Georgia is one of the most-accessible countries in the world for cross-border movers, with 365-day visa-free entry for 95+ nationalities. That alone changes the cross-border planning conversation - many cases use the year of visa-free presence to plan the residency route without time pressure.
The actual residency routes in 2026:
Visa-free year
Not a residency permit, but a real year inside Georgia for nationalities on the visa-free list. Useful as a runway for planning the right route.
Work residence
Through a Georgian employer or your own Georgian LLC. The own-LLC route is the most common for cross-border founders and remote workers.
Investment residence
Real estate, business, or capital thresholds with route-specific conditions.
Study residence
Through enrolment at a Georgian institution.
Family residence
Spouse, dependant children, dependant parents.
Permanent residence
Typically after 6 years of continuous lawful stay.
What Georgia offers
- 365-day visa-free entry for many nationalities
- Simple company formation (LLC)
- Distinctive tax incentives (Small Business Status at 1% for qualifying IEs; Virtual Zone at 0% for qualifying IT-export companies; International Company Status for qualifying activities)
- Multi-currency banking through TBC, Bank of Georgia, and others
- Established expat infrastructure in Tbilisi and growing in Batumi
- Strategic position between Europe and Asia
What it doesn't offer
- EU / Schengen status
- Eurozone integration
- Some specific cross-border conveniences available in EU jurisdictions
The Russia/Ukraine context
Georgia's geographic position has practical implications for some banking and corporate compliance. Banks watch Russia-linked source-of-funds carefully; specific structures may face additional scrutiny. Plan with this in mind for affected cases.
When Georgia fits
- Founders and remote workers wanting a moderate-cost base outside the EU
- IT-sector cases that genuinely fit Virtual Zone or International Company Status
- Cross-border consultants serving multiple regions
- Movers using the 365-day window to plan a longer-term move
When it doesn't
- Cases needing EU status
- Cases relying on Georgian residence as a paper wrapper
- Cases with sensitive source-of-funds histories in Russia-linked corridors
Georgia in 2026 is a real option for cases that approached it deliberately.