A substantial amendment to Georgia’s Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons took effect on 1 September 2026. For expats, the practical consequences are not limited to one residence category: the reform changes how Agency decisions are challenged, creates a new route for spouses of Georgian citizens, adds reporting duties, tightens student-residence rules and creates a framework for proving lawful stay when accessing designated services.
1. Agency immigration decisions now generally go directly to court
Article 21² now states that a decision made by the Public Service Development Agency under the Aliens Law is not appealed to a higher administrative body or official. Instead, it is challenged in court under Georgian procedure within 10 calendar days after the individual act is served. The Administrative Procedure Code gives Tbilisi City Court jurisdiction for these Agency disputes.
This is a short deadline. Preserve the decision, the proof of service, the documents submitted and any communication showing when the decision became available.
2. Appealing does not automatically protect against expulsion
The amended Aliens Law expressly provides that a court challenge to a residence-permit refusal does not prevent the competent Interior Ministry body from considering expulsion or executing an expulsion decision. Lawful stay, litigation and expulsion risk therefore need to be assessed as separate questions.
Read our updated residence-permit refusal guide.
3. A new residence permit exists for the spouse of a Georgian citizen
The law now creates a dedicated residence permit for the spouse of a Georgian citizen. It is issued initially for one year and may be extended for two years at a time, up to five years in total. After five years, if the marriage continues, permanent residence may be issued under Georgian law.
The reform also creates an interagency commission including representatives of the Interior Ministry, State Security Service and Agency. The commission may interview spouses separately or together and may verify the information in documents, including by visiting the residence and questioning relevant persons. Refusal to cooperate can itself become a refusal ground.
See the dedicated spouse-of-Georgian-citizen guide.
4. Residence applicants and permit holders must report phone or address changes
A person who has applied for a Georgian residence permit, or already holds one, must immediately notify the Agency if their mobile telephone number or actual residential address changes. For a minor, the duty falls on the legal representative.
This is a small-looking rule with practical importance: contact details are part of the administration of the file, and residents should not assume a change can wait until renewal.
5. Student-residence rules became stricter
The amendment adds several grounds affecting study-based status. Among them, study residence may be terminated where student status has been suspended and not restored within the statutory period, where a higher-education student fails to accumulate more than one third of the maximum credits for a study year, and where a holder of study residence is physically outside Georgia for 183 days or more during any continuous 12-calendar-month period, subject to specified exceptions.
Transitional rules also require certain students whose status was already suspended on 1 September 2026 to restore that status by 1 January 2027.
6. Georgia created a lawful-stay certificate framework
New Article 21³ provides that a foreign national may be required to present a certificate proving lawful stay in Georgia in order to receive specified public or private services, other than medical services. The certificate is to be issued by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or another state body designated by the Government.
The important limitation is that the statute itself does not make the certificate mandatory for every service. The Government determines the list of services for which presentation is compulsory. Until that list is confirmed for a particular service, do not claim that every bank, utility, notary, landlord or public office must demand the certificate.
7. Work authorization and immigration status are increasingly connected
The amendment also adds consequences where a foreign national breaches the conditions of the right to work or works without that authorization. For expats running an IE, working for a Georgian employer or performing activity physically in Georgia, company registration and tax registration should not be treated as substitutes for immigration/work authorization.
What expats should do now
- Check whether any residence or Agency decision was served after 1 September and calculate the court deadline immediately.
- If married to a Georgian citizen, use the new spouse-permit route rather than relying on older permanent-residence summaries.
- Update the Agency immediately if your mobile number or actual address changes while an application is pending or a permit is held.
- If you hold study residence, review attendance, credits and physical presence.
- Keep evidence of lawful stay and watch for Government rules specifying where a lawful-stay certificate becomes mandatory.
