax-exempt. Personal Income Tax for interest, dividend and royalty is 5%.There are few allowances deductible.

Value-added tax (VAT) is collected at a flat rate of 18%.There is few exceptions granted, nearly all goods and services are subject to VAT. Medical care, exports and education are exempt from VAT. Regardless of turnover a taxpayer have to register for VAT if it produces or imports goods. Turnovers of less than 100,00 GEL is exempt.

Corporate taxes are levied at a flat rate of 5% for International IT Companies and 15% for rest, which was enacted in 2008. From 2017 onward, non-distributed profits are exempt from taxation. Very few deductions are accessible. This system was set up to attract foreign investment. Furthermore, excise taxes are on some luxury and environmentally damaging goods, such as gasoline. Customs apply to some imported goods, too. Only six different taxes apply.

⦁ No corporate income tax on retained and reinvested profit; profit tax applies only to distributed earnings.
⦁ Personal income tax for interest, dividend and royalty is 5%
⦁ No capital gains, wealth or inheritance tax.
⦁ Pension contribution – 2% paid by employer, 2% paid by employee, 2% paid by Government
⦁ Double Taxation Avoidance Treaties with 56 countries