Georgia is preparing to tighten its immigration rules following a sharp increase in the number of applications for residence permits based on marriage to a Georgian citizen.
According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of applications for residence permits based on marriage tripled in the first quarter of 2026. Authorities believe this trend may indicate abuse of the system and the use of sham marriages to legalize one’s stay in the country.
The new amendments provide for the creation of a separate type of residence permit for spouses of Georgian citizens. Before issuing such a document, the state will verify the authenticity of the marriage through a special commission. This residence permit will remain valid until the applicant is eligible to receive a permanent residence permit.
In addition, Georgia plans to criminalize sham marriages entered into for the purpose of obtaining citizenship, a residence permit, or any other legal basis for staying in the country. Possible penalties include deportation of the foreign national, a re-entry ban for a period of two to ten years, a fine, house arrest for a period of one to two years, or imprisonment for up to two years.
The amendments also expand the powers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Migration Department. It is planned to grant the department the right to conduct operational and investigative activities to detect illegal migration and abuses of migration procedures.
A separate set of changes concerns foreign students. The authorities intend to introduce additional requirements for admission to Georgian higher education institutions and vocational schools, including an international language certificate or passing a language exam. There are also plans to set maximum quotas for the admission of foreign students, and educational institutions will be required to enter information about them into a unified information system.
Georgia explains the reform as necessary to make the migration system more transparent, secure, and manageable. The authorities note that current rules do not always allow for effective monitoring of whether foreigners are actually studying, are in genuine marriages, or are using these grounds merely as a formality.
The issue of migration has become particularly sensitive for Georgia since 2022, when the country accepted a significant number of foreigners from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries. At the same time, the composition of the foreign population in the country is diverse: some migrants are there due to relocation, some for educational purposes, and others are people of Georgian origin who have already obtained foreign citizenship and have returned.
According to data released by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in February 2026, the country issued 107,307 thousand residence permits to citizens of 164 countries. Russian citizens accounted for 32,129 thousand permits, or 29.9% of the total. The authorities clarified that a significant portion of this group consists of former Georgian citizens or people of Georgian descent.
The second-largest group of residence permit holders consists of Indian citizens: 23,930 thousand people, mostly students. Next are citizens of Azerbaijan and Ukraine—6,290 thousand people, or 5.9 percent—followed by Armenia (over 5 thousand), Belarus (3,738 thousand), Turkey (3,645 thousand), and Iran (3,331 thousand). Other notable groups include citizens of Sudan, China, Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, and the United States.
Separately, there are Ukrainians living in Georgia without a regular residence permit. According to Kobakhidze, up to 25,000 Ukrainians are in the country with de facto refugee status, and the total number of Ukrainians in Georgia is estimated at approximately 30,000 people.
According to preliminary census data, the total number of foreigners residing in Georgia—including both legal and illegal migrants—is estimated at approximately 257,000 people. More than 70% of foreigners, according to government estimates, come from post-Soviet countries, the EU, the United States, and Israel.
Thus, the tightening of rules regarding marriage and student residence permits is part of a broader restructuring of Georgia’s migration policy. The country is seeking to remain open to businesspeople, students, and expatriates, while at the same time strengthening control over the grounds for foreigners’ residence and reducing the number of formal legalization schemes.
