Starting from March 1, 2026, Georgia will introduce a change that directly affects foreign property buyers. The minimum value of real estate required to qualify for a temporary residence permit will increase from USD 100,000 to USD 150,000. This represents a 50% increase, making the reform one of the most significant changes to Georgia’s investment migration framework in recent years.

💡The USD 100,000 threshold was introduced back in 2019 and remained unchanged for a long period despite substantial shifts in the real estate market. Over the past five years, Georgia’s residential property market has seen strong growth. In Tbilisi, the average price of newly built residential properties increased by more than 70%, according to national statistics and industry reports. In Batumi, the growth was even more pronounced, with prices in certain investment-focused districts rising by approximately 90–100%. Against this background, the previous investment threshold effectively lost its filtering function.

After the changes take effect, the residence-by-investment model through real estate will operate under the following conditions:

— the minimum property value required to apply for a residence permit is USD 150,000;
— only properties acquired after March 1, 2026 are considered under the new rules;
— the residence permit remains temporary, with the option of annual renewal as long as ownership is maintained.

💼It is critically important that the new requirements do not apply retroactively. Properties purchased before the specified date and meeting the previous threshold of USD 100,000 can still be used to obtain and renew a residence permit, without the need for additional investment or reassessment of value.

The increase in the threshold reflects the authorities’ intention to reshape the structure of investment demand. While formally presented as a technical adjustment, in practice it marks a shift away from a mass investment residence model toward a more selective approach. Similar policies have increasingly been adopted by countries facing market overheating and a rise in purely formal migration.

📊Expected impact on the real estate market:

— properties priced below USD 120,000 are likely to lose part of the foreign demand driven solely by residence permit considerations;
— projects priced at USD 150,000 and above are expected to gain additional investment interest;
— developers will more actively adapt their offerings by combining units, revising layouts, and positioning properties as investment-oriented assets linked to migration benefits.

⏱️For potential buyers, 2025 and early 2026 represent a transitional period. Until March, it is still possible to enter the program under the previous conditions. However, the decisive factor will not be the signing of a contract, but the official registration of the transaction.