As of January 1, 2024, significant amendments to the Organic Law of Georgia 'On Georgian Citizenship' will take effect. These changes aim to simplify the acquisition of citizenship for stateless individuals and modify the citizenship-granting process for all applicants.
Generally, to acquire Georgian citizenship under the regular procedure, an individual must reside in Georgia continuously and legally for 10 years. However, with recent changes, this duration remains unchanged for the general population and is specifically adjusted for a certain segment. In particular, the 10-year residence requirement for stateless persons has been reduced by 5 years. Although there might be a public perception that the mandatory residency period has been shortened for all applicants, it is crucial to clarify that this modification exclusively applies to stateless individuals.
It is important to clarify who qualifies as stateless persons. Here, we are referring to individuals who are not citizens of any state and, concurrently, are registered in Georgia as stateless persons. Notably, as of June 15, 2023, a total of 527 people hold this status in Georgia. Therefore, the proposed legislative change may only impact individuals with stateless status.
At the same time, the residency requirement for stateless persons does not alter the other legal requirements generally established for acquiring citizenship under the standard procedure. Specifically, applicants should have knowledge of the Georgian language, history, and basic principles of law. Additionally, applicants are required to be engaged in work, own real estate, participate in entrepreneurial activities in Georgia, or hold shares or stocks in a Georgian enterprise.
Furthermore, there have been significant changes to the process of obtaining citizenship, including the procedure for passing relevant exams. Previously, individuals were required to submit a naturalization application, pay the appropriate fee, and then proceed to take the exams. However, under the recent amendment, applicants are now required to first successfully pass exams in the Georgian language, history, and general principles of law. Only after successfully completing these exams can the applicant submit their citizenship application to the relevant agency. The results of the aforementioned tests remain valid for one year for the purpose of the citizenship application.
At the same time, in the event of a citizenship application being denied, the applicant previously had to wait for one year before reapplying. With the recent changes, this waiting period has been reduced by half, allowing the individual to initiate the citizenship application procedure again after six months.
