The Government of Georgia has decided to initiate the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Justice. The purpose of the legislative change is to promote the maintenance and development of close ties with the homeland of compatriots living abroad.

After the changes are implemented:

• A person wishing to obtain Georgian citizenship shall pass the exam before submitting an application for granting citizenship to the State Services Development Agency;
• In case of an unsatisfactory result, the agency will no longer start the formal procedures for granting citizenship, thus saving the time and resources of both the citizens and the agency;
• In case of failure in the exam, the person will have the right to retake the exam without restriction. When passing the exam, its results will be valid for 1 year; in case of a final negative decision on the application for obtaining Georgian citizenship, the period for re-starting the procedure for granting citizenship will be reduced from 1 year to 6 months;
• The 10-year residence permit for stateless persons to obtain citizenship in Georgia will be reduced to 5 years, thus fully fulfilling the commitment made to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The draft law was presented today by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze at the government session.