Georgian citizenship in 2026: how to get it and how long it takes

10 years on a residence permit, an exam and leaving your previous citizenship, while only citizenship by way of exception from the President keeps both passports. Routes, fees, timelines and what happens to a Russian passport.

Georgian citizenship is obtained after 10 years of lawful residence on a residence permit, an exam in Georgian, history and basic law, and ties to the country: a job, property or a business. Spouses of Georgian citizens need 5 years. For Russian citizens the key condition is different: the citizenship decree takes effect only after you leave Russian citizenship, and both passports can be kept only with citizenship by way of exception granted by the President. Keeping two passports is covered in our article on Georgia and Russia dual citizenship, and the first step is Georgian residence.

Routes to Georgian citizenship

Visa-free years do not count towards citizenship: Russian citizens can live in Georgia without a visa for up to a year, but naturalisation needs a residence permit. So the 10-year clock starts with the first residence permit, for work, business, study or property from $150,000 by appraisal.

The citizenship exam

The exam has three parts: the Georgian language, Georgian history and basic law. The first attempt is free, and each further one costs 40 lari, about $20. A passed exam is valid for 1 year, so the citizenship application is filed within that time. Language is the hardest part: the Georgian alphabet and grammar are unlike Russian or European languages, and people start preparing a year or two ahead.

What it costs and how long it takes

The rate is about 2.6 lari to the dollar in 2026. Applications are reviewed by the Public Service Development Agency, and citizenship by way of exception is granted by the President. The whole regular route is at least 10 years on a residence permit plus up to 3 months of review and the time to leave Russian citizenship. Government fees are small; the main costs are 10 years of living in the country, translations and apostilles. The cost of Murblz support depends on the route and family; our manager in the chat will calculate it.

What happens to your Russian passport

Georgia's Organic Law on Citizenship is built on a single citizenship. A citizenship decree for a foreigner takes effect only when the Georgian authorities receive a document confirming exit from the previous citizenship. Leaving Russian citizenship is done through the consulate: in Tbilisi Russian consular matters are handled by the interests section at the Swiss embassy, with a decision within 6 months. Tax or fine arrears, enforcement proceedings or a criminal case block the exit. The order matters: Georgia's decision first, then the exit, otherwise you may end up stateless.

Citizenship by way of exception keeps the Russian passport, and you must then notify Russia's Interior Ministry of the second citizenship within 60 days.

What a Georgian passport gives

• Travel. Visa-free entry to the EU on an ordinary passport remains in force. From 6 March 2026 the EU suspended visa-free travel for a year only for diplomatic and service passports.
• Taxes. They depend on residence, not the passport: a Georgian resident pays 20% income tax, and a small business 1% of turnover up to 500,000 lari a year. More on our page on taxes in Georgia.
• Army. Under the 2023 Defence Code, male citizens aged 18 to 27 serve 12 months, with conscripts chosen by lot.

How we help

The law does not stop you applying on your own. But mistakes cost more than fees: counting visa-free years instead of residence, leaving Russian citizenship before Georgia's decision, debts in Russia that block the exit, an exception application without proof of state interest. We obtain residence, track your residence time, prepare you for the exam and the citizenship application and time the exit from Russian citizenship.

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