Georgia · Citizenship by naturalisation
Citizenship by Naturalisation (Organic Law of Georgia on Georgian Citizenship)
Open but functionally closed to most UHNW applicants because dual citizenship is not permitted save by Presidential exception. There is no citizenship-by-investment programme in Georgia; marketing that describes one is describing the Presidential exception route, which is discretionary and not purchasable.
We include this to close the loop on a persistent piece of mis-selling: several agencies market 'Georgian citizenship by investment'. It does not exist. The only route that waives residence and permits dual nationality is a Presidential grant for exceptional merit to Georgia, which is not a product and cannot be bought. For a UHNW family, Georgia is a tax and residence jurisdiction only.
Qualifying routes
10 years continuous residence; language, history and law examinations; renunciation of existing citizenship required
for those who have made a contribution of exceptional merit to Georgia; waives residence and language requirements and permits retention of existing citizenship; wholly discretionary
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Nominal state fees. The real cost is renouncing your existing nationality.
- Timeline
- 120–180 months — Ten years of qualifying residence before an application can be filed, plus adjudication.
- Physical presence
- Continuous residence for 10 years, with no more than 90 days spent outside Georgia in any qualifying year
- Family
- each applicant qualifies individually; minor children of a naturalising parent may follow
- Permanent residency
- 6 years of residence for permanent residence in the ordinary case
- Citizenship
- 10 years
- Language test
- Georgian language, plus Georgian history and the basics of law
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted — you would have to renounce
- Requirements
- 10 years continuous lawful residenceGeorgian language, history and law examinationsrenunciation of existing citizenshipsufficient means to support self and familyno involvement in crimes against peace, humanity, state security or public order
- RENUNCIATION IS MANDATORY on the ordinary route. Georgia will require you to give up the passport you already have. For any family holding a Western nationality this ends the conversation.
- THE 90-DAYS-ABROAD LIMIT over ten consecutive years is incompatible with any internationally mobile life.
- THE PRESIDENTIAL EXCEPTION IS NOT FOR SALE and has been granted sparingly and politically. Any adviser offering it for a fee is misrepresenting it.
- The language, history and law examinations are conducted in Georgian — a language isolate with a unique script and no cognates to assist you.