Acquisition of Georgian citizenship by naturalisation is governed by Articles 12, 16, 22, 8 and 29 of the Organic Law of Georgia on Citizenship. This is the complete route for a person who does not have a Georgian-citizen parent: the law presents a system of requirements, grounds for refusal, the procedure for filing the application and the completion of the process — the citizen's oath. This page explains all of these together.
The requirements of ordinary naturalisation — Article 12
An adult person is granted Georgian citizenship by the ordinary procedure if the following requirements are satisfied: lawful continuous residence in Georgia for the last 10 years up to the day of filing the application; knowledge of the state language within the established limits; knowledge of the history of Georgia and the basic foundations of law within the established limits; and working in Georgia, and/or owning immovable property, or conducting entrepreneurial activity, or holding a share or stocks in a Georgian enterprise.
For a stateless person holding status in Georgia the residence period is reduced — to the last 5 years; for a refugee the work/property requirement does not apply; for a recipient of support — the language, history and law requirements; and a person with a firm impairment is released from the language and history-law checks.
Grounds for refusal — Article 16
The law lists when a person cannot acquire citizenship by naturalisation: having committed an international crime; participation in a particularly grave crime; where, in the interests of state or public security, granting citizenship is inexpedient; and where the person is wanted by law-enforcement organs or Interpol or is subject to extradition or expulsion proceedings. In the case of the security ground, the final decision is taken by the President and must be reasoned.
The law provides relief in each direction. On residence: a stateless adult holding status in Georgia satisfies the same requirements with the last 5 years of continuous residence — the decade is not required. On knowledge: for a recipient of support the requirements of sub-paragraphs "b" to "d" do not apply; in the case of a firm impairment the language and history-law requirements apply only where verification is at all possible. On the work/property nexus: a refugee is released from the requirement of sub-paragraph "d".
The existence of exceptions does not mean a simplified procedure for everyone — they operate for precisely defined categories, and each must be substantiated together with the application. The detailed list of the security ground is likewise in the law itself: it includes the situation where a person's presence in Georgia endangers relations with other states or international organisations, and where information of high probability points to a connection with the armed forces of a hostile country, with intelligence services, with terrorist or extremist organisations, or with criminal groups.