A transfer agreement is not a contract type defined by a separate statute in Georgia — and this should be said plainly: the transfer machinery of the international sports organizations, FIFA and UEFA included, does not carry the force of state law here. What the law does establish is the legal frame of a transfer: the club's right to present a member for transfer with the federation's consent, the eligibility rules of national teams, the sources that determine the conditions of an athlete's contract, and the basis on which a foreign athlete enters. The international statutes operate inside this frame with contractual force, and that is precisely why preparing a transfer deal runs on two layers — the statutory frame and the federation's rules. On this page we explain these layers.
The Club and Presentation for Transfer — the Federation's Consent
The first legal condition of a transfer follows from the club's status. A sports club conducts its activity in accordance with the law, the legislation in force and its own statutes, and is a legal entity; its status is granted to an organization whose founding documents satisfy the requirements of the legislation and of the respective national sports federation. The central norm for transfers is this: the preferential right of the club's leadership is to present its members for transfer with the consent of the national sports federation. This lawful model yields three conclusions: first, the right to present for transfer belongs to the club, not to the player; second, this right rests on the federation's consent — presentation without consent falls outside the lawful frame; third, the federation's internal rules, harmonized with this frame, fill in the details but cannot override the law.
National-Team Eligibility — the Hidden Boundary of a Transfer
Assessing a transfer deal also requires the eligibility norms. The national teams of Georgia are prepared and staffed by the national sports federations; a member of a national team may participate in any sports competition with the consent of the federation of the respective sport. The law sets two strict prohibitions here: a citizen of Georgia has no right to compete as part of another country's national team, and a foreign citizen or a stateless person may not compete in the name of Georgia's national team. The exception is framed as follows: with the consent of the international federation of the respective sport, a foreign citizen residing abroad who holds compatriot status has the right to compete in the name of Georgia as part of the national team. For a transfer this means that assessing a foreign contract is not exhausted by the club's interests: the player's national-team status and citizenship must be separately accounted for in the terms of the deal.
The Sources of Contract Terms and the Foreign Player's Entry
The procedure for concluding a contract with an athlete, the establishment of another form of agreement and the conditions of participation in competitions on professional grounds are determined by the legislation of Georgia, the statutes of international sports organizations, regulations and other regulatory documents — this norm officially unites the two layers of a transfer deal: on one side Georgian legislation, on the other the statutes of international sports organizations, which operate on the basis of membership. At the same time, under the law, persons employed in sport, as a rule, work on the basis of an individual labour contract, and a citizen of another country or a stateless person pursues sporting activity in Georgia on the basis of a contract or agreement, in the manner established by legislation. The transfer of a foreign player is therefore always two-sided: the Georgian legal form and compliance with the international rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions that arise most often around transfer agreements.
Do the international federations' transfer rules have the force of state law in Georgia?
No — they operate on the basis of membership and contract; the state frame is set by the Law on Sport.
Whose is the presentation of a player for transfer?
The club's leadership — with the consent of the national sports federation.
Can a Georgian player be fielded for another country's national team?
No — a citizen of Georgia does not have this right; the only exception is the combination of compatriot status and the international federation's consent.
On what basis does a foreigner play in Georgia?
On the basis of a contract or agreement, in the manner established by legislation.
What governs the content of the contract?
Georgian legislation and the statutes, regulations and other regulatory documents of international sports organizations.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team assists clubs, athletes and agents in preparing transfer deals. We verify the status of the club and the player, determine the need for the federation's consent, draft the agreement on both layers — Georgian legislation and the international rules — and protect interests at every stage of the deal. Contact us for a consultation — we will assess your transfer and prepare an agreement that stands in both frames.