Do Russian citizens need a visa for Georgia?

No, entry is visa-free and you can stay for up to a year. However, visa-free status does not guarantee entry: the decision rests with the border officer, and denial is possible without explanation.

How to get a residence permit in Georgia?

The application is submitted to the Agency for Public Services Development (House of Justice). Grounds include employment, self-employment, property above the minimum value threshold, investment, study, or family ties. A decision takes around a month, and rejection without explanation is standard practice — reapplying is permitted.

How are taxes structured for sole traders in Georgia?

A preferential regime with a reduced rate on turnover up to an established limit applies to small businesses. Small-business status is not granted automatically — it must be obtained from the tax authority, and not all types of activity qualify.

Can you get a Schengen visa from Georgia?

Schengen country consulates in Tbilisi accept applications from people legally residing in the country, but requirements for Russian citizens are stricter, and a residence permit is usually mandatory. Georgia itself is not part of the Schengen Area.

Russians in Georgia — Tbilisi, residence permits, taxes, and community

What needs to be done in Georgia?

Select the services you need — the total is shown at the bottom. Send the list and we’ll get back to you for each line.

Two or more services — minus 5% on each

Prices are in Georgian lari; the dollar figure is for reference. Government fees are paid separately and directly. 18% VAT does not apply to these services: it only applies once turnover exceeds 100,000 GEL within a 12-month period. A consultation if you are not sure where to start — 150 GEL · $56, it is applied toward the cost of the service.

Visa and residence permit

The right to workgovernment fee from 200 GEL on topWhat is included →290 lari · $107
Residence permit through your own business or employmentWhat is included →690 lari · $256
Property-based residence permitWhat is included →530 lari · $196
Residence permit for IT professionalsWhat is included →1 190 lari · $441
Family or student residence permitWhat is included →390 lari · $144
Investment-based residence permitWhat is included →2 130 lari · $789

Documents and daily life

Registration address and IDWhat is included →590 lari · $219
Notarized translation of a documentper page; certified copy — from 20 lariWhat is included →from 50 lari · $19
Apostillefor eight days; single-day processing costs moreWhat is included →from 190 lari · $70
Criminal record certificateWhat is included →780 lari · $289
Power of attorneyWhat is included →from 80 lari · $30
Marriage registrationwithout a ceremony; with a ceremony, and destination weddings cost moreWhat is included →from 1 320 lari · $489

Housing

Property search for purchasefree for the buyer: on the Georgian market, the commission is paid by the sellerWhat is included →0
Real estate transaction supportWhat is included →530 lari · $196
Property valuationwork of a licensed appraiserWhat is included →350 lari · $130
Finding an apartment to rent in Tbilisioptions, viewings, negotiations with the landlord, contract review, move-in; rent and deposit are separateWhat is included →300 lari · $111

School and children

American online school, grades 1–12US high school diploma, lessons in Russian, fully online from any country; Online with daily lessons — from 3,150 € per yearWhat is included →from €700 per year
Tutoring and SAT, IELTS, TOEFL prepteacher at an American school; 10 € for its students; exam prep with a native speaker — 30 € per sessionWhat is included →€15 / academic hour
School searchwe select for free — schools pay agencies themselves, and us tooWhat is included →0
Application documents and school enrollmentnotarial translations and apostille billed separately; child’s status — a separate service ’Residence permit by family or study’ 390 GEL, together 780 GELWhat is included →390 lari · $144
Finding a private university and filing the applicationfree for the student — the university pays the agent. Georgian public universities will stop admitting international students from the 2026/27 academic year, so we only place students at private institutionsWhat is included →0
Kindergartens, clubs, and activities in Tbilisisearch and enrollment; kindergarten and class fees are separateWhat is included →150 lari · $56

Taxes, banking, business

Business registrationgovernment fee from 26 GEL on topWhat is included →290 lari · $107
Remote business registrationWhat is included →1 050 lari · $389
Company registrationgovernment fee from 100 GEL on topWhat is included →690 lari · $256
Remote company registrationWhat is included →2 130 lari · $789
Company with virtual zone statuscompany, status, account, and address togetherWhat is included →4 050 lari · $1 500
International companytwo years of verified experience are requiredWhat is included →from 13 500 lari · $5 000

Car and driving licence

Exchanging a license for a Georgian oneservice is available nowhere else — the fee is 15 lari, and you can do it yourself. Your old license is taken and not returnedWhat is included →130 lari · $48

Translator

Assistant for an hour in Tbilisiminimum 2 hours: calls in Georgian, booking and accompanying you to the doctor, bank, notary, errandsWhat is included →100 lari · $37 / hour
Doctor and clinic in Tbilisi: search and appointment bookingdoctor search — 100 GEL, booking — 80, lab appointment — 80; appointment and tests are billed separatelyWhat is included →from 80 lari · $30
Finding a lawyer in Tbilisi: search and consultationsituation-specific selection — 150 GEL, consultation arrangement — 100; attorney’s fee is separateWhat is included →from 100 lari · $37
Accompaniment to a doctor or lab tests in TbilisiWhat is included →150 lari · $56
Interpretation and accompaniment in TbilisiWhat is included →100 lari · $37 / hour
Arranging a check-up in Tbilisiclinic fee billed separatelyWhat is included →from 200 lari · $74

Didn’t find your task? Describe it in the request or open full price list in Georgia.

Popular bundles in Georgia

If you have several tasks at once: a package costs less than the same services booked separately.

The right to work and legal status — two consecutive documents, on time

· The right to work
· Ten-day window tracking
· Work-based residence permit

980 lari · $363Contents and price →Earning legally while living in Georgia

· Registration and a 1% rate
· The right to work
· Bank account

from 1 170 lari · $433Contents and price →Arrive and have an income source from day one

· Registration and a 1% rate
· Tax number
· Bank account

from 880 lari · $326Contents and price →

How we work

1Select servicesor describe your task in your own words if it’s not on the list.
2We respond within two hoursduring business hours — via Telegram, WhatsApp, or email, whichever works best for you.
3We quote the final price before paymentand separately — what is not included: government fees, translations, charges.
4The specialist works on-siteand you stay connected with us from the first question to the final result.

How to pay

Payment method depends on the country and service — we’ll specify it along with the price before you begin of work. Each price indicates whether government fees are included. Where applicable, we issue an invoice and contract. The consultation is credited toward the cost of the service.

If something went wrong

If the work fell through on our end or we were unable to complete it, we refund money. No one can guarantee approval: scheduling, timelines, and decisions on visas and residence permits or account depend solely on the authority and the bank. We prepare documents so that there are no questions about them, and we stay with you until you get an answer.

The country at a glance

Tbilisi and Batumi absorbed one of the most significant waves of Russian-speaking relocation. The main draws are a visa-free stay of up to one year, straightforward sole trader registration with preferential tax rates for small businesses, and relatively easy access to the banking system. The flip side: the decision to admit you rests with the border officer on the day, and a residence permit can be refused without explanation — so any long-term plan should include a backup option.

Entry and residence permit

Visa-free entry

Russian citizens — visa-free entry and stay for up to one year.

Paths to a residence permit

Work-based residence permit — through employment or your own business
Residence permit via real estate — from an established minimum property value
Investment residence permit
Student residence permit
Family reunification

Cost of living

Low / Medium

Advantages

Visa-free stay of one year for Russian citizens
Simple sole-trader registration and preferential tax rates for small businesses
Russian and English are both widely spoken in Tbilisi and Batumi
Opening a bank account is easier here than in most countries in the region
Cost of living lower than in Europe

Downsides

The border officer makes the entry decision — refusals happen and are not explained
Residence permits are granted reluctantly; a rejection may come without explanation
Neither Schengen nor EU — does not confer European status
Rents in Tbilisi have risen sharply since 2022
Public healthcare is limited — private insurance is essential

Cities in Georgia

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Tbilisi

Georgia

Tbilisi is the main hub for Russian-speaking relocation in the post-Soviet space: visa-free entry, a Westernised banking system, and a warm climate at relatively affordable prices.

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Schools and universities Georgia

Where to take your child and where to study yourself: public and private options schools, language courses, colleges, and universities. A city-by-city breakdown — from those who who study and bring their children there.

Schools and kindergartens

Schools in Tbilisi

Universities and colleges

Universities in Tbilisi

Program selection, documentation, diploma recognition, and filing — this is a service SVOY. Applying to universities abroad follows its own rules, and deadlines submission is almost everywhere earlier than it seems.

Explore the options

Russians in Georgia