GeorgiaFamily

Spouse of a Georgian citizen in Georgia

A separate residence permit for a foreign national married to a citizen of Georgia. The ground appeared on 1 September 2026: before that date the spouse received permanent residence straight away, and now they hold a temporary status first and apply for the permanent one after five years of marriage. The application is not decided by the Public Service Development Agency alone — for this ground the law created an interagency commission including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service, and it checks whether the marriage is genuine.

Source: matsne.gov.ge — Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, arts. 15 and 16¹ (version of 25.06.2026, in force from 01.09.2026)

What has to be evidenced

There is a single ground — marriage to a Georgian citizen — but it is evidenced by three separate things, each checked on its own.

The marriage

The foreign national is married to a citizen of Georgia, and the kinship is evidenced by a document
The commission separately checks that the family is real rather than arranged for the status
The stay in Georgia must be lawful at the time of filing — a copy of that basis goes with the application

The income

Lawful income earned in Georgia by the foreign national and/or by the Georgian citizen
If the Georgian citizen is of retirement age or receives social assistance, the pension or the assistance is evidenced instead
A balance on the foreign national's personal account also counts: per month it must be no less than twice the subsistence minimum for an average consumer

Readiness to be checked

The commission may interview the spouses — separately and together
It may visit the home, inspect it and question neighbours and other people
The spouses must provide every possible piece of evidence of the family tie and appear when summoned

When this ground will not suit

The status rests on marriage to a CITIZEN of Georgia. Four situations where another route is needed.

The spouse is a foreign national with Georgian residence, not a citizen

That is family reunification residence, where the sponsor is a residence permit holder; the income condition is counted the same way, from two subsistence minimums

The marriage is long-standing and the spouse expected permanent residence straight away

That was the rule until 1 September 2026. Permanent residence through marriage now comes after five years on this permit, and the period cannot be shortened

The aim is to work for an employer or run a business in Georgia

The right to work is arranged separately at the Employment Promotion Agency — this permit does not grant it by itself

Five years on this permit have passed and the marriage has held

Apply for permanent residence: the law names five years on the spouse permit as a ground for the permanent status

Who it suits

Documents

The application form, a copy of the travel document, proof of lawful stay, the marriage certificate, documents showing you live together and run a common household, a photograph and the payment receipt.

What it costs

The fee on this ground is its own, and higher than on other residence permits: GEL 500 with a 90-calendar-day decision. The agency publishes no expedited tier for it, unlike work or study residence where you choose between 30, 20 and 10 days.

Examination of the spouse residence applicationThe only tier: a decision on the 90th calendar day. The clock stops if the file goes to an investigative body	500 GEL

Paid separately

Residence card — Issued separately once the permit is granted; the agency's fee depends on how fast the card is produced
Translation, legalisation or apostille of foreign documents — Required for the marriage certificate and other papers issued outside Georgia
The right to work — A separate fee at the Employment Promotion Agency — needed only if you intend to work or run a business

Proof of payment goes with the application: without it the pack is incomplete.

Source: Public Service Development Agency: spouse residence permit — documents, timing and fee

How the process runs

The application is received by the Public Service Development Agency, while the decision is prepared by an interagency commission: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service and the agency itself.

1
Checking the ground
They confirm that the spouse is a Georgian citizen, that the marriage is registered, and that the foreign national's stay is lawful at the time of filing.
2
Gathering the documents
Foreign certificates are translated and legalised or apostilled. Income is evidenced by a certificate, a pension, social assistance or a personal account statement.
3
Filing
The pack goes to the agency together with proof of the fee and an electronic 3×4 photo.
4
The commission interview
The commission may speak to the spouses separately and together, request further evidence and visit the home.
5
The decision
90 calendar days
Refusing to cooperate with the commission — not appearing, not letting it into the home — is in itself a ground for refusal. Where the marriage is suspected of being a sham, the file goes to an investigative body and copies to the prosecutor's office, and the examination is suspended.

Source: Law of Georgia No 1803-Vმს-XIმპ of 25.06.2026, Article 16¹

Who you can bring with you

The ground covers the spouse alone. Children and parents are not part of this application — the same law gives them their own grounds.

The spouse of a Georgian citizen

Receives the permit for a year, evidencing the marriage, the income and readiness to be checked by the commission.

A minor child of a Georgian citizen

Entitled to the permanent status directly: the law names permanent residence for a citizen's minor child as its own ground.

A parent of a minor Georgian citizen

Also a separate ground for permanent residence, not an addition to the spouse's file.

Source: Law of Georgia No 1803-Vმს-XIმპ of 25.06.2026, Article 15(ზ¹)

Trips, renewal and the grace period

The commission may check the marriage in person. Refusing to cooperate with the check — including not letting a member of the commission into your home — is in itself a ground to refuse the permit or to end one already granted.

The permit is granted for a year at first. It is then extended in two-year steps, but no longer than five years in total on this ground. The general twelve-year ceiling for temporary permits does not apply here — the law deliberately took this ground out from under it. After five years, with the marriage intact, permanent residence is issued, and that is the only way onward: the counter cannot be reset by filing for the same permit again.

Source: Law of Georgia No 1803-Vმს-XIმპ of 25.06.2026, Article 16(1)(დ¹) and (3)

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.

	Spouse of a Georgian citizen	Refugee status	Humanitarian status
Visa term	One year at first, then renewals of two years at a time	Refugee status is open-ended and does not require annual renewal	Granted for 1 year, renewed annually
Grounds	Marriage to a citizen of Georgia	Race/religion/nationality/social group	War / violations of rights
Residence	The commission may check the marriage in person	You must be present in Georgia; returning home leads to a review of the status	Live in Georgia and renew annually

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is granted after 5 years on this permit. Before those five years the status is not granted on the basis of marriage.

Route to citizenship

The spouse of a citizen of Georgia applies for naturalisation after 5 years of residence, with an examination in the language, history and law.

Frequently asked questions about Spouse of a Georgian citizen

Why is the spouse of a citizen no longer given permanent residence straight away?

Parliament decided so in the amendment of 25 June 2026, which applies from 1 September. The previous rule gave the permanent status on the fact of marriage; now five years of temporary residence and a commission check stand between the marriage and permanent residence.

How much money has to be shown?

There is no fixed sum. Income is counted per month and must be no less than twice the subsistence minimum for an average consumer. The figure itself is recalculated monthly by the National Statistics Office, so it is taken as at the date of filing. The income may belong to the Georgian citizen or to the foreign national, and a balance on their personal account also counts.

What exactly does the commission check, and can the check be refused?

The commission checks whether the family is real: it talks to the spouses separately and together, asks for evidence, and may come to the home, inspect it and question people. You can refuse, but the law names refusal to cooperate as a ground to refuse the permit — and to terminate one already issued.

What happens if the commission decides the marriage is a sham?

It sends the file to an investigative body at the Georgian citizen's actual place of residence, and copies to the prosecutor's office. The examination stops meanwhile: the clock does not run until a prosecution begins or the investigation is discontinued.

Does this permit give the right to work in Georgia?

No. Since 1 March 2026 a foreign national without permanent residence may work for a Georgian employer or run their own business only after obtaining the right to work. It is issued by the Employment Promotion Agency and is a separate procedure with its own fee.

When can the spouse apply for citizenship?

Naturalisation for the spouse of a Georgian citizen is possible after five years of residence. The exam in the state language, history and the basics of law is taken by every applicant, with no exception for spouses.

Other ways to move to Georgia

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: 6 September 2026.