Marriage of Foreign Citizens in Georgia — Which Issues Are Regulated by Georgian Law and Which by Foreign Law

Georgia is one of the popular countries for foreign citizens to register their marriage. The procedure is simple, fast, and affordable, which is why many foreigners choose to register their marriage in Georgia.

However, an important question often arises:

If foreigners get married in Georgia — which country’s law regulates their family rights and obligations?

In this article, we explain which issues are regulated by Georgian law and which issues are subject to foreign law.

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What Is Regulated by Georgian Law

If foreign citizens register their marriage in Georgia, Georgian law mainly regulates only the procedural issues related to marriage registration and divorce registration.

This means that in Georgia it is possible to:

Marriage Registration

Foreign citizens can officially register their marriage in Georgia if they meet the formal requirements established by Georgian law.

Divorce Registration

If spouses decide to end their marriage, they can also register their divorce in Georgia, provided that the required conditions are met (for example — mutual agreement or a court decision).

Therefore, marriage and divorce registration are the main issues that can be fully handled under Georgian law.

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What Is Not Regulated by Georgian Law

It is important to understand that other important family law matters are usually not regulated by Georgian law, especially when both spouses are foreign citizens.

Such matters include:

• Property relations between spouses

• Financial obligations between spouses

• Alimony (spousal or child support) issues

• Rights and responsibilities related to children

• Personal and property liability between spouses

• Contractual relations between spouses (for example — prenuptial agreements)

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Which Country’s Law Regulates These Matters

The issues listed above are usually regulated by:

The law of the country of origin (citizenship) of the foreign spouses.

This means that:

• If both spouses are citizens of the same country — the law of that country usually applies

• If the spouses are citizens of different countries — one country’s law may apply according to the rules of private international law

Therefore, even if the marriage is registered in Georgia, most family rights and obligations are still governed by foreign law