How to Get Into a University in Georgia as a Foreign Student: Documents, Tuition, Student Residence Permit

Starting with the 2026/27 academic year, a public university in Georgia may give foreign students no more than 5% of its places, so the main route for an international student now runs through private universities. If you spent the last 2 years of school outside Georgia, you do not take the national exam: the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) recognizes your school certificate, and the university gives its written consent to enroll you.

A bachelor's program taught in English at a major university costs $4,000-5,000 a year. Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, the EU, and many other countries enter Georgia visa-free and apply for a student residence permit once they are in the country. A D3 visa is needed in advance only by citizens of countries whose nationals need a visa to enter Georgia. A student residence permit does not give you the right to work.

What changed for foreign students in 2026

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

On June 25, 2026, parliament passed amendments on foreign students. The state now sets a foreign-student quota for each university, every student is entered in a single register, and a university that breaks the rules faces a fine, a ban on admitting foreign students, or the loss of its authorization.

Starting with the 2027/28 academic year, applicants will need a certificate in the language of instruction: at least B1 for a bachelor's degree, medicine, and dentistry, and at least B2 for a master's degree. An international certificate works, and so does an exam at the National Assessment and Examinations Center (NAEC).

If the certificate shows no expiration date, it must have been issued no more than 3 years before you apply. For programs taught in Georgian, applicants take the state language exam.

Public or private university

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

You can study only at an authorized university and in an accredited program. Otherwise, your degree will not be recognized and you will not get a visa. Check the status of the university and the program in the NCEQE register at eqe.ge.

What tuition costs

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

Tuition is only part of the budget, since you also pay for housing, insurance, the visa, and the residence permit. The easiest way to estimate a monthly budget is to start from the current cost of living in Georgia.

Medicine in English

The MD program lasts 6 years and carries 360 ECTS credits. NCEQE, which accredits medical programs, holds recognition from the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) until November 2028. That recognition matters, for example, when a graduate wants to take the USMLE in the United States.

Residency at Tbilisi State Medical University is taught only in Georgian. If you plan to practice as a doctor in Georgia, start learning the language early, and Georgian language courses in Georgia are the usual place to begin.

Indian citizens need to keep the rules of the National Medical Commission (NMC) in mind: 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. Check that a program meets these conditions before you apply.

How to apply

Applicants who spent the last 2 years of school outside Georgia are admitted without the national exam. The process goes like this:

1. Choose a university and a program and check their authorization and accreditation at eqe.ge.
2. Get the university's written consent to enroll you, with the program named.
3. Apply to NCEQE, attaching a copy of your school certificate and transcript with a notarized translation, proof that you spent the last two years of school outside Georgia, a copy of your passport, the university's consent, and the payment receipt.
4. Wait for the recognition decision, which takes a month for 40 ₾ or 15 working days for 80 ₾.
5. Receive the Ministry of Education's enrollment order.

Universities enroll foreign students twice a year: from February 1 to March 15 and from August 15 to October 31. You can apply to NCEQE at any time, and the recognition decision stays valid for a year. Many universities close their own application period earlier, so confirm the deadline with the admissions office.

D3 visa, D6 visa, and student residence permit

An adult student applies for a D3 visa through the geoconsul.gov.ge portal. You need the enrollment letter, the ministry's order, insurance for the visa period, a bank statement for the last 3 months, and proof of accommodation. The visa is issued for 90 days, and the fee is about $20.

Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, the EU, and many other countries enter Georgia visa-free for a full year, so they do not need this visa and apply for a residence permit in Georgia after they arrive. A D3 is required only for citizens of countries whose nationals need a visa to enter Georgia, such as India or Egypt.

Since September 1, 2026, Georgia has issued a D6 visa to minors who study at a university, college, or school, and to their parents or legal guardians and minor siblings until the student turns 18.

Enrollment is not required at the time of application: the visa also goes to a child who only plans to study at an authorized school, college, or university in Georgia. Still, it is wise to agree on a place with the school before you apply. You can enroll a child in school in Georgia without a Georgian personal number.

A student residence permit goes to university and college students, and schoolchildren no longer qualify. The fee is 300 ₾ for a decision within 30 days, 450 within 20 days, and 600 within 10 days. The permit is issued for six months to a year and renewed for as long as you study.

If a student earns no more than a third of the available credits in an academic year, the university suspends their student status. If the status is not restored within 90 days, the residence permit is terminated. It can also be terminated if the student spends 183 days or more outside Georgia within 12 months, except for medical treatment and exchange programs.

Can you work while you study

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

Is a Georgian degree recognized abroad

Georgia has taken part in the Bologna Process since 2005, and its universities count workload in ECTS credits. To use your degree outside Georgia, you will need an apostille in Georgia on the diploma.

In short

• In the 2026/27 academic year, a public university may admit foreign students to no more than 5% of its places, so the main route runs through private universities.
• Applicants who spent the last 2 years of school outside Georgia skip the national exam: NCEQE recognizes the school certificate for 40 ₾, and universities enroll from February 1 to March 15 and from August 15 to October 31.
• Starting in 2027/28, a language certificate is required: B1 for a bachelor's degree and medicine, B2 for a master's degree.
• A bachelor's program in English costs $4,000-5,000 a year, and a medical degree in English costs $6,480-8,000.
• A student residence permit costs 300-600 ₾ and is issued in Georgia; a D3 visa is needed in advance only by citizens of countries whose nationals need a visa to enter Georgia. If you earn a third of the credits or less, your student status is suspended.
• A student residence permit does not give you the right to work: since March 1, 2026, a separate work permit has been required.