The News in Brief
Tuesday, July 30
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
President urges emigrants retain Georgian citizenship through a ‘simple procedure’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has urged Georgian emigrants to use the simplified procedure allowed back in 2018 to retain Georgian citizenship.
“The Georgian citizens, who automatically lost their Georgian citizenship when they received the citizenship of any other country, have the opportunity to address the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice until August 15, 2019, and have their citizenship restored,” Zurabishvili writes.
She says that many Georgian citizens had already used the “simplified procedure,” initiated by her when she was an MP.
The law approved by the Georgian parliament in the summer of 2018 allowed dual citizenship for Georgian nationals.
Earlier, receiving the citizenship of any foreign country meant an automatic loss of Georgian citizenship.
Only the president of Georgia has had a right to grant dual citizenship.
To restore Georgian citizenship, an individual must know the Georgian language on the level indicated by the law; he must not be wanted, and no extradition or similar procedures must be launched against him/her.
If the person meets the criteria and has Georgian citizenship restored, his/her underage children will automatically receive Georgian citizenship.
Zurabishvili says that the change allowed many Georgians living abroad to preserve ties with the motherland.
She stated that the previous procedure was too strict.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili lost Georgian citizenship in 2015 when he received the Ukrainian citizenship.
However, Saakashvili, who is wanted for several charges by Georgian law enforcement agencies, has not appealed for the restoration of his Georgian citizenship.
President urges emigrants retain Georgian citizenship through a ‘simple procedure’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has urged Georgian emigrants to use the simplified procedure allowed back in 2018 to retain Georgian citizenship.
“The Georgian citizens, who automatically lost their Georgian citizenship when they received the citizenship of any other country, have the opportunity to address the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice until August 15, 2019, and have their citizenship restored,” Zurabishvili writes.
She says that many Georgian citizens had already used the “simplified procedure,” initiated by her when she was an MP.
The law approved by the Georgian parliament in the summer of 2018 allowed dual citizenship for Georgian nationals.
Earlier, receiving the citizenship of any foreign country meant an automatic loss of Georgian citizenship.
Only the president of Georgia has had a right to grant dual citizenship.
To restore Georgian citizenship, an individual must know the Georgian language on the level indicated by the law; he must not be wanted, and no extradition or similar procedures must be launched against him/her.
If the person meets the criteria and has Georgian citizenship restored, his/her underage children will automatically receive Georgian citizenship.
Zurabishvili says that the change allowed many Georgians living abroad to preserve ties with the motherland.
She stated that the previous procedure was too strict.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili lost Georgian citizenship in 2015 when he received the Ukrainian citizenship.
However, Saakashvili, who is wanted for several charges by Georgian law enforcement agencies, has not appealed for the restoration of his Georgian citizenship.