Two points derail most applications: the threshold changed in March 2026, and the value is not set by the Public Registry.
The threshold changed on 1 March 2026
The property value requirement rose from USD 100,000 to USD 150,000. The earlier figure had applied since July 2019.
The higher requirement applies to transactions concluded on or after 1 March 2026. The law is not retroactive.
If you already hold a permit under the old threshold, the property's value is not reassessed at renewal for as long as you retain ownership of the same property. No revaluation is required and nothing needs to change.
If the purchase is still ahead of you, plan against 150,000.
A certified assessor sets the value
What counts for the permit is the market value established by a certified assessor from a body accredited by the Georgian national accreditation authority.
Not the Public Registry, and not a cadastral certificate. The registry records title; it does not determine value for residence permit purposes.
The price you actually paid carries no legal weight for the application. An apartment bought for USD 160,000 may be valued at 140,000, in which case no grounds for the permit arise regardless of what was spent. The reverse happens too.
Hence the correct sequence: valuation first, purchase decision second, if the residence permit is part of the goal. It is the one step that costs little and eliminates the most expensive mistake available.
Key conditions
The grounds hold only while you own the property. Sell it and the right to renew disappears: the current permit runs to the end of its term and simply is not renewed, unless another lawful basis exists by then.
The property may be residential or commercial. There is no restriction on type; the assessed value is what matters.
Any valid residence permit carries the right to work as an employee or run a business without an additional permit.
Documents required
- a valid passport
- documents evidencing ownership of the property
- a valuation report from a certified assessor
- the application form
- photographs
The application goes to the public service agency or through the House of Justice. The agency states the processing period when it accepts the documents.
Once approved, a separate obligation follows: registering your residential address within one month.
What we do
We check the property against the threshold before the deal, arrange the valuation with an accredited assessor, run the legal due diligence on the property, and prepare and file the residence permit application.
FAQ
What threshold applies now?
USD 150,000 since 1 March 2026. Before that date the threshold was USD 100,000, in force since July 2019.
I hold a permit under the old threshold, will it be revoked?
No. The law is not retroactive. Where the permit was obtained under the USD 100,000 threshold and you retain ownership of the same property, the value is not reassessed at renewal.
Does the purchase price or the valuation count?
The valuation. Market value is established by a certified assessor from an accredited body, not by the Public Registry and not by the sale agreement. The two figures can differ noticeably.
Can I combine several properties to reach the threshold?
Sources differ on this point. If that is your scenario, confirm the agency's position before the deal and get it in writing, rather than relying on general practice.
Do I have to live in Georgia to renew?
No. There is no minimum presence requirement for this basis.
What happens to the permit if I sell?
The current permit stays valid to the end of its term but will not be renewed on this basis. Another lawful ground would be needed.
Does the permit carry the right to work?
Yes. Any valid Georgian residence permit allows you to work as an employee or run a business without an additional permit.
Does a commercial property qualify?
Yes. There is no restriction on property type; the assessed value is what matters.