Georgia (Caucasus) Temporary Residency Visa-Free for US Citizens

Overview

Georgia (the country, in the Caucasus) allows US citizens to enter and stay visa-free for a full 1 year under government Ordinance №255 — one of the most generous visa-free regimes in the world. Many Americans simply live in Georgia on the visa-free stay, doing a border run once a year. For those who want formal residence status, Georgia offers several residence permit routes through the Public Service Development Agency.

Residence permit routes (current rules)

  1. Work / entrepreneur temporary residence permit — based on employment with a Georgian employer or your own business activity in Georgia. This is the practical route for freelancers and business owners (many register as a Georgian individual entrepreneur).
  2. Investment residence permit — requires an investment of at least US$300,000 in Georgia, or ownership of immovable property worth more than US$300,000.
  3. Short-term residence permit via property ownership — based on owning residential real estate in Georgia. The minimum property value was raised to US$150,000 effective March 1, 2026 (previously US$100,000).

Application fees (set in Georgian lari, by processing speed): GEL 300 (~US$110) for 30-day processing, GEL 450 (~US$165) for 20 days, or GEL 600 (~US$220) for 10 days.

⚠️ Older guides — including a previous version of this page — described a “$200/year temporary residency for a $5,000 investment.” No such route exists in Georgian law; the real routes are the three listed above.

US tax obligations as expat

⚠️ Critical: as US citizen, you remain obligated to file US federal taxes.

  • Form 1040 annual with worldwide income
  • FEIE Form 2555: exclude up to $132,900 (tax year 2026) if you qualify — the IRS requires foreign earned income, a tax home in a foreign country, and passing the bona fide residence test or the 330-day physical presence test; residing abroad alone is not enough
  • Foreign Tax Credit Form 1116: avoid double taxation
  • FBAR FinCEN Form 114: if foreign accounts >$10K aggregated
  • FATCA Form 8938 — living abroad, the thresholds are higher: if you must file a US income tax return, file Form 8938 if your specified foreign financial assets exceed $200,000 (single) or $400,000 (married filing jointly) on the last day of the year, or $300,000 / $600,000 at any point during the year. The $50,000 / $100,000 figures are the thresholds for filers living in the US.

See: US obligations abroad

Services and banking

As expat in Georgia, consider:

  • Local bank account (for daily expenses)
  • Maintain US account (for Social Security, Medicare)
  • International transfers: the 1% remittance excise tax (IRC § 4475, on transfers after December 31, 2025) reaches only transfers the sender funds with cash, a money order, a cashier’s check, or any other similar physical instrument (as determined by the Secretary). Section 4475(d) exempts transfers funded from an account at a US financial institution or with a US-issued debit or credit card — which covers an ordinary Wise or bank transfer.
  • Credit card: many US ones don’t work; get country one

Healthcare

Medicare generally does NOT cover in Georgia. Options:

  • Local insurance: country’s national coverage
  • International insurance (Cigna Global, AXA): worldwide coverage
  • Traveler’s private insurance (short term)

Last verified: 2026-09-10.

General information — not legal advice. Consult immigration attorney in destination country for specific cases.