Tbilisi or Batumi
Tbilisi is the capital, with a job market and life all year round. Batumi is a coastal city with a strong summer season. Rent in both before you buy.
Moving to Georgia. The first steps in the right order.
In short
British citizens can visit Georgia without a visa for up to a year, according to the UK Foreign Office; the German Foreign Office gives up to 360 days for Germans. Since 1 January 2026 you need health and accident insurance with cover of at least GEL 30,000 to enter. To stay longer you apply for a residence permit, for example through property with a market value above USD 150,000. If you leave Germany, you deregister within two weeks of moving out.
The stepsDeregistering at home does not by itself end your tax liability there. A home you keep may be enough to keep you resident.
Tax residency in GeorgiaProcess
The move in four steps.
In this order, each step builds on the one before. The details are in separate guides; this page links them up.
- 1
Sort out residence
Check on geoconsul.gov.ge how long your nationality may stay without a visa. If you plan to stay for good, prepare the residence permit application early; the Public Service Development Agency handles it.
- 2
Take out health insurance
Since 1 January 2026 Georgia has required proof of health and accident insurance with at least GEL 30,000 of cover for the whole stay, printed or electronic, in English or Georgian. For a move you need a policy that also works long term.
- 3
Deregister at home
In Germany, anyone who moves out without taking a new home in the country must deregister within two weeks under section 17(2) of the Federal Registration Act, and no earlier than a week before. Other countries have their own rules.
- 4
Settle in
For rental income or work, register with the Revenue Service as a taxpayer and receive an identification number. Applications to public bodies and the registry go through the Public Service Hall; you open a bank account at a branch.
Keep an eye on tax
Spend 183 days or more in Georgia in any continuous twelve-month period and you become tax resident there. Whether your home country keeps taxing you depends on where you keep a home and on the double tax treaty.
Before you go
What to prepare at home.
Much of this is hard to sort out from Georgia. These points are better dealt with before you leave.
Documents with an apostille
Birth and marriage certificates, diplomas and powers of attorney usually need an apostille and a certified translation for Georgian authorities. Both are quicker to obtain at home.
Insurance and contracts
Cancel or adjust health insurance, liability cover, your tenancy, electricity and phone contracts. Ask your health insurer what happens to your membership when you move abroad.
Post and accounts
Keep a home-country bank account and a postal address for authorities, pension providers and banks. Ask your bank if it will keep you as a customer once you live in Georgia.
A trial stay
Rent for a few months before you move, ideally including the winter. Many questions about the district, the building and daily life are only answered on the ground.
Living in Georgia
All guides to living in Georgia.
Retirement, family, remote work and health insurance. Each page names its sources and the date it was last checked.
Retiring in Georgia
Pensions paid abroad, tax, health cover and residence at a glance.
Moving to Georgia with a family
Schools, residence and neighbourhoods for families.
Working remotely from Georgia
Stay, the 1% status and whether to buy or rent.
Health insurance in Georgia
The entry requirement and cover for long stays.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about moving to Georgia.
Requirements, residence, deregistering and daily life.
What are the requirements to relocate to Georgia?
British citizens need no visa for visits of up to a year, but since 2026 they need health and accident insurance with at least GEL 30,000 of cover. Longer stays need a residence permit, for example through work, family or property with a market value above USD 150,000.
How long can I stay in Georgia without a visa?
British citizens may visit for up to a year, according to the UK Foreign Office; the German Foreign Office states up to 360 days for Germans. For other nationalities, Georgia's foreign ministry gives the period on geoconsul.gov.ge. Check it before any long stay.
Do I have to deregister in my home country?
In Germany, yes, if you move out and take no new home there: within two weeks of moving out under section 17(2) of the Federal Registration Act. The UK has no registration system of this kind, but HMRC and your bank need your new address.
Do I need to buy property to live in Georgia?
No. Many people rent first. A flat with a market value above USD 150,000 can, however, be the route to a short-term residence permit.
What is living in Batumi like as a foreigner?
Batumi is busy in summer and quiet in winter, when it rains a great deal, many holiday flats stand empty and beach bars close. If you want to live there all year, spend a winter there first.
Last reviewed on 3 November 2026. Sources: German Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de): Georgia travel and safety advice, entry requirements, as of 2 November 2026; UK Foreign Office travel advice (gov.uk), Georgia, entry requirements, updated 15 September 2026, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (geoconsul.gov.ge): list of countries with visa-free stays, Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (matsne.gov.ge); Public Service Development Agency (sda.gov.ge), German Federal Registration Act, section 17(2) (gesetze-im-internet.de), Revenue Service of Georgia (rs.ge): taxpayer registration. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
The key steps in detail.
The residence permit, tax residency and health insurance.
Plan the move, choose where to live.
Once you know where you want to live, project pages show location, fit-out and running costs.