Marriage registration

What registration means

Registration is the state's official recognition of the marriage. After it you receive a certificate that serves everywhere as proof of the marriage.

A church wedding or a symbolic ceremony is beautiful, but it cannot legally replace registration. So registration is always at the centre of the plan.

Our role

The state carries out the registration. We check the documents, arrange the translation, book the date and are beside you on the day.

Our aim is that when you arrive at the office everything is ready and no question comes as a surprise.

Who registers the marriage

The marriage is registered by the civil registry system; the application goes in at the House of Justice or another state services office.

Tbilisi has several such offices, and the regions have one in almost every town. We choose the one that fits your plan best.

The procedure is the same everywhere, but the halls and free slots differ.

Requirements

Both partners must be 18 or older and must not be in another marriage. A marriage between close relatives is not registered.

Under the Georgian constitution, marriage is a union of a woman and a man. We say this in the very first conversation.

Citizenship and residence are not conditions - both partners can be tourists.

Passport and translation

The main document is a valid passport. It needs a notarised translation into Georgian.

We arrange the translation here, often in one day. Send us a copy of the passport in advance so we can prepare before you arrive.

The passport must be valid on the day of registration. An expired or damaged passport is a problem.

Spelling of names

A Latin-script name is written in Georgian by transliteration. The same name can be spelled several ways.

What matters is that it is spelled the same in every document: the translation, the application, the certificate. A difference later complicates the apostille and recognition.

So we check the translation twice, together with you, before the certificate is issued.

A previous marriage

If one partner was married before, a divorce document or a spouse's death certificate is sometimes required.

A foreign document often needs an apostille and a notarised translation. That is done at home, before you travel.

We find out in advance exactly what your case needs, so the trip does not end in vain.

Dual citizenship

If you have two passports, choose one and use it for every step: translation, registration, apostille.

The passport of the country where you need the marriage recognised is often best. That way the name and details match your documents at home.

It is best to enter the country on the same passport too. This small detail avoids questions later.

Visa and entry

Citizens of many countries enter Georgia visa-free. Others need a visa, which they must obtain in advance.

Residence is not needed for registration. It is enough to be in the country legally.

We check each partner's citizenship separately, just as we do for guests.

Timing and fast-track

The time registration takes depends on the type of service: standard takes longer, fast-track is short, sometimes even the same day.

Fast-track only works if the documents are completely ready. So the translation and checks happen on your first day in the country.

If you are coming for only a few days, we set the schedule so there is a margin before registration.

Booking the date

Popular dates - pretty numbers, Saturdays, mid-season - fill up early. The slot in the hall is booked in advance.

If a specific date matters, we book several weeks ahead. On a weekday there is more choice.

Moving the date is sometimes possible, but not in every format. We tell you the conditions before booking.

Ceremony in the hall

The wedding hall at the House of Justice is for a short official ceremony. It lasts a few minutes.

The hall's size is limited, so the number of guests varies by office. We confirm this in advance.

Many couples go into the hall with only their closest people, and hold the big celebration somewhere else afterwards.

Ceremony at a venue of your choice

An official can come to a place you choose - a chateau, a hotel, a garden. This is a separate service.

That way registration and celebration happen in one place, and the guests see the whole ceremony.

Availability depends on the place and the date. We check that first.

The interpreter

Registration is conducted in Georgian. If either partner does not speak Georgian, an interpreter is needed to translate everything accurately.

We arrange the interpreter, in your language. If you speak two different languages, you sometimes need two interpreters.

We walk you through the ceremony text in advance, so that everything in the hall is clear.

Attending in person

Both partners must attend registration in person. A marriage is not registered by proxy or remotely.

So both arrival dates are the basis of the plan. If one arrives later, we schedule registration after that.

A spare day for flight delays is always worth it.

Choosing a surname

At registration the couple can choose a surname: each keeps their own, they take a shared one, or they combine both.

But your country may treat this change differently. Changing a passport happens at home, by its own rules.

So the surname decision is made knowing the rules at home, not just in the hall.

Marriage contract

A marriage contract sets the property regime. In Georgia it is drawn up at a notary.

The contract is in Georgian, so an interpreter is needed, and the text is translated in advance so you can read it before signing.

If your property is in different countries, we recommend consulting a lawyer. We arrange that contact.

The certificate

After registration a marriage certificate is issued. You often receive it the same day.

Check the names, date and place on the certificate before you leave the office. Correcting a mistake on the spot is easier.

If needed, an additional copy of the certificate can be obtained. Some couples take one for home and another for work.

Apostille

To use the certificate at home, it often needs an apostille. It is issued here, after registration.

Countries outside the convention need consular legalisation. That is a longer route, and we plan it separately.

We explain the details on the apostille page - timing, translation and sending.

Notifying your home country

Some countries require a marriage concluded abroad to be registered at the consulate or at home. That is set by your country's rules.

So before you travel we recommend checking with the consulate or the office at home which document they need and in what form.

If you give us the list, we compare the documents prepared in Georgia against it.

If one partner is Georgian

If one partner is a Georgian citizen, the process is similar; that partner simply has a Georgian ID card.

Such couples often plan a big family wedding. We bring registration and the celebration into one plan.

The foreign spouse's later residence is covered in the immigration section.

Registration day

In the morning we check that you have all the documents and translations with you. We arrive at the office early.

Application, signatures, ceremony and certificate - this part often takes less than an hour.

Then the photo session, dinner or celebration. We place this part in the day's plan so that a delay at the office spoils nothing.

Photos at registration

Taking photos in the House of Justice hall is usually allowed. Sometimes the photographer has limited space.

Several Tbilisi offices are in modern buildings with attractive interiors, and photographers know them well.

We often plan the main part of the photo session in old Tbilisi or out of town.

Rings and vows

Exchanging rings at the official ceremony is usually possible. Bring the rings and give them to someone to hold.

Personal vows are not part of the official text. They sound more natural at a symbolic ceremony or over dinner.

If you still want to say a few words in the hall, we agree it in advance.

Residence and marriage

Marriage to a Georgian citizen can be one of the grounds for residence. The conditions change from time to time.

A marriage between two foreigners in Georgia does not automatically give residence.

If you are planning residence, we connect the immigration side before registration, so you do not do the documents twice.

Checking documents remotely

We check most documents before you arrive, from photos or scans. That shows what is missing before you buy a ticket.

If you need a document with an apostille from home, it takes weeks. So the check has to start early.

On arrival we only compare originals with copies and move on to the translation.

Tbilisi offices

Tbilisi has several branches of the House of Justice. The main building is on the bank of the Mtkvari, with roofs shaped like flower petals.

Some couples choose an office for its interior, others because it is close to the hotel or a photo location.

We choose the office by your route for the day, so no time is lost in traffic.

Batumi and other cities

Registration is also possible in Batumi, which is logical for a seaside wedding. Kutaisi and other towns have offices too.

The procedure is the same, but the interpreter and translation must be arranged locally too. We plan that in advance.

If the celebration is in the mountains, we often register in the nearest town a day earlier.

Holidays

Georgia has many church and state holidays - New Year, Christmas in January, Easter. Office hours change on those days.

Some couples want to register on a holiday specifically. That is sometimes possible, but the booking must be made much earlier.

When choosing a date we always check the Georgian calendar, so we do not arrive at an unexpectedly closed door.

Last-minute delays

It happens that the office has a queue, the system is slow or the previous ceremony runs late. It is rare, but it happens.

So everything planned after registration - the photo session, dinner - has an hour's margin.

Meanwhile we talk to the office, and you simply wait, without any stress.

Two dates

Some couples register first and hold the celebration on another day - sometimes even in another country.

It lightens the schedule: registration day is calm, and the celebration day is free of bureaucracy.

If both are in Georgia, a day or two between them is enough. We often place the photo session on the celebration day.

What to wear

There is no strict dress code at the House of Justice. Some couples come in wedding clothes, others in everyday wear.

If you are going straight to a photo session after registration, it is better to dress before the office. Not every office has a changing room.

In summer the hall is cool but outside is hot. Water and shade are part of the photo session plan.

A shared child

If you already have a child together, the marriage does not automatically change the child's documents. That depends on the law at home.

The child can attend registration, and that is often the warmest moment.

Documents for a child born in Georgia are described in the immigration section.

After registration

The apostille, translation and sending the documents usually take a few days. If you have already left, we complete this without you.

We send an electronic copy of the certificate straight away and the original by courier.

If anything more is requested at home, we help again.

Common mistakes

A passport that is about to expire. Different spellings of a name in the translation and the documents at home.

A previous divorce document without an apostille. The interpreter arriving late for the registration slot.

A flight on registration day, with no spare time. We notice all of this when checking the documents.

What we need from you

Copies of both passports, citizenship and information about any previous marriage.

The preferred date, city and format - the hall, Sighnaghi or your own venue.

Which language you speak and in which country you need the marriage recognised.

Price

The state fee is official and depends on the timing and format of the service. You pay it directly.

Translation, the interpreter and our support are separate and agreed in advance.

We list every line separately in the proposal, so you know exactly what you are paying for.