Restoration — For Whom and on What Conditions
The Organic Law of Georgia on Citizenship treats grant by restoration as a separate institution, distinct from naturalisation: it is designed for a person whose Georgian citizenship was terminated. The law names the following grounds: citizenship was terminated unlawfully; the person renounced it; or citizenship ended as a result of the choice of a parent or parents. Citizenship is considered unlawfully terminated where a person lost it without a statutory ground for loss existing.
For restoration the law sets requirements: the person must, within established limits, know the state language of Georgia, and the statutory grounds for refusing to grant citizenship must be absent. There are meaningful alleviations too: where citizenship was terminated unlawfully, these requirements do not apply at all; a person who lost citizenship through a parent's choice may have it granted upon reaching majority; and where a person has a firm physical, mental, intellectual and/or sensory impairment making it impossible to verify knowledge of the language, the language requirement does not apply.
Restoration is the former citizen's own path: no years of continuous residence or other naturalisation-style conditions are needed — the very fact of previous citizenship is the basis. That is precisely why documentary proof is decisive on this route: when, on what ground and in what procedure the citizenship was terminated.
The Article 32-2 Temporary Right — until 1 January 2027
Article 32-2 of the law establishes a special, time-limited route: a former citizen of Georgia who lost Georgian citizenship upon acquiring the citizenship of another state may, until 1 January 2027, apply to the agency with a request for grant of citizenship by restoration. This window has deliberately been left open for those who lost Georgian citizenship when accepting another — including a generation whose decision dates back years.
The requirements on this route are the same: knowledge of the state language within established limits and the absence of refusal grounds; where a firm impairment exists, the language requirement does not apply here either. Moreover, upon restoration citizenship is also granted to the person's minor child, and to a person who has reached the age of 14 — with his or her consent. Such is the law's approach: a single restoration application embraces the whole family.
A separate case concerns those for whom no decision on loss of citizenship due to foreign citizenship had been adopted before 15 August 2018: such citizens may apply to the agency with a request to retain citizenship within the same deadline — until 1 January 2027. The two windows, restoration and retention, close simultaneously, and missing the deadline means losing the simplified route.
The Application and Examination — Where, How and at Which Stage
An application on a citizenship matter is submitted personally or through a person with powers of representation to the Public Service Development Agency or, abroad, to a Georgian diplomatic mission or consular post. A minor's application is submitted by his or her legal representative. This means the process can be started from abroad — a visit is not required, and communication with the agency may also be electronic.
The level of knowledge of a person interested in being granted citizenship — the state language, the history of Georgia and the fundamentals of law — is, in the cases provided by the law, verified before the application is submitted to the agency or the consular post, and the verification is ensured by the agency. The result of the verification, which gives the person the right to submit the application, is valid for 1 year — a deadline to build into the plan. The procedure and the fee for the verification are defined by an order of the minister of justice, and the exemption of a person with a firm impairment is decided by the commission.
The matter itself is examined by the agency with the participation of a commission: it consists of 6 members, of whom 2 are appointed from the agency's staff, 2 from the state security service and 2 from the administration of the president. It is this inter-agency composition that determines how important proper documentary support of the application is from the very start.
Decision, Time Limits and the Service Fee
The final decision on granting, retention, refusal or termination of citizenship is taken by the President of Georgia: where the application is satisfied, the President issues a decree; where the decision is negative, a disposition. The agency's conclusion is submitted to the President for the final decision.
The period for examining and deciding a citizenship matter must not exceed 3 months. The applicant pays a service fee in the amount and manner established by the government, save for cases provided by the legislation; an important detail: upon restoration, the fee is returned to a person whose citizenship was terminated unlawfully. For those applying from abroad it also matters that communication may be conducted electronically.
Refusal and Appeal — What Changed in 2025
One ground for refusing restoration is the general statutory grounds for refusing the grant of citizenship, so they must be checked before applying. At the same time, a conclusion or decision of the agency that independently produces legal consequences is an administrative-legal act and is subject to appeal.
The most significant change in recent practice: by its decision of 7 March 2025 the Constitutional Court of Georgia declared void the norm that shielded the President's negative decision on grant by restoration from judicial appeal. In other words, a refusal of restoration can today be appealed in court — and for those already refused this opens a real legal route. The law also contains a bracketed rule that an appeal does not impede the examination of an expulsion issue — it enters into force on 1 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about the restoration of Georgian citizenship.
Who is granted citizenship by restoration?
A person whose citizenship was terminated unlawfully, by renunciation, or as a result of a parent's choice. Where termination was unlawful, the language and refusal-grounds requirements do not apply; where it followed a parent's choice, restoration is possible upon reaching majority.
How much time remains under article 32-2?
A former citizen who lost Georgian citizenship upon acquiring foreign citizenship may apply for restoration until 1 January 2027; a person for whom no loss decision had been adopted before 15 August 2018 may request retention within the same deadline. Examination and decision take no more than 3 months.
Is citizenship restored to children too?
Under the article 32-2 route — yes: upon restoration, citizenship is also granted to the minor child, and to a person over 14 only with his or her consent. A minor's application is filed by the legal representative.
Is a knowledge check required and how long is the result valid?
In the cases provided by the law, knowledge of the state language, history and the fundamentals of law is verified before the application is submitted, and the result is valid for 1 year. Where a firm physical, mental, intellectual and/or sensory impairment exists, the language requirement does not apply.
Can a refusal of restoration be appealed?
Yes. After the Constitutional Court's decision of 7 March 2025, a negative decision on grant by restoration is appealable in court. Success in such a case depends on a precise analysis of the ground of refusal — and that is where the lawyer's work begins.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Our team accompanies former citizens and their families along the whole path: from documenting the ground and moment of termination and choosing the correct route (restoration or the article 32-2 temporary right), through preparing the application, scheduling the knowledge check and the children's accompanying applications, to appealing a refusal. Contact us — after the first review of your documents we will tell you which route and which deadlines work in your situation, and draw up a precise plan on Legal.ge.