Health insurance at entry, a local SIM, the residence permit window, the tax number and the bank account in a workable order, with the rules that changed in 2026 and the ones sources still disagree on.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first 30 days in Georgia hinge on two clocks: the length of your visa-free stay, which 2026 aggregator sites give as 360 or 365 days and which is not confirmed by an official Georgian page, and the health insurance that is reported to be mandatory for tourists and visa-free entrants since 1 January 2026, with a minimum of about GEL 30,000. A residence permit is filed before the visa-free period ends and one source says it is decided in about 30 days. The tax number comes through the Revenue Service, sources disagree on whether it has 9 or 11 digits, and a local SIM is needed for the online portal codes. Everything here is from search summaries of law-firm, consultancy and press pages, not official pages.
What depends on your status: visa-free stay or residence permit
Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine can enter Georgia without a visa, and for many of them the first year is spent on this basis. The length is where sources split. Several 2026 aggregator sites give 360 or 365 days, one older source gives 90 days and an even older one 30 days. We could not confirm the figure on an official Georgian page, so check it on the border service or consular site before you plan a year around it.
The practical consequences: - On a visa-free stay you are a tourist for the insurance rule, for the bank and for the tax office, which treat tourists and permit holders differently. - A residence permit is filed before the visa-free period ends. One guide names the Public Service Hall as the place to file; one source says the decision takes about 30 days. We found no official fee schedule or document list. - Documents such as marriage and birth certificates are better apostilled in the home country in advance (one guide).
Our articles on the purchase and the permit through property: buying property in Georgia with a Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passport, the residence permit through property and tax residency and the 183 days. One source reports that the property threshold for a permit rose from USD 100,000 to USD 150,000 on 1 March 2026; our own article uses the wording of the legal text, so read it before you rely on a number.
Days 1 to 3: insurance, SIM and the address
- Health insurance. Several news and law-firm pages report that, from 1 January 2026, foreign tourists entering visa-free or on a tourist visa need a policy valid for the whole stay, entry and exit dates included, with a minimum of about GEL 30,000 and cover for accidents, evacuation and repatriation. Georgian and foreign insurers are acceptable if they are authorised. The patrol police check it at the border and the fines were still to be set. One source says residence permit holders are not subject to the rule; confirm it.
- Local SIM. Buy it with your passport. The Revenue Service portal sends one-time codes by SMS to a Georgian number, and a foreign SIM often does not receive them.
- Address. Keep the lease or title deed and a copy of the landlord's ID: you will use them for the bank, the permit and the utilities.
- Cash. Keep enough for the first weeks, because the bank account may take longer than the lease.
Week 1: utilities, address proof and the tax number
Put the electricity, water and gas into your name or confirm with the landlord who pays, and keep the bills. They are proof of address for the bank and for the permit application. For monthly costs see the monthly budget in Tbilisi and Batumi.
Request the tax number this week if you plan to open a business, rent out a property or ask the bank for a product that needs it. The Revenue Service issues the number when a permit, an entity or an individual-entrepreneur status is registered, and a person can also register with a passport at a Public Service Hall, often on the same day (consultancy pages). Remote registration from abroad is not supported according to one page, while another says a representative with a power of attorney can do it. The same sources disagree on whether the number has 9 digits for foreigners or 11 as for citizens, so check the format against your own document.
Weeks 2 to 4: bank account, permit file and health cover
Bank. Consultancy guides describe a visit to a branch with a passport, a Georgian phone number and a questionnaire on the purpose of the account and the source of income. A residence permit improves the chances. Remote opening is limited: one guide says a final visit in the branch is still needed, another says power of attorney services exist. The statement from your home bank for the last 6 months and proof of income are commonly asked. Refusals happen and one guide names Credo Bank as an alternative to TBC and Bank of Georgia. No bank statement of its own policy for Russian citizens was found. Read resident bank accounts abroad and banking and mortgages in Georgia for foreigners before the visit. This is a factual list of what banks ask and not advice on how to avoid checks.
Permit. If you intend to stay beyond the visa-free period, assemble the documents in weeks 2 and 3 and file well before the deadline. Do not leave it to the last month.
Health. A local policy, private clinics and prescriptions are covered in health insurance and doctors after moving abroad. We found no data on clinics in Tbilisi and Batumi that accept foreign policies.
Work and income: the 2026 change
One source reports that from 1 March 2026 most foreigners who are employed or self-employed in Georgia need a work authorisation, and another says individual-entrepreneur status for people without a residence permit is also affected by the insurance rule. These are single-source statements and the practical effect on passive rental income was not checked. If you plan to work, ask a Georgian lawyer before you register anything.
Driving, school and documents: what we could not confirm
We found no data on exchanging or using a Russian driving licence in Georgia, school registration for foreign children or SIM rules beyond the passport requirement. We do not guess. For licences see driving licence abroad: exchange or new exam; for schools see schools and education when relocating abroad. The general order of steps for any country is in the 30-day checklist.
Typical mistakes of the first month
- Entering without the insurance that is reported to be required, and meeting the patrol police at the border without a policy.
- Planning a year around 365 days of visa-free stay without checking the current rule.
- Registering for the tax portal with a foreign SIM and not receiving the codes.
- Going to a bank with only a passport and no proof of income or a recent statement.
- Leaving the permit file to the last weeks of the visa-free period.
- Mixing up the format of the tax number: check whether yours has 9 or 11 digits.
- Relying on one consultancy post. Rules changed in 2026 and sources conflict.
One-page checklist
- Passport, entry proof, lease or title deed, landlord's ID in one folder.
- Health policy valid for the whole stay (reported minimum about GEL 30,000).
- Local SIM bought with the passport.
- Utility bills in your name or a note on who pays.
- Tax number request (Revenue Service or Public Service Hall), if you need it.
- Statement from your home bank for 6 months and proof of income.
- Bank account application at a branch.
- Permit documents apostilled and filed before the visa-free period ends.
- Written answers from the school, the clinic and the authorities on what you could not confirm.
This article is a general checklist and not legal advice. Confirm every rule with the office or the bank before you act.
FAQ
How long can I stay in Georgia without a visa? 2026 aggregator sites give 360 or 365 days for Russian passport holders, but older sources give 90 or 30 days and we could not find an official Georgian page. Check the border service site before you plan a year.
Is health insurance really mandatory? Several news and law-firm pages say so for tourists and visa-free entrants from 1 January 2026, with a minimum of about GEL 30,000. Fines were still to be set. One source says residence permit holders are exempt; confirm it.
When should I file for a residence permit? Before the visa-free period ends. One guide says the decision takes about 30 days, so file in the first months and not in the last weeks.
Do I need a tax number to live in Georgia? Not for every situation. You need it for a business, an individual-entrepreneur status or some bank products. It is issued with a permit or an entity registration or at a Public Service Hall with a passport.
Can a Russian citizen open a bank account in Georgia? Guides describe it as possible but not guaranteed. A branch visit, a Georgian phone number, a questionnaire and proof of income are typical, and refusals are reported. A residence permit improves the chances.