How Foreigners Can Get Into a University in Georgia: Documents, Tuition, Student Residence Permit

Starting with the 2026/27 academic year, a public university in Georgia can give no more than 5% of its places to foreign students, so most international students now enroll at private universities. You skip the national entrance exams: the NCEQE recognizes your high school diploma, and the university confirms in writing that it will admit you.

An English-taught bachelor's degree at a major university costs $4,000-5,000 a year. Students come on a D3 visa and then get a student residence permit, but the permit does not allow you to work.

What changed for foreign students in 2026

In December 2025 Georgia's education minister announced that public universities would stop admitting foreigners. The final government decree softened the ban: in 2026/27 a public university can fill no more than 5% of its places with foreign students. Intergovernmental agreements and exchange programs are exempt.

On 25 June 2026 parliament passed a set of amendments on foreign students. The government now sets a foreign-student quota for each university, every student goes into a single national database, and universities that break the rules face fines, a ban on admitting foreigners or the loss of their authorization.

From 2027/28, applicants will need a certificate in the language of instruction: at least B1 for bachelor's, medicine and dentistry programs and at least B2 for a master's. An international certificate is accepted, or you can take the exam at Georgia's National Assessment and Examinations Center (NAEC).

A certificate with no expiration date must have been issued within the last 3 years. For programs taught in Georgian, you take an exam in the state language.

Public or private university

Georgia has 64 higher education institutions, and 45 of them are private. The 5% cap applies only to public universities, so most of the places open to foreigners are now at private ones.

Stick to an authorized university and an accredited program: otherwise your degree won't be recognized and you won't get a visa. You can check both in the NCEQE registry at eqe.ge.

Tuition fees

The fees come from the universities' official websites as of October 2026. At public universities they apply to students admitted within the 5% quota.

Tuition is only part of the bill: add housing, insurance, the visa and the residence permit. To work out a monthly budget, start with the current cost of living in Georgia.

Studying medicine in English

The MD program takes 6 years and carries 360 ECTS credits. The NCEQE, which accredits medical programs, is recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) until November 2028. That recognition matters if, for example, a graduate wants to take the USMLE, the US medical licensing exam.

Residency training at Tbilisi State Medical University is in Georgian only. If you plan to practice medicine in Georgia, start on the language early, for example at Georgian language courses in Georgia.

Indian citizens should check the requirements of the National Medical Commission (NMC): at least 54 months of study, a 12-month internship at the same university in the same country, instruction in English, and eligibility for a medical license in the country of study. Make sure a program meets these conditions before you apply.

How to apply

If you completed the last 2 years of school outside Georgia, you can enroll without the national exams. The process looks like this:

1. Choose a university and a program, and check their authorization and accreditation on eqe.ge.
2. Get the university's written consent to enroll you, with the program named.
3. Apply to the NCEQE with a copy of your high school diploma and transcript with a notarized translation, proof that you spent your last two years of school abroad, a copy of your passport, the university's consent and the payment receipt.
4. Wait for your diploma to be recognized: 40 lari for a decision within a month, or 80 lari for a decision within 15 working days.
5. Receive the Ministry of Education's enrollment order.

Applications are accepted twice a year: from 1 February to 15 March and from 15 August to 31 October. Many universities close their own admissions earlier, so confirm the deadline with the admissions office.

D3 visa, D6 visa and student residence permit

Adult students apply for a D3 visa through the geoconsul.gov.ge portal. You will need the enrollment letter, the ministry's enrollment order, insurance that covers the whole visa period, a bank statement for the last 3 months and proof of accommodation. The visa is valid for 90 days, and the fee is about $20.

If your passport lets you enter Georgia visa-free, you can skip the D3 and apply for a residence permit in Georgia once you arrive.

Since 1 September 2026 Georgia has issued a D6 visa to minors enrolled at a university, college or school. It also covers parents or legal guardians and minor siblings until the student turns 18. The D6 goes only to children already enrolled, so secure a school place before you apply. You can enroll a child in school in Georgia even without a Georgian personal number.

Student residence permits go to university and college students; schoolchildren no longer qualify. The fee is 300 lari for a decision within 30 days, 450 within 20 days and 600 within 10 days. The permit is valid for six months to a year and can be renewed for as long as you study.

A student who earns no more than a third of the available credits in an academic year has their student status suspended by the university. If the status is not restored within 90 days, the residence permit is revoked. It can also be revoked if the student spends 183 days or more outside Georgia within 12 months, unless the absence is for medical treatment or an exchange program.

Can you work while you study?

Since 1 March 2026 foreigners have needed a separate work permit to work in Georgia, and a student residence permit does not replace it. Students are not on the list of exemptions, so even a part-time job requires a work permit in Georgia on the same terms as everyone else.

Is a Georgian degree recognized abroad?

Georgia has been part of the Bologna Process since 2005, and its universities measure workload in ECTS credits. Before you use your degree abroad, get an apostille in Georgia for it.

Key takeaways

• In 2026/27 a public university can give foreigners no more than 5% of its places, so most foreign students go to private universities.
• No national exams: the NCEQE recognizes your high school diploma for 40 lari, and applications run from 1 February to 15 March and from 15 August to 31 October.
• From 2027/28 a language certificate is required: B1 for bachelor's and medicine, B2 for a master's.
• An English-taught bachelor's degree costs $4,000-5,000 a year; medicine costs more, $6,480-8,000.
• Students get a D3 visa and a student residence permit for 300-600 lari; earning a third of the credits or less suspends student status.
• A student residence permit does not give you the right to work: since 1 March 2026 a separate work permit has been required.