Georgia — Residency: Citizenship

Key facts

• Ordinary naturalisation requires at least 5 years of legal, uninterrupted residence in Georgia before applying.
• Applicants must pass tests in the state language and in Georgian history and the basics of Georgian legislation, examined by a special commission.
• Applicants must also be employed in Georgia, own real estate there, run a business, or hold shares in a Georgian enterprise.
• A spouse of a Georgian citizen can use a simplified procedure after 2 years of legal, uninterrupted residence, still with the language and history requirements.
• The President of Georgia decides on naturalisation by order; the decision is made within 3 months, and a refused applicant can reapply after 6 months.
• The order takes effect once the authorities receive a document certifying renunciation of the foreign citizenship, because the guidebook states a citizen cannot hold another citizenship except in constitutional exceptions.
• Applications go to a territorial office of the Public Service Development Agency, a Public Service Hall branch or a Community Centre, or to a Georgian mission abroad.
• This is the 2015 edition of the guidebook; Georgian citizenship law may have changed since.

Steps

1. Application Submission — The application process is not publicly disclosed due to lack of official documentation.
2. Background Check — Details of the background check process are unknown.
3. Interview — The interview process details are not publicly available.
4. Decision — The citizenship decision process and timelines are not publicly disclosed.