Physician licensing is an exact popular name, but in the Georgian system it covers a different institution: the Law on Medical Practice does not issue physicians a license — the right to independent medical practice is confirmed by a state certificate, and that document is the centre of the system assembled by Articles 7, 19, 25, 26 and 28 of the Law. Foreign medical-examination and professional-recognition frameworks do not operate directly in the Georgian system — the page is carried by the Georgian law.
The source of the right and its boundaries
Under Article 7 of the Law the right to independent medical practice belongs to a citizen of Georgia or a foreign state or a stateless person who has graduated from a Georgian state-accredited higher medical institution and has received, in the manner established by the law, a state certificate. The right is limited by specialty: the holder possesses it only in the specialty or specialties indicated in the certificate, apart from the exceptions established by the law. A negative precondition also exists: the right cannot be held by a person from whom a court, on the basis of the law on the fight against crimes against sexual freedom and inviolability, has revoked the right to medical practice.
The essence of the certificate and its termination
Article 19 determines the nature of the document: the state certificate is a state certificate confirming the right to independent medical practice and defines the medical specialty. It is mandatory only for independent medical practice — no such document is required by law for other medical roles. The certificate is a document of strict accounting: it has a series, a number and security marks, and its transfer to another person is prohibited. It becomes void by decision of the issuing body upon the death of the holder or the declaration of death, upon the holder's written demand, or upon the discovery that a forged document was used as the basis of the certification decision.
Term and registry
Article 25 resolves the term: the state certificate is valid for an indefinite period, and the activity defined by it begins from the day the Council adopts the decision on its issuance. Article 26 creates transparency: the state certification registry is the basis of a complete and unified database of data on issuance, suspension, renewal, annulment and the provision of copies; it is maintained by the secretariat of the Council, which enters the data no later than 2 weeks from the adoption of the decision, and any person has the right to examine and receive in writing the data of the registry.
The certification examination
Article 28 regulates the examination: it is unified and standardised throughout the country. A person is admitted who has completed a postgraduate education (professional training) course in the relevant specialty in Georgia or in a country provided for by the list established by the law. Upon a negative assessment, the examination may be retaken within the following year only twice, with a 6-month interval between examinations.
The content of the registry and its value
Article 26 also determines the composition of the registry: it includes data about the holder — name, surname, residential address, citizenship and the address of employment with an indication of combination; the type of state-certified activity; the series and number of the certificate and the dates of its granting and issuance; data on suspension, renewal, annulment and the provision of a copy; and the legal address of the Council and the identity of the person signing the certificate. The practical value of this completeness is that the status of a certificate is verifiable at any moment: a patient, an employer or a partner institution can receive written confirmation of who bears independent practice, in which specialty and under which document.
Every event connected with the certificate — issuance, suspension, renewal, annulment or the provision of a copy — is reflected in the registry, and the deadline for that reflection is protected by law: no later than 2 weeks from the adoption of the decision. The Georgian system thus operates with three layers of transparency: the document itself, its continuous accounting and its public accessibility.
Frequently asked questions
Below are the questions most frequently raised about physician certification.
Does the state issue a license or a certificate?
A certificate — the right to independent medical practice is confirmed by a state certificate, valid only in the specialty indicated in it.
For how long is the certificate valid?
For an indefinite period; the activity begins from the day the issuance decision is adopted.
Where can a certificate be verified?
In the state certification registry maintained by the secretariat of the Council; data are entered within 2 weeks of the decision and are accessible to any person.
How often may the examination be retaken?
After a negative assessment — twice within the following year, with a 6-month interval.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The specialists of Legal.ge assist throughout the certification cycle — through the lens of Articles 7, 19, 25, 26 and 28 of the Law: we establish the specialty boundaries of the right, verify registry data and advise on the examination and retake deadlines. Submit a request on this page — let us plan your certification path.