Full information on Georgian visa and residence permit in Georgia

Full information on Georgian visa and residence permit in Georgia.

GEORGIAN VISA INFORMATION

Depending on the purpose of your travel to Georgia, there are different categories of visas that will apply to the occasion. Whether you are planning to go on a visit, study or work and reside there permanently, you will have to apply for a different Georgian Visa, accordingly.The fastest and easiest way to check whether you need a visa to enter and/or stay in Georgia, or transit the territory of Georgia.

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The visa policy of Georgia became comparatively liberal, allowing citizens of 98 countries^(table1) to enter, reside, work and study in Georgia without the necessity to obtain either visa or residence permit. In addition, Georgian Government approved the list of 50 countries^{(see other exemption)} whose visa and/or residence permit holders may enter Georgia without a visa for an appropriate period and under appropriate conditions.

Table 1: List of Countries whose Citizens may Enter Georgia

without Visa for 1 (One) Full Year (Unless Otherwise Noted)

EU States	Botswana	Holy See	Moldova	Seychelles
Albania	Brazil	Honduras	Monaco	Singapore
Andorra	British Dependent Territories ⁽¹⁾	Iceland	Montenegro	South Africa
Antigua and Barbuda	British Overseas Territories⁽²⁾	Iran (45 days)	Netherlands Territories⁽⁵⁾	South Korea
Argentina	Brunei	Israel	New Zealand	Switzerland
Armenia	Canada	Japan	Norway	Tajikistan
Australia	Chile (90/180 days)	Kazakhstan	Oman	Thailand
Azerbaijan	Colombia	Kuwait	Panama	Turkey
Bahamas	Costa Rica	Kyrgyzstan	Qatar	Turkmenistan
Bahrain	Denmark Territories ⁽³⁾	Lebanon	Russia	Ukraine
Barbados	Dominican Republic	Liechtenstein	Saint Vincent and Grenadines	United Arab Emirates
Belarus	Ecuador	Malaysia	San Marino	United States of America
Belize	El Salvador	Mauritius	Saudi Arabia	Uruguay (90days)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	French Republic Territories⁽⁴⁾	Mexico	Serbia	Uzbekistan
Jordan

It is also other Conditions for exemption from Georgian Visa.

VISA CATEGORIES

Before applying, visa applicants must first decide which kind of visa (and status of residence) to apply for according to the purpose of their visit to Georgia. The category of visa you must obtain is defined by Georgian immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. A Georgian visa shall be divided into the following categories:

Diplomatic (A)
Special (B)
Ordinary (C)
Immigration (D)
Transit (T)

There are short-term and long-term visas with the right of a single entry or multiple entries. A short-term visa can be issued with the right of a single entry or multiple entries into Georgia, and a long-term visa can only be issued with the right of multiple entries. A short-term single-entry visa can be issued according to the number of days indicated by an alien in a visa application but for not more than 30 calendar days. A short-term multiple-entry visa can be issued for a maximum of five years. Besides, the total period of an alien’s entry and stay in Georgia in any 180-day period shall not exceed 90 calendar days.

TIME LIMITS FOR MAKING THE DECISION

Based on the documents submitted by an alien and the material obtained by a visa issuing authority, the visa issuing authority shall make the decision to issue or refuse to issue a visa. The decision to issue a visa is made within the following time limits after a visa application is submitted:

Short-term visa – 10 calendar days
Short-term visa (if visa application is submitted through the e-VISA PORTAL) – 5 working days
Long-term visa – 30 calendar days
D5 immigration visa – 10 calendar days

ENTER TO GEORGIA WITH GEORGIAN VISA

Georgian visa allows you to travel to country through border checkpoint (a highway or section of a road, part of railway station, port, harbour, airport (airfield) reserved for cross-border movement, where border and other types of control under the legislation of Georgia in terms of border crossing is carried out) and request permission of the Border Police of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) to enter to country. While having a visa does not guarantee entry to Georgia, it does indicate a consular officer at Georgian Embassy or Consulate abroad has determined you are eligible to seek entry for that specific purpose. Border Police inspectors are responsible for admission of travelers to Georgia, for a specified status and period of time. Border Police of MIA also has responsibility for immigration matters while you are present in Georgia.

GEORGIAN VISA EXTENSION

An alien staying in Georgia is entitled to request an extension of short-term Georgian diplomatic and special visas, D3 and D5 immigration visas if he/she meets conditions for a respective visa issuance. When extending a D5 immigration visa, an alien shall be exempt from the obligation to submit a reassessment of the market value of the real property.

Individuals arriving in Georgia to conduct research at an authorised educational institution in Georgia, and individuals arriving in Georgia to study within international programmes shall be entitled to an extension of a D3 immigration visa if the grounds for the visa extension do not allow for the possibility that these individuals stay in Georgia for more than 3 months.

The reception of the documentation necessary to extend Georgian diplomatic and special visas shall be ensured by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The reception of the documentation necessary to extend D3 and D5 immigration visas shall be ensured by the Public Service Hall and the Agency or by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

APPEAL PROCEDURES

The decision of a visa issuing authority on refusing to issue/extend a visa, and on terminating a visa shall be appealed within 10 business days from the date a person having the right to file an appeal becomes aware of the appropriate decision. An appeal and the documents attached to it shall be submitted in Georgian language. An appeal drawn up in a foreign language and the documents attached to it shall be submitted along with the duly certified Georgian translation.

The following persons may file an appeal

a representative of a visa applicant – a person holding a duly certified power of attorney Nakashidze and Partners

Immigration visas of the following categories shall be issued:

D1 category – to persons arriving in Georgia to conduct labour activities; representatives and consultants of companies and firms who travel to Georgia to perform their official duties; aliens entering Georgia to work under concluded contracts; persons arriving in Georgia to carry out entrepreneurial activity under the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs;

D2 category – to persons arriving in Georgia on scientific, sports, cultural or educational mission; freelancers; aliens visiting Georgia to take an internship, or as volunteers; mass media workers visiting Georgia to perform their official duties;

D3 category – to persons arriving in Georgia to study or conduct research in or at the premises of authorised educational institutions in Georgia; persons arriving in Georgia to study under international programmes;

D4 category – to persons arriving in Georgia for family reunification;

D5 category – to persons who, under the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia, have the right of ownership of real property within the territory of Georgia (other than agricultural land) with its market value exceeding USD 35 000 equivalent in Georgian laris, and their family members. To grant D5 immigration visa, 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 – the Georgian Unified National Accreditation Body - Georgian Accreditation Centre.

Residence Permit

Residence Permit is one of the means for foreigners, which allow them to legally enter and be present in Georgia.
Considering the existence of the grounds for receiving the Residence Permit, the citizen of a foreign country can be given either a temporary or a permanent Residence Permit.

Residence Permit

What kinds of Residence Permit are issued with the right of temporary residence in Georgia?

The following types of a Residence Permit with the right to temporary residence are issued in Georgia:

There are following types of Residence Permits in Georgia:

Work residence permit – is issued in accordance with the rule prescribed by law to exercise the entrepreneurial or labour activities in Georgia;

Educational residence permit – is issued for the purpose of study at any educational facility authorized in Georgia;

Residence permit with the purpose of family reunification - is issued to family members of a foreigner holder of Residence Permit;

Residence permit of a former citizen of Georgia – is issued to a foreigner whose Georgian citizenship has been terminated;

Residence permit of a stateless person – is issued to a person whose status of a stateless person was established in Georgia;

Investment residence permit - is issued to a foreign citizen who invested at least USD 300 000 equivalent in GEL in Georgia. this provision is prescribed in the Law of Georgia on Promotion and Guarantees of investment. in such cases, residence permits are also issued to the investor’s family members, which include a spouse, underage dependent and/or fully dependent incapacitated person;

Temporary residence permit – is issued to a foreigner who has been awarded a status of a victim subject to the law of Georgia “On Elimination of Domestic Violence, Protection and Support of Victims of Domestic Violence”;

Short term residence permit - is issued to a foreigner and his/her family members, if the foreigner owns a real estate (except for agricultural land) in accordance with the regulations prescribed by law of Georgia, the price of which exceeds USD 100 000 equivalent in GEL.

Special Residence Permit – is issued to:

a) A foreigner, when there is a reasonable assumption that s/he may be a victim (suffered) of trafficking;
b) A foreigner, when the written initiative regarding issuance of a temporary residence permit is presented by a member of the Georgian government;
c) A foreigner who could not be deported and accordingly temporary identification card has been issued and 5 years have passed from issuance of the temporary identification card;
d) A foreigner holding a status of compatriot.

Note: While issuing a residence permit with the purpose of family reunification, the following persons are deemed as family members: a spouse, parent, child of a foreigner having residence permit in Georgia, or accordingly short-term residence permit, as well as a minor, incapable or disabled, being his/her dependent or under custody.

What types of a Residence Permit are issued with the right of permanent residence in Georgia?

The following types of a residence permit with the right to permanent residence are issued in Georgia:

Permanent residence permit – is issued to a spouse, child, parent of a Georgian citizen. The permanent residence permit shall be issued to a foreigner, residing in Georgia based upon a temporary residence permit for the past 6 years. This term does not include the period of residing in Georgia for the purpose of study or medical treatment and of working at diplomatic or equal representations;

Note: While issuing the permanent residence permit, a spouse, parent and child of a Georgian citizen are considered as family members.

Perpetual residence permit – shall be issued to a foreigner and members or his/her family, who made the investment amounted to at least USD 300,000 equivalent in GEL in Georgia, and who has received investment resident permit who can prove annual turnover of at least USD 50,000 equivalent in GEL in the first year of entrepreneurial activity in Georgia, annual turnover of at least USD 100,000 equivalent in GEL in the second year, and equivalent to USD 120,000 equivalent in GEL the third, fourth and fifth years, or to the foreigner and members or his/her family, who has received resident permit based on ownership rights on the real property the value of which is at lease USD 300,000 equivalent in GEL, who has the inverstment residence permit 5 years from acquisition of property rights on this real property.

Note: While issuing the investment residence permit, a spouse, parent and minor child of a foreigner holding an investment residence permit and incapable or disabled person being his/her full dependent are deemed as family members.

Residence permit of a stateless person - shall be issued to a person whose status of a stateless person was established in Georgia.

Note: Residence permit with the right of permanent residence is issued to a stateless person, if his/her Georgian citizenship has been terminated in the manner of withdrawal from citizenship of Georgia or s/he has permanently resided in Georgia as of March 31, 1993 , has not been deregistered but has not been considered as a citizen of Georgia.

Who may present an application for Residence Permit?

The following persons may present an application for Residence Permit or prolongation of its validity term

A representative of an interested person (if an interested person is in Georgia), based upon the properly attested Power of Attorney.

Validity term of Residence Permit

Temporary residence permit is issued in Georgia:

Temporary residence permit is issued for at least 6 months for the first time and its validity term shall not exceed 1 year. Its validity term might be prolonged for the term of 5 years, provided that the total validity term of the temporary residence permit should not exceed 6 years;
Temporary residence permit of a former Georgian citizen might be issued for 6 years;
Investment residence permit can be issued for 5 years;
A short-term residence permit shall be issued for 1 year;
A person whose status of stateless person has established in Georgia, shall be issued a residence permit for 3 years or with the right to permanent residence.