The Real Mechanism of „Dual Citizenship“ — Retention
Georgian law does not know the „granting of dual citizenship“ as such — the operative mechanism is retention. Under Article 21-1 of the Organic Law on Georgian Citizenship, a citizen of Georgia retains Georgian citizenship if, before acquiring the citizenship of another state, he receives from the Georgian state consent to the retention of Georgian citizenship. Consent is granted where the citizen's connection with Georgia will be considered reliable. The conclusion always rests on documents rather than on the wording of the application, and completeness is verified before submission.
The distinction is practical: if a citizen acquires another citizenship without consent, Georgian citizenship ceases. Planning must therefore begin before, not after, the acquisition of the new citizenship. This sequence — permission first, acquisition afterwards — is the practical core of the whole institute.
The Regime for Minors
A minor who acquired the citizenship of another state together with Georgian citizenship by birth retains Georgian citizenship from birth until reaching the age of 18. Where, within this period, an application for the retention of citizenship is not submitted for him, his Georgian citizenship ceases.
The application is submitted by the parents or the legal representative; where one parent submits it, retention is permissible with the consent of the other parent. Parents thus have until the age of 18 to submit the application, and missing this deadline entails an irreversible consequence. Calendar planning is therefore not an administrative detail but a condition of preserving the status.
The Security Threshold and Grounds for Refusal
Retention also has a threshold: on acquiring the citizenship of another state, a citizen of Georgia cannot retain citizenship where this does not correspond to the interests of protecting state or public security. Article 16 of the same law also establishes grounds for refusing citizenship by naturalisation: an international crime against peace and humanity; participation in a particularly serious crime; impermissibility on security grounds; being sought by Interpol or undergoing extradition or expulsion procedures. Each ground of refusal is specific and must be assessed separately before the application is prepared.
Where the security ground applies, the final decision is taken by the President and must be reasoned.
Family Situations and the Stability of Citizenship
Article 5 of the law regulates the stability of citizenship in family changes: the marriage or divorce of a citizen of Georgia with an alien or a stateless person with status does not change the citizenship of the spouses; a change of citizenship by one spouse does not change that of the other; divorce and a parent's change of citizenship do not change the children's citizenship; adoption of a Georgian minor by foreign citizens does not change the minor's citizenship; and residence abroad does not terminate citizenship. The rule changes the planning of the whole family: status does not follow geographic movement.
For mixed families this means that life changes do not automatically affect citizenship — the risk is connected only with the separate acquisition of another state's citizenship.
Grant by Way of Exception
A different instrument is the grant by way of exception under Article 17: the President of Georgia may grant citizenship to a citizen of another state who has special merit before Georgia or for whom this follows from the interests of the state. In assessing those interests the law takes into account whether the person regards Georgia as his homeland and he or his ancestor lived in the occupied territories or emigrated; an investment in the economy; or success in sport, science or art. Whichever route is invoked, the file must show the merit through documents rather than through assertions.
For this route the person must know the state language, the history of Georgia and the basics of law — except where a physical or mental disorder makes verification of this knowledge impossible. The format and dates of the examination must be verified in advance and fitted into the application’s timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about dual citizenship.
How is dual citizenship legalised?
Before acquiring the other citizenship, consent to retention must be obtained from the state — subject to a reliable connection.
What happens with a minor?
Dual citizenship by birth is retained until 18; an application by the parents is then required. The application of the parents is prepared with the same documentary care as any other.
When does citizenship cease?
On acquiring another citizenship without consent, and on incompatibility with security interests.
Does marriage change citizenship?
No — marriage, divorce and adoption do not change citizenship.
What is grant by way of exception?
A decision of the President on the basis of special merit or state interest — a separate instrument.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team will assess your situation within the retention mechanism, prepare the consent application with substantiation of a reliable connection and help plan the deadlines connected with minors.
Contact us on Legal.ge — planning before acquiring another citizenship is decisive.