Using a medical conclusion or consultation issued by a foreign physician in Georgia has its own precisely drawn legal trajectory in the Georgian Law on Medical Practice. The trajectory begins at one of two gates: the invitation of a foreign specialist for temporary or one-time services (Article 11), or the recognition of a right obtained outside Georgia (Articles 8 and 9); the remote form — telemedicine — is then added by a separate norm (Article 90).
The First Gate — Temporary or One-Time Service
Article 11 gives a lawful route for inviting a foreign specialist: they may be invited to Georgia for temporary independent medical practice or for a one-time medical service. The ministry, together with the physicians' professional associations, determines the list of specialties for which an invitation is expedient; a temporary invitation is admissible under the statutory list of countries and the list of specialties, while for a one-time service a specialist of any specialty may be invited — subject to the country list. The right is granted by the Professional Development Council, on the recommendation of the professional associations and under the established procedure; the temporary right is granted once, for no more than 1 year, and the council may extend the term. The grounds for suspending or revoking this right are equated with the corresponding regime of the state certificate — the standard is uniform, whichever gate the physician entered through.
The Second Gate — Recognition of a Right Obtained Abroad
Where the case concerns a person who received higher medical education abroad, or one who obtained the right of independent medical practice outside Georgia, Articles 8 and 9 come into operation: the first regulates how higher medical education received abroad is recognized in Georgia, the second — how the right of independent medical practice is granted to a person who received that right abroad. In the practice of preparing a cross-border conclusion, the recognition path begins precisely by determining which gate fits the particular physician: recognition of education, recognition of the right, or the temporary-invitation regime. Choosing the wrong gate is the most common and the most expensive error, because each gate has its own documents, its own authority and its own deadlines.
The Remote Form — Article 90
The right to receive a medical consultation using telemedicine belongs only to a subject of independent medical practice; a recommendation to the patient on the basis of a consultation received in this form is likewise given only by such a subject, and it is exactly that subject which is responsible for the results of the service delivered in this form (Article 90). In the cross-border context this means: the remote involvement of a foreign specialist is lawful only where the specialist enters the system with the status of a subject acting in Georgia — through Article 11 or Articles 8 and 9; a foreign conclusion simply "subscribed over the internet" does not carry that status and cannot anchor a treatment decision in Georgia. The first question in preparing a cross-border conclusion is therefore not how qualified the foreign physician is, but which Georgian norm gives their conclusion force in the country: the invitation regime of Article 11, the recognition regime of Articles 8 and 9, and the responsibility block of Article 90 together form the contour outside which a cross-border medical document simply does not exist for Georgian law.
The Council, the Invitation and the Terms — Article 11
The right is granted by the Professional Development Council on the recommendation of physicians’ professional associations, under a procedure established by the relevant minister. The ministry may invite a specialist on its own initiative; before a ministry invitation the written consent of the medical facility where the specialist will work is required, and a facility may likewise invite a specialist on its own initiative or at the patient’s request.
The right to temporary independent medical activity is granted once, for no more than 1 year, and the Council may extend the term. The grounds for suspension or revocation of the right are equalized with the conditions for suspension or revocation of the state certificate. Where the patient’s condition is life-threatening or urgent care is needed, the documents may be executed after the service has been rendered; and a resident’s or speciality trainee’s work under the foreign specialist’s supervision counts towards professional training where the Council confirms its conformity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about this field.
May a foreign physician deliver consultations in Georgia?
Yes — under the temporary or one-time service regime (Article 11) or through recognition of education or of the right obtained abroad (Articles 8 and 9).
For how long is the temporary right granted?
For no more than 1 year, once; extension of the term is within the council's power (Article 11).
Who answers for the results of a remote consultation?
The subject of independent medical practice that directly gives the recommendation (Article 90).
Does a foreign conclusion have force in Georgia?
Only where it forms part of the activity of a subject who entered through the statutory gate — by invitation or recognition; otherwise it stands outside Georgia's medico-legal framework.
Who grants the foreign specialist the right?
The Professional Development Council — on the recommendation of physicians’ professional associations and under the procedure established by the minister (Article 11).
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team begins cross-border conclusion cases with precise qualification: we determine which gate the particular physician needs — invitation under Article 11 or recognition under Articles 8 and 9 — and assess the lawfulness of remote involvement under Article 90. Contact Legal.ge — a foreign qualification holds force in Georgia only through an exact procedure.