---
title: "University Licensing"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/education-law-en/university-licensing-en"
field: "Education Law"
description: "University authorization: standards, the National Center and the Council under the law. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-11-08"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# University Licensing

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/education-law-en/university-licensing-en

## What University Licensing and Authorization Mean

University licensing is one of the principal legal instruments of the educational space in Georgia: obtaining the status of a higher education institution and issuing a state-recognized document confirming education are possible only through the procedures established by law. Two elements form the foundation of this system: the establishment of a higher education institution as a legal entity of private law, and authorization — the procedure for obtaining the status. A legal entity of private law may be founded for the purpose of obtaining the status of a higher education institution, but this founding takes place under the rules and conditions approved by the Government of Georgia, on the basis of a concept for higher education activity endorsed by the Government. Authorization, in turn, is the procedure for obtaining the status of a higher education institution, aimed at ensuring compliance with the standards necessary for issuing a state-recognized document confirming education.

## The Standards and Content of Authorization

The authorization standards concern the mission and strategic development of the institution, its organizational structure and governance, educational programs, personnel, students and support measures, research, development or other creative activity, and material, informational and financial resources. This list defines what a prospective institution must prepare: its mission and strategy must be substantiated in documents, its governance transparent, its programs aligned with educational goals, its personnel and student support secured by real mechanisms, and its resources sufficient for long-term functioning. The authorization term is 6 years, which means the status is renewed periodically and compliance with the standards is not a one-off exercise. The standards are, moreover, interdependent: the quality of educational programs rests on the qualifications of personnel, student support on institutional resources, and research activity on the material and informational base — so the preparation of an institution must rest on a complete balance rather than on strengthening a single sphere in isolation.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/education-law-en/university-licensing-en

### What is authorization?

The procedure for obtaining the status of a higher education institution, ensuring the standards necessary for issuing a state-recognized document.

### Who conducts authorization?

The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, under the authorization regulation, through an expert group.

### For what term is authorization granted?

For 6 years, after which compliance with the standards is assessed anew.

### When do invited members join the Council?

When the application indicates a regulated academic higher education program — they then have the right to vote.

### Why does the resources standard matter?

Material, informational and financial resources are the foundation of an institution's long-term functioning — authorization assesses precisely their sufficiency.