CITIZENSHIP OF GEORGIA
Georgia is a small country located in the Transcaucasus at the junction of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is washed by the Black Sea and borders Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast. It is a very beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage, stunning nature, delicious cuisine and hospitable inhabitants.
Today, many foreigners not only enjoy the local beauty, but also find work in Georgia and move to this country for a long period of time in order to obtain a Georgian passport in the future. Let's learn more about how to obtain Georgian citizenship in 2025 for foreigners.
CONTENTS
What does Georgian citizenship and life in Georgia give you?
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The ability to engage in any lawful activity, including running a business, working, studying, or simply retiring.
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Equal constitutional rights and freedoms, including health care and social security.
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Living in a beautiful country with a mild climate and diverse nature – from manicured seashores to high snow-capped mountains.
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The Georgian authorities are actively fighting corruption, organized crime and generally building a modern democratic state.
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The official religion of Georgia is Orthodox Christianity, which is practiced by up to 84% of the local population.
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The average life expectancy in Georgia is about 76.4 years, which is longer than in most neighboring countries.
Dual citizenship in Georgia
In September 2018, the Parliament of Georgia adopted amendments to the Constitution, according to which Georgian citizens will no longer be deprived of their passports if they acquire citizenship of another country. The main condition is the official consent of the Georgian authorities.
The provision of the law became fully effective on December 31, 2020. In addition, the amendments provide for an increase in the period of residence in the country to obtain a Georgian passport under the usual naturalization procedure from 5 to 10 years, as well as from 2 to 5 years for spouses of Georgian citizens (simplified scheme).
Obtaining Georgian citizenship
The population of Georgia in 2025 is about 3.8 million people. According to the latest census, the ethnic composition is as follows – 86.8% Georgians, 6.3% Azerbaijanis, 4.5% Armenians, 0.7% Russians, 0.2% Ukrainians and a small number of representatives of other nationalities. The conditions for obtaining a Georgian passport are regulated by the local law "On Citizenship" dated April 30, 2014 with amendments.
Ways to obtain Georgian citizenship
Citizenship of Georgia by birth
Citizenship of Georgia by granting (naturalization):
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Regular procedure
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Simplified procedure
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By way of exception
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By way of restoration
Citizenship of Georgia by birth
Issued to:
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To a child, one of whose parents is a Georgian citizen.
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A child born on the territory of Georgia whose parents are stateless persons.
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A child born on the territory of Georgia, one of whose parents is a stateless person, and nothing is known about the second parent.
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A child born on the territory of Georgia through surrogacy, when the native countries of the parents do not recognize this person as a citizen.
Important. Minor children found or residing on Georgian territory, about whose parents nothing is known, are considered citizens of Georgia.
In addition to the conditions described above, the granting of Georgian citizenship by birth is envisaged in the following cases:
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A person born before March 31, 1975, who has resided on Georgian territory for at least five years in total, has been in the country by March 31, 1993, and has not acquired citizenship of another country.
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A person born after March 31, 1975, who had resided on Georgian territory by March 31, 1993, and had not acquired citizenship of another country.
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A person born in Georgia who left the country after December 21, 1991, has not acquired citizenship of another country and does not meet the requirements specified in the two paragraphs above.
Citizenship of Georgia by granting (naturalization)
Regular procedure
The candidate must fulfill the following conditions:
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Lawfully reside in Georgia for the last 10 consecutive years prior to the day of application for citizenship.
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Be proficient in the Georgian language, know the history of Georgia and basic legislation/principles of law.
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Fulfill one of the requirements: have a legal job, own real estate in Georgia, run a business on Georgian territory or own shares in a local company.
Decision on granting Georgian citizenship by naturalization is made within 3 months. In case of a negative decision after 12 months the candidate can reapply.
Simplified procedure
In a simplified procedure Georgian passport is granted to spouses of Georgian citizens who are legally married and have been residing in the country continuously for at least 5 years. In addition, the candidate must fulfill the second paragraph of the conditions for regular naturalization in terms of knowledge of the Georgian language, history and basic laws of Georgia.
Exclusion procedure
The procedure of exclusion allows a foreigner to obtain a Georgian passport based on the decision of the President of Georgia. The document is granted for exceptional contribution to the development of the Georgian state, as well as if the person is of value to the interests of the country.
Usually such factors are taken into account – the foreigner considers Georgia to be his/her native country, lives on the occupied territory, has high achievements in sports, science or art, makes significant investments in the local economy, had to leave Georgia for political convictions or due to a difficult socio-economic situation.
Note. Even in case of obtaining Georgian citizenship by way of exception, the candidate is still obliged to know Georgian language, history and laws of Georgia.
By way of restoration
Georgian citizenship is restored in case of:
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Rejection of a Georgian passport.
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Illegal termination of citizenship.
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Based on the decision of the parents.
Application for Georgian citizenship
The application and the list of documents for obtaining a Georgian passport shall be submitted in person or through an authorized representative to the territorial branch of the Civil Service Development Agency, a branch of the Civil Service Hall or the Community Center.
In case of residence outside Georgia, it is necessary to apply to a diplomatic mission or consular office of Georgia abroad or submit an online application through the remote service of the Civil Service Development Agency on the official website – intpass.sda.gov.ge.
Important. The granting of Georgian citizenship will be denied if the candidate has committed international or serious crimes, as well as in the interests of protecting the state security of Georgia.
In conclusion, it should be noted that one of the main problems of Georgia is considered to be the shadow economy sector and youth unemployment. According to official data from the National Bureau of Statistics, up to half of Georgians between the ages of 20 and 34 do not have an official job. When planning to move to Georgia in order to obtain citizenship, it is worth considering that there are still plenty of social, economic and political difficulties in the country.
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