About this service
Recognising and enforcing in Georgia an arbitral award issued abroad is a separate procedural track: its rules are assembled by Articles 2 and 45 of the Law on Arbitration — which court is competent, in which cases recognition and enforcement may be refused, and how annulment proceedings pending before a foreign court affect the Georgian examination. For parties holding international awards, this is the step where the award turns into money. Our service helps parties walk this track.
The competent forum
Article 2 interprets the term "court" used in the law purposefully and defines a separate forum for recognition and enforcement matters: for questions of recognition and enforcement of awards, the appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Georgia are competent — district (city) courts are not included in this circle. The distinction is practical: choosing the wrong place for the motion wastes time and costs, while the right choice places the process in the correct instance from the outset. Georgia is a party to international convention obligations, so the recognition of foreign awards is always resolved within the national procedural framework — and this page describes precisely that national framework.
Grounds for refusal: the party's proof and the court's initiative
Article 45 provides that, regardless of the country in which the award was issued, a party may be refused recognition and enforcement where the party against whom the award was issued applies to the court by motion and proves: that at the time of concluding the agreement it lacked capacity or was a recipient of support who did not receive the respective assistance, or that the agreement is void or lapsed under the law indicated in the agreement or the law of the country of the award; that it was not properly informed of the appointment of the arbitrator or of the examination and could not defend its interests; that the award exceeds the framework of the request — in which case recognition and enforcement may be partial, only in the part within the framework; that the composition of the arbitration or the proceedings did not correspond to the parties' agreement or to the law of the country of the examination; or that the award has not entered into force, or has been annulled or suspended by the court of the country of issuance or of the law applied. In addition, the court itself establishes two cases: where under Georgian legislation the dispute cannot be the subject of arbitral examination, or where recognition and enforcement contradict public order — these last two grounds the court applies ex officio.
The bar on re-litigation and time limits
The subsequent paragraphs of the same article set procedural discipline. It is impermissible to apply to the court by a motion to refuse recognition and enforcement of an award issued in Georgia on the same ground on which the party sought annulment of the award, and also where the party failed to appeal the award within the term established by law. Where a complaint for annulment or a motion to suspend enforcement is already pending before the court of the country of issuance, the court examining the recognition and enforcement case has the right to postpone its decision by no more than 30 days and, at the request of the party seeking recognition or enforcement, to order the other party to provide corresponding security. This instrument balances interests: a proceeding pending in a foreign country temporarily delays the Georgian examination, but asks the party for a guarantee in exchange.
Frequently asked questions
These are the questions parties raise most often about recognising foreign arbitral awards, and the answers come directly from the statutory text.
To which court should the recognition motion be addressed?
For recognition and enforcement matters the law designates the appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Georgia — choosing the forum correctly is the first step, and an error costs time.
Can an award exceeding the framework be recognised in part?
Where the part exceeding the framework is separable, the award may be recognised and enforced partially — only in the part containing decisions on questions within the framework of the parties' request.
Can the same argument be reused?
No — refusal on the same ground on which annulment was sought, or after missing the appeal term, is impermissible. Substantive arguments must be deployed at once.
What happens if annulment proceedings begin in the country of issuance?
The Georgian court may postpone its decision by no more than 30 days and, at the requesting party's request, order the other party to provide security.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We prepare the recognition and enforcement motion for the correct forum with complete documentation; assess the refusal risks in advance — information, scope, composition and public order; represent you in the examination and build the evidentiary system; neutralise the opposing side's refusal motion in due time; and, where necessary, request security or monitor postponed time limits. Contact us — and turn a foreign award into an enforceable asset in Georgia.