Due to the liberalization of the visa policy, foreigners have become more actively interested in the Georgian citizenship program. A permanent resident of the country receives a number of advantages, including tax benefits, the opportunity to purchase agricultural land, as well as the right to 90-day visa-free entry to EU countries. In addition, the Republic is among the safest in the world.
The civil legislation of Georgia is based on the Law "On Citizenship" and the Constitution of Georgia. The regulatory framework defines the norms, conditions and requirements for the applicant. The principles of obtaining residency, subject to all compliance criteria, allow you to send an application to any foreigner. However, the law does not exclude the possibility of losing the status received.
Ways to obtain citizenship
Georgia can be called a deeply conservative country, which has left its mark on the number of available options for obtaining Georgian citizenship. In general, civil legislation is quite strict, but provides the following ways:
- By right of birth. If a child has at least one parent with citizenship, then he becomes a citizen by default. The place of birth does not matter. At the same time, children born in the country to parents with foreign residence do not have the right to receive such a status.
- Repatriation. The program can be used by persons who arrived from the occupied territory recognized by the government, forcibly displaced (during the USSR period), who emigrated earlier for political and other reasons.
- Through marriage. The spouse of a citizen can request permanent residence through the naturalization procedure, which has simplified requirements. In this case, you will need to prove a minimum period of 5 years (instead of 10), as well as provide certificates of knowledge of the language and culture of Georgia.
- Naturalization. The main criteria for compliance with the standard program are continuous residence in the Republic for at least 10 years, passing an exam in language, history, law, as well as the availability of funds to support yourself and your family.
- Recovery. A procedure designed for persons with revoked citizenship in case of illegal actions, voluntary refusal or decision of guardians.
- Investment. For wealthy foreigners, there are 2 options available – depositing funds into the country's economy in the amount of $100,000 (granting a residence permit for 5 years) and investing from $300,000 (issuing an indefinite residence permit). Both methods involve the possibility of obtaining residency under the naturalization program, provided that you have lived in the Republic for 10 years.
Advantages of Georgian citizenship
As of 2024, the Republic's passport provides high global mobility, allowing visa-free travel to 137 countries around the world, including the countries of the Schengen Agreement, Asia and America. The country also attracts with various benefits, favorable tax policy and many other advantages. In addition to these, other advantages of Georgian citizenship can be highlighted:
- A favorable business environment. According to the rating of economic freedom, the Republic is consistently among the best.
- Employment. A citizen gets the right to work in local companies, including government agencies, without restrictions.
- Low taxes for individuals and legal entities. Enterprises with an annual income of less than 500,000 lari (equivalent to $189,000) are subject to only 1% income tax. For individuals, depending on personal circumstances and available benefits, the tax base can range from 0 to 20%.
- Free education and medicine. Citizens receive affordable and high-quality public services.
- The security level. Georgia is among the 20 countries recognized as the safest in the world.
Dual citizenship
Strict requirements are imposed on the conditions for obtaining dual or multiple citizenship. Legally, the right to have 2 (or more passports) is granted only to persons who have received the status on the basis of an exclusive state interest. In other cases, the applicant must renounce the original residence in favor of the Georgian one.
In order to apply, the candidate must send an application addressed to the President of Georgia with the provision of a full package of documents. Additional conditions include the need to provide two letters of recommendation from current residents of the Republic and a signed oath of allegiance to the country.
Citizenship by Investment Program
There is no direct program for granting residency for investments in Georgia. However, thanks to the Golden Visa program, foreign investors get the opportunity to obtain permanent residence through a residence permit. The program provides various options corresponding to different goals and financial opportunities.
According to the rules that came into force on July 2, 2019, foreign investors are provided with several options for obtaining residency, differing in the amount of minimum investments:
- From $100,000. They allow you to get a residence permit for 5 years. If the investments are maintained after 5 years, then a permanent residence permit is provided.
- From $300,000. Right of permanent residence.
The applicant can finance an agreed government project, develop a business, buy real estate or non-agricultural land.
Financial injections are the first step on the path to citizenship. After 10 years of continuous residence in the country, a foreigner can apply for residency. At the same time, you will have to prove compliance with additional conditions – knowledge of the Georgian language, history and culture. Marriage with a citizen of Georgia may be considered as the right to accelerated naturalization. Only after fulfilling all the requirements, a foreign citizen can expect to receive a Georgian passport.
Recent reforms of the citizenship program
Amendments to the Law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons" entered into force in Georgia on May 12, 2021. The introduced rules tighten the conditions for obtaining a residence permit and permanent residence. The bill passed all parliamentary hearings and was approved within 2 months.
The law clarifies the concept of a family member, narrowing this concept. For example, a minor child may be considered a family member. Persons who have reached the age of majority are excluded from the immediate family circle. The amendments narrowed the scope of the D5 visa. Now this type of visa will not be issued to any family member of a foreigner who owns real estate, but only to a child and a spouse.
The changes affected the initial timing of the issuance of a residence permit. Now it will be from 6 to 12 months. Previously, the minimum period was not set. In addition, the Agency for the Development of Public Services has additional powers. The authority now has the right to check information about the applicant more thoroughly, including personal visits and inspections.
And since May 1, 2024, the updated rules for taking exams on knowledge of the Georgian language, history and the basics of constitutional law have entered into force.
Step-by-step application process
If we consider each of the ways to obtain citizenship, then all programs assume a certain pattern of actions. Depending on personal circumstances and procedural requirements, it may change. However, in the standard case, the application process looks like this:
If the current citizenship of the foreigner allows, then you can use the right of visa-free entry and stay for up to 1 year. In the absence of such an opportunity, apply for the appropriate type of visa.
Based on the available conditions, make a request for a temporary residence permit. It is issued in the House of Justice or the territorial department of the Agency for the Development of Public Services. The validity period is from 6 months to 6 years. For relatives of Georgian citizens, the right to permanent residence is granted immediately. Without preferential conditions, permanent residence can be issued only after 10 years of permanent residence.
The applicant prepares the dossier and carries out its legalization – translation and apostille.
You can get acquainted with the new rules and requirements for the examinee on the website of the Agency for the Development of Public Services of Georgia.
The application is made at the House of Justice or the Agency for the Development of Public Services. If the candidate is abroad, then at the embassy.
After the verification of trustworthiness and the issuance of approval in principle, the applicant receives a certificate of assignment of the status of citizen and a national identity card.
Collecting documents and submitting an application
If a foreigner does not have the opportunity to speed up the procedure for obtaining residency (through family ties, marriage or investments), then they will have to undergo the naturalization procedure. In this case, the candidate must provide information about employment or business activities, ownership, ownership of securities and other personal information. This is required to prove the existence of sources of income for self-sufficiency and maintenance of dependents.
After providing personal data and the required information, the foreigner must go through the standard citizenship registration process:
- Choosing the basis for obtaining residency.
- Moving and obtaining the right to permanent residence.
- Preparation of the applicant's dossier.
- Registration of the application.
- Assigning the appropriate status.
List of documents
When applying for citizenship, the candidate and his family members must provide a set of personal documents. Each program puts forward individual requirements for the dossier, but in a standard form, the checklist includes:
- A completed application.
- A birth certificate.
- 2 photos 3x4.
- Information about the place of work/business, ownership of real estate.
- Certificate of passing the exam for knowledge of the language, history, and law of Georgia.
- Receipts for payment of state duties.
Consideration and decision
The terms of consideration of the application and the cost of processing are related. As a rule, the application is considered by the competent authorities within several months. The standard cost is 65 GEL. To speed up the procedure, GEL 390 should be paid and the processing time is reduced to 20 days. There are 2 more options: GEL 130 for consideration within 2 months and GEL 260 for verification in 40 days.
If the application is sent by a person who does not have citizenship, then it is processed for a standard period of up to 80 days.
After receiving the approval of the application, another state fee (GEL 150) should be paid for the registration of a biometric identity card. In case of urgent issue, you need to pay 350 GEL.
Disadvantages of Georgian citizenship
Many expats choose Georgia as a country for comfortable relocation. However, along with the advantages of obtaining residency, this status has several disadvantages that you should be aware of.
Civil law offers standard programs for obtaining citizenship, but the eligibility criteria are quite strict. In addition to strict requirements for the reliability of the candidate, the naturalization program requires living in the Republic for at least 10 years. If there are no conditions for reducing this period, then it is necessary to obtain a residence permit and regularly extend it.
There is also no possibility for foreign investors to obtain a Georgian passport in an expedited manner. The available investments only allow you to obtain a residence permit and switch to a naturalization program, which, again, requires a long period of permanent residence in the country.
Thus, one should not hope for a simple acquisition of citizenship. It is much easier for a foreigner to enter Georgia by right of visa-free entry and enjoy the available benefits for 1 year. And after re-departure / entry into the country, get a similar period of free stay.