Georgia student visa (D3) and residence permit

The D3 student visa

Foreign citizens who come to Georgia for long-term study at an authorised educational institution are issued an immigration visa of the D3 category. According to Georgia's Study in Georgia portal, it is valid for 90 days with multiple entries, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, through its missions and consular offices, decides within 30 calendar days of submission.

You apply through Georgia's consular service, using the mission responsible for your country of residence. The D3 does not itself cover your whole degree: it gets you into the country, and you then apply for a residence permit.

Where you file depends on your country: some applicants apply at a Georgian embassy or consulate, others through a visa application centre. Contact us and we will confirm the route for your nationality.

Documents for the D3 visa

The official list of documents includes:

1. An electronically completed and signed visa application form.
2. Your passport or other travel document.
3. Proof of payment of the consular fee.
4. A photograph to ICAO standard.
5. Evidence of the purpose of your visit: an acceptance letter from the authorised higher education institution, or a document from it showing you are enrolled.
6. Evidence of sufficient funds for travel and your stay.
7. Evidence that you have accommodation in Georgia.
8. Health insurance.
9. Proof of payment of any penalty, if you were previously fined for staying in Georgia without grounds.
10. A document proving representative powers, if someone applies on your behalf.

Some missions ask for more. The Georgian embassy in the UAE, for example, also lists the ministry order about your admission and proof of the university's accreditation and English faculties. Check the exact list with the mission that handles your application.

Study residence permit

After you arrive and enrol, you apply for a study residence permit with the Public Service Development Agency (PSDA), in person at a Public Service Hall or online. The key document is a certificate from your university confirming that you are enrolled and for how long.

• A completed application and a copy of your passport.
• Proof that you are lawfully in Georgia.
• The enrolment certificate from the authorised institution, showing the expected duration of study.
• Evidence of sufficient funds. Funds in your own account are reported to need to equal at least twice the monthly subsistence minimum for each month of the permit.
• A colour photograph in electronic format and proof of payment of the state fee.

The state fee is reported as GEL 300 for processing in 30 calendar days, GEL 450 for 20 days and GEL 600 for 10 days. Initial permits are generally issued for six months to a year and renewed. Your permit is tied to your student status, so keep your enrolment valid for the whole period.

What changed on 1 September 2026

A Government of Georgia decree amending the visa rules (No. 443 of 8 September 2026) applies from 1 September 2026. As summarised by relocation and news sources, the changes include:

• D3 for adults, D6 for minors. Adult students and researchers use the D3. Minors, and their accompanying parents and minor siblings, use the new D6.
• Narrower extensions. A D3 can be extended only where the grounds for extension do not allow a stay of more than three months.
• Study permits for higher education only. Study residence permits apply to students at universities and professional educational institutions, not schools.
• New termination grounds. A study-based stay can end if student status is suspended and 90 days pass without reinstatement, if you earn no more than one-third of the maximum credits in an academic year, or if you are absent for 183 days or more in any continuous 12 months, with exceptions for medical treatment abroad and exchange programmes.
• Transitional rule. Students whose status was already suspended on 1 September 2026 have until 1 January 2027 to reinstate it.

The practical lesson is to stay enrolled, earn your credits every year and avoid long absences. Because the rules are new and details may be clarified, confirm the current position with the PSDA or your university's international office.

Practical tips

• Apply for the visa as soon as you have your acceptance and enrolment documents, and do not book non-refundable flights until it is issued.
• Make sure the name and passport details on every document match your passport exactly.
• Buy health insurance that meets the consulate's requirements before you apply.
• Keep your bank statements consistent with the funds you declare.
• Keep digital and paper copies of every document, including receipts.

No agent or university can promise a visa outcome. The Georgian authorities decide. When you apply through us, we prepare and review your visa file before it is submitted. To start, contact us. For the steps before the visa, see how to apply.

Official sources

• Study in Georgia: permits and visas
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: D3 study visa requirements (UAE mission example)
• Government of Georgia decree No. 443 amending the visa rules (8 September 2026)
• Relocation.ge: student visa and residence in Georgia
• Georgia Times: D6 and updated D3 rules for foreign students