Georgian Citizenship - Ten Years, One Exam and Three Routes, Two of Them Discretionary
Citizenship looks like the natural continuation of residence, but it works on a different logic: a residence permit is a right that is granted when the conditions are met and whose refusal is challengeable in court; citizenship is a decision of the state, where naturalisation has strict but measurable criteria and the exceptional route has almost complete discretion. So the main work in a citizenship case is not "filling in the application" but making sure the ten years are documented as unbroken, the exam is passed and the application contains no formal ground for refusal.
This page describes all three routes and their real conditions: naturalisation and how the ten years are counted, the simplified route for a spouse, restoration for a former citizen, citizenship by exception and what makes such an application strong, the question of dual citizenship in both directions (a foreigner taking Georgian citizenship and a Georgian taking another), a child's citizenship and what happens on refusal. The residence grounds have their own pages.
Updated · Practice area: Immigration lawyer
Routes to Citizenship - Conditions, Periods and Whether Refusal Can Be Challenged
The route determines what is examined, how long you wait and whether you have any real possibility of challenging a refusal.
A Naturalisation Application - the Stages From Auditing the Count to the Oath
Auditing the count
The lawyer counts every period of residence in days: when it was issued, when renewed, whether there were gaps between renewals, how long you were outside the country. "Continuity" means concrete days, and one missed renewal or a long absence restarts the count - better to discover that before the application than from a refusal letter.
Checking the conditions before filing
Income or property in Georgia (returns, salary, property extract), no criminal record in either country, no tax arrears, residence status at the moment of filing. The lawyer cures defects in advance - an expired certificate or arrears is a formal ground for refusal.
Organising preparation for the exam
The exam in the language, history and basics of law requires genuine preparation; the lawyer does not sit it but explains the syllabus, format and deadlines, recommends preparation resources and includes the exam certificate in the application package. The possibility of exemption on health grounds is checked separately.
The application package and the "connection file"
Beyond the mandatory documents, the lawyer fills the application with what shows a real connection with Georgia: work history and taxes, business and employees, property, family, children's schooling, community involvement, knowledge of Georgian. This file matters most in discretionary decisions.
Review, vetting and the answer
The application is filed through the agency and goes through inter-agency vetting; the timeline runs to months. The lawyer answers follow-up questions and monitors the process; on refusal, determines whether it is formal (curable and re-filable) or discretionary.
The oath, the passport and the previous citizenship
After a positive decision - the oath and the passport; in parallel the question of the previous citizenship: whether your country prohibits or allows dual citizenship and whether notification or a renunciation procedure is required. The lawyer checks this in advance - loss of citizenship abroad is sometimes automatic.
Dual Citizenship in Both Directions - Who Needs What
Georgian law permits dual citizenship, but not automatically and not in every case. For a Georgian taking another country's citizenship the main rule is this: retention of Georgian citizenship must be requested in advance - under the established procedure, before acquiring the new citizenship or within the statutory period; without notification Georgian citizenship may be terminated, and restoring it is a separate procedure. This rule matters most for emigrants who discover years later that their passport can no longer be renewed.
For a foreigner taking Georgian citizenship two laws apply: the Georgian one, which permits dual citizenship, and that of their country of origin, which may prohibit it. Some countries terminate citizenship automatically on acquiring another, some require a formal renunciation procedure, and some are entirely indifferent. The lawyer checks this before the application together with a foreign colleague - losing citizenship in the country of origin is often more expensive (inheritance, property, pension rights) than the benefit of a Georgian passport.
Citizenship by exception is a category of its own and often means precisely dual citizenship: on the President's decision, citizenship is granted to someone with special merit or who makes a significant investment. The procedure is entirely discretionary - a refusal is not reasoned, cannot be challenged and no timeline is guaranteed; the only tool is the quality of the dossier: a documented investment and its effect (jobs, taxes, exports), references from credible sources, a real connection with the country and a clean record from a security standpoint.
What a Citizenship Case Rests On
- Ten unbroken years
- The general period for naturalisation - ten years of continuous lawful residence under a permit; the period is counted in days, and missed renewals and long absences break it. Visa-free years as a rule do not count towards it.
- The exam
- Knowledge of the Georgian language, the history of Georgia and the basics of its law in the statutory format; passing it is a mandatory condition for naturalisation, including the simplified route. Particular categories may be exempted by law.
- Income or property
- The applicant must have income, property or another means of subsistence in Georgia - evidenced by returns, salary, a business or real estate; the aim is to show integration and independence.
- Discretion
- Granting citizenship is a discretionary power of the state; a refusal of naturalisation on formal grounds is challengeable, a refusal by exception practically is not. That difference should be weighed when choosing the route.
- Retaining dual citizenship
- A Georgian taking another citizenship must request retention of the Georgian one under the established procedure; without notification citizenship may be terminated. For a foreigner, their own country's law is checked separately.
- Children
- The child of a Georgian parent is a citizen from birth, regardless of place of birth; a child of foreign parents does not acquire citizenship by birth in Georgia, save for the statutory exceptions. A parent's naturalisation does not extend to the child automatically - a separate application is needed.
What to Check Before a Naturalisation Application
- Every period of residence in days: dates of issue and expiry, gaps between renewals, changes of status.
- Days spent outside the country in recent years (a border crossing certificate) - to assess continuity.
- Exam status: passed, scheduled or preparation still needed; grounds for exemption, if any.
- Proof of income or property: returns, salary certificate, company extract, real estate.
- Criminal record certificates from Georgia and the country of citizenship, within validity, with apostille and translation.
- Your country of origin's law on dual citizenship - automatic loss, a duty to notify or a renunciation procedure.
Three Citizenship Cases
Ten years that turned out to be nine
A foreign businessman was about to apply for naturalisation after "eleven years" of living in Georgia. The lawyer's audit showed a four-month gap between permits (a late renewal, so the new permit started a new count) and that the first two years had been spent under the visa-free regime. The real count came to nine years. The solution: applying in a year's time, preparing for the exam in that period and protecting continuity strictly - instead of a refusal and another ten-year count.
A Georgian who could not renew a passport
After 12 years abroad an emigrant could not renew his Georgian passport - it turned out that on acquiring foreign citizenship he had not requested retention of the Georgian one, and it had been terminated. The lawyer: an application for restoration under the simplified route for former citizens, recovery of documents from the archives, proof of family ties. Citizenship was restored and dual citizenship retained; separate applications were filed for the children.
An investor seeking the exceptional route
An investor who had built a production facility in Georgia sought citizenship by exception. The lawyer: a dossier - the amount and documentation of the investment, jobs created and taxes paid, export figures, references from the sector association and the municipality, evidence of integration and language; and in parallel, protecting the five-year investment residence as a fallback route. Citizenship was granted; the fallback was not needed.
Questions About Citizenship
I lived here five years under the visa-free regime. Does that count towards the period?
As a rule, no - the naturalisation count is based on days of residence under a permit, and visa-free stay, however long, does not count. This is one of the most painful discoveries for people who "just lived" here for years. The practical conclusion: if citizenship is in your plans, obtaining a residence permit as early as possible is worth it - the count starts on its first day.
How many years do I need through marriage to a Georgian spouse?
Simplified naturalisation applies a shorter statutory period instead of the general ten years - conditional on the length of the marriage and lawful residence in Georgia; the exam remains. The period is counted in days of residence and the genuineness of the marriage is checked separately, as it is for residence. The lawyer starts the count from the first day of family residence and protects continuity.
Is the exam hard? Can I be exempted?
The exam covers the Georgian language, history and the basics of law and requires genuine preparation - especially the language part. The law provides exemptions for particular categories (on health or age grounds, in the cases it specifies) - assessed individually on medical documents. The lawyer cannot sit the exam for you but checks the grounds for exemption and the right moment to apply.
My country does not allow dual citizenship. What happens?
Georgia permits it, but your own country's law may terminate your previous citizenship automatically on acquiring Georgian citizenship, or require a renunciation procedure. This must be checked before the decision - losing citizenship of your country of origin has property, inheritance and pension consequences. The lawyer assesses this with a specialist from your country before the application is filed.
I was refused citizenship by exception. Can I challenge it?
Practically no - granting citizenship by exception is a discretionary power, a refusal is not reasoned and the court does not review its substance. What is possible: a new application with a strengthened dossier (new investment, new results, new references) and, in parallel, building the ordinary naturalisation route - continuity of residence and the exam. The lawyer always keeps that second route as a fallback.
Lawyers for Citizenship Cases
In a citizenship case the main work is done before the application - by auditing the count, curing the conditions and building a dossier that shows a real connection. 15 minutes after your request the coordinator connects you with a lawyer who regularly prepares naturalisation, restoration and exceptional-route applications.
No published lawyers in this category yet
That does not mean we cannot help. Call us - we will match you with a specialist for a remote consultation or from a nearby city.
Call: 568 330 318Thinking About Citizenship and Not Sure Whether the Count Has Even Started?
At a free consultation the lawyer recalculates your days of residence, tells you which route - ordinary, simplified, restoration or exception - is realistic for you and what must be done now so that the count is not broken. The coordinator rings you in 15 minutes, in the language that suits you.