Georgia family reunification visa and permit

The permit is for family members of a foreigner who already holds a Georgian residence permit. Proof of kinship is a marriage or birth certificate. Family members of investment and short-term (property) permit holders use the family provisions of those permits instead, and spouses of Georgian citizens have their own permit.

The law's definition of a foreigner's family members covers the spouse and minor children. The first family reunification permit is issued for six months to one year and can then be extended, provided the sponsor keeps a valid permit and the income condition is still met.

Relatives who need a visa apply for D4 in person after registering on geoconsul.gov.ge. Missions ask for the passport, a biometric photo, proof that the family member in Georgia holds a residence permit or immigration visa, marriage or birth certificate, accommodation, flight booking, travel insurance, a 6-month bank reference and the fee receipt; family of Georgian citizens are exempt from the fee. The D4 visa is multiple entry for 90 days.

The family must show monthly income of at least twice the subsistence minimum for an average consumer, for a period matching the permit's validity. A bank balance can be used instead of income.

In Georgia the family member files at a Public Service Hall or online with a passport copy, proof of lawful stay, proof of kinship, income evidence, a photo and the fee: GEL 300, 450 or 600 for decisions on the 30th, 20th or 10th day. File at least 40 days before your current lawful stay ends.

The Agency offers an online application for this permit. Family members whose nationality is on the visa-free list can enter Georgia and stay for up to one year, so they normally apply from inside the country without a D4 visa; the 40-day advance filing rule applies, so the application should be lodged well before the one-year period ends.

The permit does not by itself allow paid work; a right to work is needed unless an exemption applies. Renewals follow the same conditions and the total length of temporary permits is capped at 12 years.

The Public Service Development Agency only issues residence permits to foreigners staying lawfully in Georgia, and an asylum seeker does not count as lawfully staying. A permit is also refused to someone whose only basis for being in Georgia when applying is a deferral of the obligation to leave; such a deferral can be granted once, for up to three months, while an application is pending.

Under Article 18 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, a permit can be refused on security or public-safety grounds, because of certain criminal prosecutions or convictions, for forged or invalid documents, for incorrect or concealed information, or because the conditions of the permit are not met. A permit holder who meets the requirements of another permit type may apply for that type instead.