What you are actually paying for
Most Georgian residence permit applications are not legally complicated. The paperwork is. A typical file needs a passport, proof of the basis you are applying on, health insurance covering the whole permit period, and certified Georgian translations of anything foreign, several items apostilled in their country of origin. An immigration lawyer in Tbilisi is being paid to know which documents the Public Service Development Agency will reject before you submit, not to argue points of law.
That changes the moment something goes wrong. Refusals, revocations, overstay penalties and appeals to Tbilisi City Court are genuine legal work, and the gap between a form-filling agency and a litigating firm becomes very visible.
What it costs in Tbilisi
Published service fees for a standard permit sit around 1,000 to 2,000 GEL, often before VAT. Government fees run roughly 210 to 600 GEL depending on processing speed. Investment and IT-based routes cost more, study permits less. Consultations range from free to a flat 200 EUR for an hour with a named partner, and the free ones are usually sales calls.
Appeals and court representation are priced separately, normally hourly or on a per-stage basis. Ask for the fee structure in writing before you engage, and ask specifically whether translations, apostilles and insurance are included or billed on top. They usually are not included.
How to choose
- Check the entity, not the brand. Several of these firms trade under a marketing domain and are registered as something else. A company ID published on the site is a good sign.
- Ask whether they litigate. If a firm has never taken a refusal to court, they are an application service, which is fine until you need more.
- Match the specialism to your route. Investment and property permits, work permits and family reunification are three different bodies of practice.
- Get the quote in writing, including state fees, translation and apostille costs.
- Confirm who you will actually deal with. In small firms it is the partner. In larger ones it may be a paralegal, which is cheaper and often faster.
Red flags
Guaranteed approval. A promised timeline shorter than the statutory 10 to 30 days. Anyone asking to keep your original passport. Vague pricing that only firms up after you have paid a deposit. And any adviser who cannot explain, in one sentence, which legal basis your application will be filed under.
When to skip the lawyer
If you are a first-time applicant on a work or family route, your documents are already apostilled, and you read English comfortably, the self-file route is realistic and the agency's front desk will accept it. Pay for help when you have been refused before, when the permit sits on top of a company or property structure, when your income comes from several countries, or when the March 2026 work permit rules apply to you and the classification is unclear. Those four situations are where the fee earns itself back.
