Moving from Russia to Georgia
Moving from Russia to Georgia: Russia passport holders get visa-free (360 days) for short stays and need a residence permit to settle. Georgia costs about $1,050/month for one person. Citizenship takes about 10 years of residence.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Visa & entry
Visa-free (360 days) for short visits. To settle you'll need a residence route:
- Individual Entrepreneur (small-business status) — Register as a sole trader — famous for its 1% small-business tax regime.
Documents & apostille
Single apostille each end. Both countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention — one apostille from Russia makes your documents valid in Georgia.
Where in Russia: apostille issued by several bodies depending on document type — Ministry of Justice (via territorial offices) for notarial/court docs, Rosobrnadzor for education documents, regional ZAGS (civil-registry) offices for civil-status docs, and regional State Archives
↳ Georgia: Education documents (diplomas) go through the education-ministry agency, not PSDA; e-Apostille available
Check each document →Cost, tax & salary
Cost of living in Georgia: around $1,050/mo for one person.
Citizenship & residency
PR after 10yr on a temp permit (~6yr only via property investment); ordinary naturalisation 10yr; dual only by state-interest exception; Georgian language/history/law exam.
Your path to a passport →Arrival checklist
- Register your address: None (address is recorded via the Public Service Development Agency when you obtain an ID/residence permit)
- Get a tax number: Personal Number (on ID); entrepreneurs/taxpayers get a Taxpayer ID by registering with the Revenue Service (rs.ge)
- Residence permit: Residence permit / ბინადრობის ნებართვა (issued by the Public Service Development Agency)
- Healthcare: Private insurance for foreigners (state Universal Healthcare covers citizens/permanent residents)
Long visa-free stays reduce urgency; residence permit via SDA takes ~30 days. Banking has tightened — opening an account as a newcomer can require the residence permit or proof of local ties.
Your move, step by step →Driving
Broad — any country's valid licence (or expired <1yr) can be exchanged without a test; no reciprocity list. Requires apostilled/legalized authenticity notice from issuing country.
Exchange allowed only if licence valid or expired <1 year; foreign-country authenticity notice must be apostilled/legalized, translated & notarized, and used within 90 days of issuance. Exchange offices exclude Tbilisi (Rustavi HQ). Countries/details: verify.
Exchange your licence →Pets
- Microchip: Required; ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit), implanted before rabies vaccination.
- Rabies: Required; given 21 days to 11 months before entry; pet must be 12+ weeks old.
- Quarantine: None if compliant; non-compliant pets face quarantine, return, or euthanasia.
Georgia — quick facts
Start your move from Russia to Georgia
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