Foreign nationals applying for residence permits based on marriage to Georgian citizens will be required to undergo interviews with a special commission that will assess the authenticity of the marriage, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said on Monday.
Darakhvelidze noted that the commission will review cases where doubts arise and, if necessary, refer documentation to investigative agencies. He added that the changes aim to prevent so-called fictitious marriages used to obtain legal residence.
“A specific mechanism is being introduced, which means that if a foreigner marries a Georgian citizen and requests a residence permit, he or she will have to be interviewed by a commission,” Darakhvelidze said. “If the commission considers that there are doubts about the authenticity of the marriage, the documentation will be sent to the investigative agency.”
He pointed out that a new article in the Criminal Code already provides for penalties related to fictitious marriages if they are used to obtain residency rights.
The Deputy Interior Minister stressed that current legislation allows foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency through marriage, adding that existing control mechanisms were previously weak.
“Today, there are about 30,000 foreigners in the country who have received permanent residency,” he noted. “In many countries, there are fraudulent schemes involving fictitious marriages and obtaining residency in this way.”
Darakhvelidze also said authorities have identified cases where residency was used for long-term stay purposes unrelated to its intended purpose, including education.
He emphasized that the planned changes would not affect genuine students, but would introduce stricter controls for other categories of residency applicants.
The Interior Ministry has prepared a legislative package on migration policy, which is expected to be reviewed in an expedited procedure. The amendments cover regulations for foreign students, study-based residence permits, and residency granted through marriage between Georgian citizens and foreign nationals.
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