Can you get Georgian citizenship by descent if a parent was Georgian?

If the father obtained Georgian citizenship later: in July 2026 a participant said that when he was born his father held a USSR passport and obtained Georgian citizenship only a few years ago. Although the Georgian-language birth certificate names him as the father, the citizenship request filed through the justice authorities to the archive came back with a refusal. Another participant noted that getting citizenship is difficult in this situation and that many Georgians face it.

If the parent was a Georgian citizen at the time of birth: in June 2026 a father who is a Georgian citizen, and was one when his children were born, said his children were treated as Georgian citizens by law. They did not go through an interview — ID cards were issued right after his application and a certified translation of the birth certificates, which state that the father is a Georgian citizen.

According to the same participant, once the ID card is issued you can apply for a Georgian passport. If the child is under 15, both parents must be present, or the other parent must give notarized permission for the child to get a passport.

In June 2026 the wife of a man whose father was Georgian asked whether these roots could help him get citizenship. Another participant shared her experience: her written inquiry was answered by post out of Moscow, together with an application form. She was told to submit documents and then attend an interview in Tbilisi, without exams.

The same participant warned that many such applicants are turned down at the first stage and then end up having to take the exams anyway. It is worth being prepared for this outcome.