Georgia lets a foreign spouse or minor child live here legally, and the paperwork costs less than almost anywhere in Europe. The catch is that the family residence permit Georgia issues covers a narrower group of relatives than people assume, and the filing window closes 40 days before your lawful stay ends. Miss either point and you are flying home to start again. Here is what the law actually covers, and what the agency checks.
Who the law counts as family
The definition is set in statute, not by whoever is behind the counter. Article 2 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons defines a family member as a spouse, a minor child, a fully dependent minor or person under guardianship or custody, and the parent of a minor.
That is the entire list. An adult child does not qualify. Nor does the parent of an adult, however dependent that parent is, and nor does an unmarried partner, whatever the length of the relationship.
| Relationship to the sponsor | Sponsor is a Georgian citizen | Sponsor holds a Georgian residence permit | Where it sits in the law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Yes | Yes | Article 2(h), read with Article 15 |
| Minor child | Yes | Yes | Article 2(h) |
| Parent of a minor sponsor | Yes | Yes | Article 2(h) |
| Dependent minor under guardianship | Yes | Yes | Article 2(h) |
| Adult child over 18 | No | No | Outside the definition |
| Parent of an adult | No | No | Outside the definition |
| Unmarried partner | No | No | Outside the definition |
Anyone outside that table needs a permit on its own merits, a work or investment basis rather than a family one. Our guide to the full residence permit process covers which of those a relative can realistically use.
The sponsor decides the category
Article 15(c) puts the family reunification permit in the hands of family members of an alien who already holds a residence permit. Article 15(g) treats the family of Georgian citizens separately, listing the spouse and minor child of a citizen, and the parent of a minor citizen, under the permanent living permit.
Those are two different filings with two different evidence packs, and in practice the agency does not hand a permanent permit to someone who married last month. Ask which category your application will be logged under before you pay anything.
What the sponsor has to prove financially
This is the part most applications get wrong. The rules sit in the ministerial order on the procedures for granting residence permits, which requires evidence of legal income at no less than double the minimum subsistence level for the average consumer in Georgia.
Two details there are worth more than any forum thread. Income can be the applicant's, the sponsor's or a documented relative's, so a spouse without Georgian earnings is not stuck. And a bank balance can stand in for a salary, but it has to cover the whole permit term at that monthly rate.
The subsistence minimum is published monthly by the national statistics office and it moves. The working-age male figure was 283.3 GEL at the end of 2025, and the average consumer series the order points to sits below it. Doubling that puts the monthly test near 500 GEL, so a one-year permit implies roughly six thousand GEL in an account. Treat those as ballpark and check the current month.
A spouse and two children are three applications, three document sets and three service fees, not one family bundle. Budget for that, and file them together so the decisions land at once.
The documents the agency checks
The Public Service Development Agency lists the pack on its residence permit service page: the application form, a copy of your travel document, proof of lawful presence in Georgia, the kinship document, the income evidence above, a 3x4 photo in electronic form, and the fee receipt.
You file at any territorial office of the agency, a Public Service Hall branch or a Community Centre. First applications are made in Georgia, so plan to be here.
Kinship documents are where files die
The marriage or birth certificate is the whole case. A foreign certificate has to be apostilled or legalised in the country that issued it, then translated into Georgian and certified here.
An apostille is issued only in the country that issued the certificate. Arriving here with a plain marriage certificate means a courier round trip or a flight home, and that delay is what pushes people past the 40-day deadline and out of lawful status. Get it stamped before you pack.
Fees and how fast you want a decision
These are the agency's published service fees for the family reunification permit. State charge only: no lawyer, translator or notary sits in the number.
| Decision window | Service fee | When it is worth paying |
|---|---|---|
| 30 calendar days | 300 GEL | The default, if you filed with time in hand |
| 20 calendar days | 450 GEL | Your lawful stay is tight but not critical |
| 10 calendar days | 600 GEL | A school place or a bank deadline depends on it |
The review clock only starts once the agency has every required document. A file missing the translated certificate is not a 30-day file. It has not started.
The 40-day rule nobody mentions until it is too late
The order sets a hard timing rule: the application goes in no later than 40 calendar days before your lawful stay in Georgia expires. That deadline is measured against whichever basis you are here on, and for most nationalities that basis is the 365-day visa-free stay rather than a visa.
Take the last day of your lawful stay and subtract 40 calendar days. That is your filing deadline. Subtract another three weeks for the apostille, the translation and the notary, and that is your real start date.
Applicants who need a visa to enter apply for a D category immigration visa first, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular services portal, then convert that stay into a permit from inside Georgia. Visa-free nationals skip the visa step and file on the strength of their entry record.
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Where family applications actually fail
The sponsor's own permit is running out
A family permit is derivative. It exists because someone else has status, and it does not outlive that status. If the sponsor's permit has a few months left, renew that first and file behind it. Our guide to permit renewals and refusals sets out the sequence.
The marriage gets tested
Marriages between a foreign national and a Georgian citizen attract scrutiny, and the agency can look behind the certificate. A shared address, shared finances and a coherent timeline do more than any covering letter. Where an earlier marriage, a custody arrangement or a foreign divorce complicates things, get family lawyers in Tbilisi to fix the paperwork first.
The refusal that gives no reason
Article 18 lists the grounds for refusal, including false documents, unmet conditions and threats to state security. Security refusals are the hard ones: the reasoning is classified, so the decision arrives with a statutory citation and nothing else. Appeal deadlines are short and an appeal is a legal exercise, not a resubmission, so call immigration lawyers in Tbilisi rather than filing again and hoping.
What a family permit leads to
Family permits are a route, not a destination. The law provides a permanent living permit for an alien who has lived in Georgia for the last ten years on temporary permits, with study periods and medical treatment stripped out of the count, and separately for the spouse and minor child of a Georgian citizen. Citizenship is a further step under different legislation, with a language and history examination attached, and we cover the thresholds in our explainer on Georgian citizenship by naturalisation.
What the permit does not do is settle your tax position. Immigration status and tax status are decided by different agencies under different statutes, and a permit proves nothing about the 183-day count. Read our guide to Georgian tax residency rules before you assume the two travel together, and put the question to tax advisors in Tbilisi if your income sits abroad.
The rules are moving in 2026
Georgia has amended its migration legislation repeatedly, and the consolidated English text carried a version date of 15 April 2026 when we last checked. Further amendments are scheduled. Check that version date before you rely on any guide, this one included, and confirm the fee, the subsistence figure and the document list on the day you file.
Key takeaways
- Georgian law counts spouses, minor children, dependent minors and the parents of minors as family. Adult children, parents of adults and unmarried partners are outside the definition.
- Family members of a permit holder file under Article 15(c). The spouse and minor child of a Georgian citizen sit under Article 15(g) instead.
- The financial test is double the average consumer subsistence minimum per month, and a bank balance covering the full permit term can replace a salary.
- Published service fees are 300 GEL over 30 days, 450 GEL over 20 days and 600 GEL over 10 days, charged per applicant.
- Applications go in at least 40 calendar days before your lawful stay expires.
- The apostilled, translated marriage or birth certificate is the most common reason a file stalls, and a permit is immigration status only, not tax status.
FAQ
Who qualifies for a family residence permit in Georgia?
A spouse, a minor child, a fully dependent minor under guardianship, and the parent of a minor. The sponsor can be a Georgian citizen or a foreigner who already holds a residence permit. The definition sits in Article 2 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons and is applied literally.
Can my adult son or daughter get a family residence permit?
No. Once a child turns 18 they fall outside the statutory definition and cannot be added to your file. They need their own basis for a permit, usually work, study or investment. The same applies to your parents if you are an adult.
How much money do I need to show for a family residence permit?
The ministerial order sets the monthly test at double the minimum subsistence level for the average consumer, which Geostat publishes every month. The funds have to cover the length of the permit you request, so a one-year permit means roughly twelve times that monthly figure. Income can come from the applicant, the sponsor or a documented relative, and a bank balance is accepted instead of a salary.
What does a family residence permit cost in Georgia?
The published service fee is 300 GEL for a decision within 30 calendar days, 450 GEL within 20 days and 600 GEL within 10 days. That is the state charge for one applicant, so a family of three pays three times. Translation, apostille, notary and legal help are separate.
How long does a family residence permit take?
You choose the speed when you pay: 30, 20 or 10 calendar days. The clock only starts once the agency holds a complete file, which is why incomplete applications run far slower than the fee suggests. Allow several weeks before that for apostilles and translations.
Can I apply for a family residence permit from outside Georgia?
First applications are made in Georgia, at an agency office, a Public Service Hall or a Community Centre. Nationals who need a visa apply for a D category immigration visa at a consulate first, then file for the permit after arriving. Visa-free nationals enter and file during their lawful stay.
When exactly do I have to file?
No later than 40 calendar days before your lawful stay in Georgia expires. The deadline runs against whatever keeps you here lawfully, whether that is a visa-free entry, a D visa or an existing permit. Filing later means the application is not accepted.
Does my foreign marriage certificate need an apostille?
Yes, unless it was issued in Georgia. A foreign certificate must be apostilled or legalised in the issuing country, then translated into Georgian and certified. It cannot be arranged from Tbilisi after the fact, which is why it is the most common cause of a delayed application.
What happens to my permit if we divorce or my sponsor loses status?
A family permit depends on both the relationship and the sponsor's status. Divorce, or the revocation or expiry of the sponsor's permit, undermines the basis on which yours was issued and will surface at renewal. Take advice quickly and look for an independent basis rather than waiting for the renewal date.
Does a family residence permit lead to permanent residence?
It can. The law provides a permanent living permit after ten years on temporary permits, excluding time on study permits or medical treatment, and separately for the spouse and minor child of a Georgian citizen. Naturalisation is a further step under the citizenship legislation.
Does holding a family residence permit make me a Georgian tax resident?
No. Tax residency is decided by the Tax Code on a 183-day presence test or the high net worth route, and the Revenue Service applies it independently of your immigration status. Plenty of permit holders are non-resident for tax, so settle the tax question separately.