A residence permit connected to a spouse in Georgia unites two entirely different legal tracks: temporary stay in the status of the spouse of an alien holding a residence permit, and permanent residence in the status of the spouse of a Georgian citizen. The difference between these tracks is not formal but fundamental — the type of permit differs, the terms differ, and so does the degree of stability. This page explains both tracks on the basis of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, including the validity periods, and shows exactly where the border between the temporary and the permanent runs.
A spouse as a family member
The precondition of both routes is the statutory definition of a family member. Under the law, a family member is the spouse of an alien or of a stateless person — and, in exactly the same way, the foreign spouse of a Georgian citizen. This means marriage works in both directions: just as the spouse of an alien, the spouse of a citizen holds family-member status; only the permit consequences differ. The definition also covers a minor child and, in defined cases, a parent, but the focus of this page is specifically the spouse route.