Humanitarian status in Georgia
Subsidiary protection in Georgia is granted to a foreign national or a stateless person who faces serious harm at home but does not meet the definition of a refugee. The law understands serious harm as the death penalty, torture and inhuman treatment, and also as a threat to the life of a civilian because of an armed conflict. The decision is taken by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia: no money, employer or invitation is needed for it. Before the new Law on International Protection the status was called humanitarian, and the state services still use the former name.
Source: matsne.gov.ge — Law of Georgia “On International Protection”, arts. 19 and 58
Who is granted subsidiary protection
The law describes serious harm through three situations. One of them is enough if the person does not qualify for refugee status.
Threat of the death penalty
- A foreign national or stateless person who has been sentenced to death in the country of origin or faces the death penalty there
- The law sets no requirements as to income or savings
- You substantiate the claim with all the documents and information you have; whatever you cannot produce, you explain why
Torture and ill-treatment
- A person who faces torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment at home
- There is no need to prove a deposit, a salary or an investment
- You substantiate the claim with all the documents and information you have; whatever you cannot produce, you explain why
Armed conflict
- A civilian whose life or physical integrity is threatened by indiscriminate violence during an international or internal armed conflict
- The law introduces no monetary conditions and no invitation from an employer
- You substantiate the claim with all the documents and information you have; whatever you cannot produce, you explain why
When subsidiary protection will not suit
International protection is not a way of regularising a stay in Georgia in general. Here are the cases where a different route is needed.
Nothing threatens you at home, but work and money are hard to come by there
Economic reasons do not fall under the definition of serious harm. Look at the work or investment residence permit at the Public Service Development Agency
You are persecuted personally on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group
No separate application is needed: there is a single application for international protection, and the Migration Department first checks the grounds for refugee status
You are relocating for work, remote work or your own business
That is the work residence permit or the IT residence permit: they are arranged by the Public Service Development Agency, not by the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Who it suits
Documents
Identity documents, the route and entry, evidence of the threat (reports, certificates, medical documents)
What it costs
The authorities publish no separate rate for examining the application on their pages. What has to be paid for is the issue of documents at the Public Service Development Agency.
| Travel passportThe law on the issue of identity documents exempts persons under subsidiary protection from the receipt of payment for the travel passport service | 0 GEL |
|---|---|
| Colour photograph for the documentThe photograph is taken at a House of Justice or at a territorial office of the Public Service Development Agency | 5 GEL |
| Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. Charges with no official price list are in the list below. | 5 GEL |
Paid separately
- Temporary residence card — The agency issues it for the term of the status but gives no price for the service on its passport and residence permit pages
- Parental consent for an applicant aged 16–18 — The declaration is taken by a notary; the rate is not stated on the agency's pages
The amounts are current as at 10 August 2026. The exemption from the travel passport fee is set out in the law, so the agency's price list does not override it.
How the process runs
There is a single application for international protection: the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs itself decides whether to grant refugee status, subsidiary protection or a refusal.
- 1
Applying for protection
You file the application with the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. Where the border has been crossed unlawfully it is received by the border control authority, and in a penitentiary institution by the institution itself.
- 2
Registration and questionnaire
5 working daysThe application filed is registered. The questionnaire is carried out from the day of filing: you are photographed, applicants over 14 have their fingerprints and palm prints taken, and contact details are recorded.
- 3
Admissibility check
5 working daysThe decision on the admissibility of the application is taken from the day of the questionnaire. The period may be extended by a further 5 working days.
- 4
Interview
Each adult applicant is interviewed separately. The course of the interview is recorded in writing and on audio.
- 5
Decision on the merits
6 monthsUnder the regular procedure the decision is taken from the day the application is registered. The period is extended to 9 months and, in exceptional cases, by up to a further 3 months; the whole proceeding does not exceed 21 months. Under the accelerated procedure the decision is taken within 1 month.
- 6
Issue of documents
After the decision you receive a temporary residence card and a travel passport: the holder's status is entered in the document itself. They are arranged at a territorial office of the Public Service Development Agency or at a House of Justice.
Who you can bring with you
Family members are given derivative status under the principle of family unity. The family taken into account is the one that already existed in the country of origin, and each person's application is examined separately.
A spouse or partner
Unmarried minor children
Parents and legal representatives of a minor
Trips, renewal and the grace period
Live in Georgia and renew annually
Subsidiary protection is granted for a year. The ministry renews it for the same term and an unlimited number of times, as long as the circumstances for which the status was granted persist. The agency issues the temporary residence card for the term of the status, so it is replaced together with the renewal. Status is terminated, revoked or withdrawn if the person has voluntarily returned to the country of origin, has obtained the protection of another state, or the circumstances have ceased to exist.
How it differs from the routes next to it
The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.
| Humanitarian status | Refugee status | Visa-free entry to Georgia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa term | Granted for 1 year, renewed annually | Refugee status is open-ended and does not require annual renewal | Nationals of the listed countries may enter and stay in Georgia without a visa for one full year |
| Grounds | War / violations of rights | Race/religion/nationality/social group | Nationality of one of the countries on the Georgian government's list |
| Money | No financial requirements; allowances are possible | No financial requirements; allowances are possible | You pay no visa fee: entry is visa-free |
| Work | The right to work is the same as for refugees | The right to work on the same footing as other foreign nationals | From 1 March 2026 it is not possible to work without a permit |
| Residence | Live in Georgia and renew annually | You must be present in Georgia; returning home leads to a review of the status | No separate registration at a place of residence is required for the stay itself |
What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship
Route to permanent residence
Permanent residence under the general migration rules
Route to citizenship
Naturalisation on the general grounds (~10 years)
Frequently asked questions about Humanitarian status
Are humanitarian status and subsidiary protection the same thing?
What can be done if the application is found inadmissible?
How do the documents of a protection holder differ from those of a refugee?
Where is the travel passport arranged and can it be used to leave the country?
Can subsidiary protection be refused?
Does the Public Service Development Agency arrange this status along with residence permits?
Other ways to move to Georgia
- Refugee statusAsylum / refugee status
- Visa-free entry and stay of up to 1 yearVisa-free regime
- Residence permit for indefinite stayPermanent residence
- Permanent residence permitPermanent residence
- Georgian citizenshipCitizenship
Every route in one list — migration programmes: Georgia.
The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.