GeorgiaProtection

Asylum and international protection in Georgia

International protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection)

In short

Georgia decides asylum claims itself through the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which grants refugee status or subsidiary protection. Since a new Law on International Protection took effect on 1 October 2025, claims first pass an admissibility check of about 10 to 15 days and then go to a regular or an accelerated procedure with shorter appeal deadlines. Applications are made inside Georgia, at the Martkopi Reception Centre.

Apply on UNHCR Georgia Help checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Processing time
Admissibility decision in about 10–15 days; accelerated procedure decision within 30 days.
Work
Registered asylum seekers in the regular procedure have access to work, education and healthcare; not during the admissibility stage.
Where to apply
Inside Georgia, at the Martkopi Reception Centre of the Migration Department.

Who decides and where to apply

Asylum is handled by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the Law on International Protection, which provides for refugee status and subsidiary protection. UNHCR Georgia states that since 27 October 2025 people who wish to apply for asylum, or to collect or submit documents, should go to the Martkopi Reception Centre. Claims are made in Georgia; the official sources do not describe applications through Georgian embassies abroad.

Stages of the procedure

Under the 2025 law a person who applies is not immediately treated as an asylum seeker. The claim first goes through an admissibility stage, which UNHCR says takes about 10 to 15 days. If admitted, the claim is placed in the regular procedure or, for people who have been in Georgia for more than 30 days before applying, in the accelerated procedure, where a decision is due within 30 days.

  1. Go to the Martkopi Reception Centre of the Migration Department and state that you want to apply for international protection.
  2. Lodge the claim as early as possible; claims filed after more than 30 days in Georgia go to the accelerated track.
  3. Wait for the admissibility decision, usually within 10–15 days.
  4. Attend the interview and provide evidence in the regular or accelerated procedure.
  5. If refused, note the appeal deadline for your track (7, 10 or 30 days) and contact UNHCR or a legal aid organisation immediately.

Rights during the procedure

During the admissibility stage applicants do not have the right to work, access to the universal healthcare programme or the right to education. In the regular procedure registered asylum seekers have access to work, education and the universal healthcare system, and the Law on Labour Migration exempts them from needing a right to work. Refugees and holders of subsidiary or temporary protection are exempt as well.

Appeals

Deadlines differ by track. A rejection at the admissibility stage can be challenged in court within 7 days, without state-funded legal aid, and removal is possible before the court rules. In the accelerated procedure the deadline is 10 days, also without free legal aid and without protection from removal during the court case. In the regular procedure the appeal period is 30 days, with a state lawyer and protection from removal; a further appeal against the first court's ruling must be lodged within 15 days.

Where to get help

UNHCR Georgia runs a hotline on +995 322 185 123 and answers at geotbprt@unhcr.org. The NGO Rights Georgia, listed as a contact in the UNHCR leaflet, has a hotline on +995 593 111 405. UNHCR's Georgia help site explains the procedure in several languages.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Any passport or identity document you have.

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Travel

  • Any evidence of the date and place of entry into Georgia.

Family

  • Documents showing family relationships of accompanying relatives.

Other

  • Documents supporting the reasons for the claim.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for asylum in Georgia from abroad?

Official sources describe claims made in Georgia at the Migration Department's Martkopi Reception Centre; they do not describe embassy applications.

What is the accelerated procedure?

A faster track for people who applied after more than 30 days in Georgia, with a decision within 30 days and a 10-day appeal period.

Can asylum seekers work in Georgia?

Registered asylum seekers in the regular procedure can work and are exempt from the right-to-work requirement; there is no right to work during the admissibility stage.

Is free legal aid available?

In the regular procedure yes; at the admissibility stage and in the accelerated procedure, no state-funded lawyer is provided for the court appeal.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Georgia

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Visa-free list (Decree No. 255): up to 1 year. C visa holders: 90 days in any 180 days; single-entry visas up to 30 days.
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: Up to 10 days for passage through Georgia

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Permit first issued for 6 months to 1 year; extendable while studies continue, up to 12 years.

Work

Family

Residence

  • Residence permit Maximum stay: Renewed one year at a time while the property is owned; temporary permits cap at 12 years.
  • Permanent residence Maximum stay: No time limit; issued with the right of permanent living.

Online travel permits

  • e-Visa Maximum stay: Shown for your nationality on the portal; e.g. 30 days per visit on a 120/30 visa, or 90 days in 180 days.

Georgia visa guide