The residence-permit figure has been $150,000 since 1 March — and it is the appraiser's valuation that counts, not what you paid

From 1 March 2026 the minimum property value for a temporary residence permit by investment is $150,000, up from $100,000. The change traces back to immigration amendments passed in June 2025 and is the third increase in the programme's history. Anyone who registered qualifying property before that date keeps the old threshold, including at renewal, for as long as they still own it; sell the property and a fresh application is judged at $150,000. The property must be non-agricultural, and more than one property can be combined to reach the figure.

The threshold is measured against market value as confirmed by a licensed appraiser, not the price written in the sale contract. The practical consequence is blunt: a flat bought for exactly $150,000 can appraise below it and the application can be refused. Appraisal reports are reported to cost in the low hundreds of dollars and to take a few working days, which makes ordering one before signing far cheaper than discovering the gap afterwards. Appraisers look at comparable sales, the condition of the unit, the surrounding infrastructure and how readily the type of property sells.

Standard processing is reported at 30 days for a 300 lari state fee, with faster tracks at 450 lari for 20 days and 600 lari for 10, plus a small charge for the residence card itself. The permit is normally issued for one year and renewed annually, and it extends to a spouse and children. It is tied to the property: the permit stands while the qualifying ownership stands, so a sale — or a fall in total appraised value below the threshold — puts it at risk. Before buying, the standard checks are the seller's registered title and any liens or restrictions on the property, and whether the registry record actually matches the unit you are looking at.

Two things get conflated constantly in sales conversations. Holding a residence permit does not by itself make you a Georgian tax resident, and being a tax resident does not require a permit. Tax residency turns on days of presence and other statutory tests; the permit is an immigration document that lets you live here. Decide the property question on the property — location, rentability, resale — and treat the permit as a consequence of owning it rather than the reason to overpay for it.