Georgia has made universities and vocational colleges directly responsible for keeping correct records on their foreign students. Amendments to the Administrative Offences Code, adopted in the summer, set sanctions for institutions that fail to enter the required data on a foreign student in the official information system or break the recording rules. Metronome reports that the rule has applied since 31 August.
The sanctions
- A warning or a fine of two to five times the foreign student's annual tuition fee.
- For a repeated violation, again two to five times the annual fee.
- For a further violation, up to six times the annual fee, and the institution's right to admit foreign students can be restricted for one to three academic years.
Paying a fine does not release the institution from its duty to record the data.
Part of a wider migration package
The sanctions belong to a package prepared by the Interior Ministry. When Interpressnews described it in June 2026, the package also proposed language certificates or a national exam for foreign applicants, government quotas on foreign student admissions and study residence permits only for adult students at authorised institutions.
What it means for students
Your residence permit as a student depends on correct enrolment records. Studying at an authorised institution that handles these records properly protects your status in Georgia.
Key points
- Universities and colleges must record foreign students' data correctly in the state system.
- Fines range from two to six times the student's annual tuition fee.
- Repeat offenders can lose the right to admit foreign students for one to three years.
- Correct enrolment records matter for your student residence permit.
Apply through us: we help you choose an authorised university and keep your enrolment documents in order for your residence permit.
Sources
- Fine or restriction on admitting students – sanction set for incorrect recording of information on foreign studentsMetronome · Sep 29, 2026In Georgian; title translated.
- Interior Ministry develops new legislative package aimed at strengthening migration management and state securityInterpressnews · Jun 8, 2026
Written by the Study and Work Abroad team in our own words from the sources above. Rules change often: before you apply, ask us to check the current rules for your case.
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