⚖️ Ending a Marriage in Georgia: House of Justice, Court and Recognition Abroad

Since 2022, thousands of foreigners have married in Georgia: registration here is simple and quick, and we covered it in our answer on how foreigners can get married in Georgia. Ending such a marriage is also possible in Georgia, and in most cases without a court. Below we cover who can get divorced in Georgia, how the process works at the House of Justice and in court, what to do if one spouse has already left, and how to have a Georgian divorce recognised at home. For a general overview of what else this agency does, see House of Justice in Georgia: services available to foreigners.

🧭 Who can get divorced in Georgia: married here or abroad

The main condition is set out in the Law of Georgia on Civil Status Acts. The registration body will process a divorce if at least one of three conditions is met: one of the spouses is a citizen of Georgia, one of the spouses holds a Georgian residence permit, or the marriage was registered by an authorised Georgian body.

If you are both Russian citizens and married in Russia, it is usually simpler to divorce through a Russian ZAGS: with mutual consent and no minor children, the absent spouse can sign the application at a notary. To find out which services consulates in Georgia provide, see our article on consulates and embassies in Tbilisi and Batumi.

🏛 Divorce at the House of Justice: step by step

If you both agree to divorce, you do not need a court. Applications are accepted at any House of Justice and at the regional offices of the Public Service Development Agency. Having minor children does not by itself send the case to court, but if you have not agreed on who the child will live with, or you dispute child support and property, a court will still have to decide that.

The law also allows a divorce to be registered by a notary, but only in cases defined by the Minister of Justice, so in practice the main route for foreigners remains the House of Justice. Before your visit, call the agency’s hotline at +995 32 2 40 10 10 and check the list of documents for your specific situation.

✍️ Divorce by power of attorney if one spouse has left

Often one spouse has already left Georgia. You do not have to return for the divorce: the application can be filed by a representative who holds a properly certified power of attorney and their own passport or ID card.

There are two ways to arrange a power of attorney:

• In Georgia, at a notary, while you are still here. The directory of notary offices in Tbilisi will help you find one nearby, and we explained how the process works and what it costs in the article on how to get a power of attorney notarised in Georgia.
• Abroad, at a notary in your own country or at a consulate. Such a power of attorney must carry an apostille (or be legalised) and be translated into Georgian with notarial certification.

In the power of attorney, state explicitly the authority to file a divorce application, to receive the divorce certificate and, if needed, to have it apostilled. For more on the requirements for powers of attorney for foreigners, see the article on power of attorney in Georgia for foreigners.

⚖️ Divorce through the court: when you cannot avoid it

A court is needed if one spouse does not agree to the divorce, cannot be reached, or if you cannot agree on the children, child support and division of property. The claim is filed with a district or city court. It can be filed by the spouse personally or by a representative with a notarised power of attorney.

The state fee for a non-property claim in a court of first instance is 100 ₾. Claims for child support are exempt from the fee. If you are also dividing property, the fee for that part is calculated from the value of the disputed property.

Timing. If there are no disputes over children and property, the case in the first instance takes on average 4–6 months. Contested cases take longer. The other spouse receives a copy of the claim and time to respond. If they stay silent, the process does not stop, but it may drag on.

Language. Court proceedings in Georgia are conducted in Georgian. Documents have to be translated, and you need an interpreter at hearings. In practice, foreigners almost always handle such cases through a local lawyer.

Once the court decision has entered into force, the court itself sends it to the registration body within 5 working days, and the divorce is registered. You collect the divorce certificate at the House of Justice.

👶 Children, child support and property

Children. If the parents have not agreed on who the child will live with, the court decides based on the child’s interests. The court usually respects the parents’ agreement unless it harms the child.

Child support. The amount of support for minor children, and for adult children who are unable to work, is set by the parents by agreement. If they cannot agree, the court sets the amount based on the child’s needs and the parent’s income.

Property. Everything acquired during the marriage is joint property and is divided equally unless a prenuptial agreement says otherwise. The following is not divided:

• property that a spouse had before the marriage;
• what was received during the marriage by inheritance or as a gift;
• items for personal use, except jewellery;
• items needed for a profession, such as musical instruments or medical equipment.

Joint debts are divided in proportion to the shares in the joint property. You can claim a division of property within three years after the divorce, after which the right is lost.

🌍 How a Georgian divorce is recognised in your home country

For a Georgian divorce certificate or court decision to work at home, the document must carry an apostille and a notarised translation into your country’s language. In Georgia the apostille is issued by the House of Justice. How to do it and what it costs is covered in detail in the article on how to translate documents and get an apostille in Georgia.

🏛 What happens to your residence permit after a divorce

If you received a residence permit in Georgia as the spouse of a Georgian citizen or of a foreigner with a Georgian residence permit, that basis disappears after the divorce. Your status will have to be reviewed: you will not be able to extend the permit on this basis. Think ahead about another basis: work, individual entrepreneur status, study, property.

All the options are collected in the article on the residence permit in Georgia: documents and timing.

💸 How much a divorce costs in Georgia

Did you get divorced in Georgia? Tell us in the comments how long the procedure took, which documents the House of Justice asked for, and whether the divorce was recognised in your country: we update this article based on your messages.

Last updated: October 2026. The conditions and cost of divorce registration are given according to the Public Service Development Agency of Georgia and the Law on Civil Status Acts. Before your visit, check the list of documents for your situation by phone at +995 32 2 40 10 10.