Family reunification and marriage-based residence in Georgia in 2026

Since 1 September 2026 marriage to a Georgian citizen no longer gives permanent residence at once: first a one-year temporary permit, a marriage check and five years to permanent status. Rules for spouses, children and parents.

Until autumn 2026 marriage to a Georgian citizen was the shortest route to permanent status: the foreign spouse received a permanent residence permit almost immediately after the marriage was registered. Since 1 September 2026 that is no longer so. Now a temporary spouse permit is issued first for one year, then extended for two years at a time, and the marriage is checked by an interagency commission.

The second family route is reunification with a foreigner who already holds a Georgian residence permit: through work, property, study or investment. Below: how the two cases differ, which documents are needed, what applies to children and parents, how marriages are checked, what it costs and what citizens of certain countries should know.

Marriage to a citizen of Georgia and marriage to a foreign resident

Permits are issued by the Public Service Development Agency, and documents are filed through Public Service Halls. A Georgian citizen's spouse gets the first permit for one year, each extension for two years, and permanent residence only after five years of continuous residence with the marriage intact. The application is reviewed within 90 calendar days.

A foreigner's spouse receives a family reunification permit for the term of the main applicant's status: when that permit ends or is cancelled, the family permit ends too. The table compares the two cases.

A fiancé or fiancée gets no separate status: the marriage is registered first. Foreigners register a marriage in Georgia at a Public Service Hall on translated passports, and citizens of many countries can live in Georgia visa-free before that. Years of visa-free stay do not count towards permanent status or citizenship: the clock starts with the first permit.

Documents and legalising the marriage

The application is filed in person at a Public Service Hall while your lawful stay is still valid. Citizens of visa-required countries first obtain an immigration visa for family reunification.

• passport with a translation into Georgian and a document proving lawful stay in Georgia;
• marriage certificate; birth certificates for children; foreign documents with an apostille or legalisation and a certified translation;
• the Georgian citizen's ID or the main applicant's residence permit;
• proof of lawful income or funds: an employer's letter or a bank statement;
• an address in Georgia and photographs;
• health insurance for each family member and the fee receipt.

A marriage registered abroad is accepted with an apostille or consular legalisation and a translation. If the marriage was concluded in Georgia, the certificate is issued by the Public Service Hall and needs no legalisation. Differences in the spelling of names between the passport and the certificate are a common reason for documents being returned.

Children and the other parent's consent

Minor children receive a permit together with the parent: through family reunification with a foreigner or as children of a Georgian citizen. A minor child of a Georgian citizen and a parent of a minor Georgian citizen are entitled by law to permanent residence.

If a child moves with one parent, prepare the other parent's notarised consent with an apostille and translation, or a document that replaces it: a court decision or a death certificate. Children can attend state schools taught in Georgian, and Tbilisi has Russian-language, international and private schools.

Residence for parents

Parents of an adult foreigner cannot be brought to Georgia through family reunification: the law defines family members as a spouse and minor children, plus those under guardianship or fully dependent. A parent falls within this circle only when the permit holder is a minor child.

Other routes remain for parents. Citizens of many countries can live in Georgia visa-free for up to a year at a time. Those who need a status can use a property-based permit from $150,000 by valuation, and a parent of a minor Georgian citizen is entitled to permanent residence.

How sham marriages are checked

Since 2026 the genuineness of a marriage is checked by an interagency commission. It may hold joint and separate interviews, visit the home, inspect the housing and question neighbours. Failing to attend an interview or refusing to let the commission into the flat is treated as a sign of a sham marriage.

Since 1 July 2026 a sham marriage is a criminal offence: from removal with an entry ban of 2 to 10 years or a fine, to house arrest or imprisonment for up to two years. So come to the check with real traces of a shared life: a common address, a lease in both names, joint accounts, photographs, trips.

Timelines and fees

A permit for the spouse of a Georgian citizen is reviewed within 90 calendar days, and the fee is about $200. An ordinary permit, including family reunification with a foreigner, costs about $120 with a 30-day review; faster reviews cost more.

Translations, notarisation and apostilles are paid separately. A manager will calculate the total for your family in the chat.

All other grounds for moving are collected on the page how to get a Georgia residence permit.

Common reasons for refusal

• the commission found the marriage to be a sham: the spouses do not live together, contradict each other or did not let the inspection in;
• the application was filed after the lawful stay had ended;
• the main applicant's permit has expired or been cancelled;
• marriage and birth documents without an apostille or translation, or with mismatched names;
• income not proven or no health insurance;
• administrative offences or a finding of a security risk: since September 2026 there are more grounds for refusal.

Appeal deadlines have been shortened, so it is better to check the file before applying.

Restrictions for certain nationalities

Family permit rules are the same for all foreigners; the differences concern entry and citizenship.

Citizens of Russia and Belarus, like citizens of several dozen other countries, enter Georgia visa-free and can live there for up to a year; health insurance is required on entry. This makes it possible to register a marriage and apply for a permit locally. Certificates issued in Russia are accepted with an apostille and translation.

Those planning a passport should remember that Georgia requires giving up previous citizenship on naturalisation; only citizenship by exception keeps both passports. Citizens of visa-required countries first need an immigration visa for family reunification.

This topic in other countries

Marriage-based residence and family reunification in other countries:

• Family reunification and marriage-based residence in Kazakhstan in 2026
• Family reunification and marriage-based residence in Germany in 2026
• Family reunification and marriage-based residence in Serbia in 2026

Residence, taxes and life in this country:

• how to get a Georgia residence permit
• moving to Georgia
• Georgia's migration rules from 1 September 2026
• Georgian citizenship
• Georgia tax residency
• taxes in Georgia
• Tbilisi guide

You can compare countries and grounds in the section residence permits: all countries and routes.

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