The Georgian authorities are continuing their policy of tightening migration regulations and are preparing one of the most significant reforms in recent years — the creation of a Unified Registry of Foreign Nationals. The initiative is currently under parliamentary consideration and forms part of a broader effort to strengthen oversight of migration processes in the country.

According to the draft legislation, the registry will be established under the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice. It will contain information on all foreign nationals residing in Georgia, including data on their entry into the country, legal status, and interactions with government institutions. Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze stated that the new system would make it possible to “monitor the entry of every foreign national” and improve the fight against illegal migration.

According to Georgian media reports and parliamentary discussions, the project is expected to go beyond a simple registration database. The proposed legislation includes provisions for collecting biometric data and creating a separate registry of individuals who are or have been staying in Georgia without legal grounds. This segment of the database would be administered directly by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The initiative is a logical continuation of a series of legislative changes adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party in 2026. Since March, new labor migration regulations have come into force, requiring foreign nationals to obtain special permits for legal employment. At the same time, the government has tightened requirements for obtaining temporary and permanent residence permits, introduced additional oversight mechanisms for foreign students, and established criminal liability for sham marriages arranged to legalize a person's stay in the country.

Officially, the authorities justify the reform as a necessary measure to enhance security and combat illegal migration. However, experts see a broader political context behind the initiative. Political analyst Gela Vasadze notes that migration has become a particularly sensitive issue in Georgian society following the sharp increase in the number of foreign nationals after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In his view, the government is seeking to strengthen control over all processes related to the presence of foreign citizens while demonstrating to the public its ability to manage migration flows effectively.

Another important factor is Georgia’s relationship with the European Union. Despite ongoing political disagreements between Tbilisi and Brussels, the Association Agreement and the visa-free regime include commitments to modernize migration legislation and align it with European standards. Georgian officials have repeatedly referred to the need for a more structured migration registration system as part of the country's broader cooperation with the EU.

The scale of the reform becomes clearer when viewed against demographic data. According to the 2024 population census, approximately 257,000 foreign nationals live in Georgia, accounting for nearly 7% of the country's population. A significant share consists of Russian and Ukrainian citizens who relocated after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Official residence permit statistics indicate that tens of thousands of citizens from these countries currently reside in Georgia.

 

In effect, Georgia appears to be gradually moving away from its reputation as one of the world's most liberal countries in terms of migration policy. Although citizens of most countries can still stay in Georgia visa-free for up to 365 days, the system of migration oversight is becoming increasingly stringent. The creation of a unified registry of foreign nationals could become a cornerstone of a new migration management model, granting the state centralized access to information on the residence, movements, and legal status of virtually every foreign citizen present in the country.

CCBS Expert Group

#GEORGIA

#ANALYSIS

24.06.2026 07:31