The Duty of Military Registration and Exceptions
Under the Defence Code a person's military registration is mandatory. Not subject to registration are: a woman without a military-registration specialty (save where she has the specialty or expresses the wish); a person in or having completed alternative labour service; a person who has reached the age limit established for the reserve; a person serving a sentence of imprisonment; and a person with a disability status. A woman with a military-registration specialty, or one who has expressed the wish to be on register or to serve, is registered; a woman without a specialty who was entered on register by her own will may refuse service before appointment to a position and is then removed from the register.
Registration is carried out according to the place of registration, or, absent one, the actual place of residence. For registration a person is released from work or studies with retention of the place and of the remuneration or scholarship. The registration procedure is determined by government decree on the Ministry's proposal — the detailed procedure lies in that act, not in the Code itself.
Types of Registration and Conscript Status
The types of military registration are: conscript registration, reservist registration and special military registration. Conscript registration is carried out by a public-law legal person in the Ministry's system created by government decree. A person is obliged to appear upon the summons of an authorised official; registration takes place from 1 January to 30 April of the year in which the person turns 17, and a person entered on the register is called a conscript. A person from 17 to 27 years of age who is not on the register is entered upon discovery of that fact.
Entry on the register is formalised by an individual administrative-legal act, and the decision and the registration-related duties are officially communicated to the conscript. The duties of appearance are precise: upon change of residence — to appear within 2 weeks at the new address; upon return from more than 1 month abroad — to appear within 2 weeks at a diplomatic mission or consulate. Summons are made both by delivery of a notice and by technical means, including short text messages, and by public posting; a publicly posted summons is deemed delivered on the 7th calendar day after publication, and the person is then obliged to appear within 10 calendar days of delivery.
Employers' Duties and Data Circulation
An educational institution must immediately forward to an enrolled person the notice concerning entry on the register. An employer and an educational institution are obliged not to hire, and not to enrol, a person from 17 to 27 years of age without a document confirming presence on the register or removal from it — this norm creates a risk for the employer too, imposing liability upon breach.
Data circulation is likewise regulated: the Public Service Development Agency supplies the registration organ, within 10 days, with information on changes in civil-act records and on the dates of registration or deregistration; a conscript must, on request, submit within 2 weeks information on family status, places of work and residence, position and education. Personal data are processed in compliance with the data-protection law, only to support registration and for statistics.
Appeal and Liability
A person may appeal to a court the decision on entry into conscript registration within 15 calendar days of official notification; the appeal does not suspend the decision's operation, though suspension is possible under the procedure established by administrative-procedural legislation. Violation of the rules of military registration entails liability established by legislation — both for the conscript and for the employer.
Practical experience shows that most registration disputes arise precisely from a skipped cycle: an unconfirmed summons, a person failing to appear in time, an employer enrolling staff without the document. Each step is simple, yet together they form the factual frame on which subsequent call-up and service questions rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is not subject to military registration?
A woman without a specialty (save specialty or wish), a person in or having completed alternative service, a person of reserve age limit, a prisoner and a person with a disability status.
When and how does conscript registration occur?
From 1 January to 30 April of the year of turning 17, by appearance upon summons and by an individual administrative-legal act; a person of 17-27 not on the register is entered upon discovery.
What is the employer obliged to do?
To hire or enrol a person of 17-27 only with a document confirming presence on or removal from the register; the notice is communicated to the conscript immediately.
How is a registration decision appealed?
In court, within 15 calendar days of official notification; the appeal does not suspend operation, but suspension is possible under procedural rules.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team assists with registration matters: responding to summons, formalising documents, auditing the employer's duties and appealing decisions. Write to us — we will protect your interests within the lawful framework.