If you are in need of international protection, you have the right to address any state agency or the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (hereinafter: the Ministry) and express your will to apply for asylum in Georgia.
After you submit an asylum application with the Ministry, you will be interviewed about your asylum claim in the next 4 months. Generally, your application for international protection will be reviewed by the Ministry within 6 months, but depending on the complexity of the case, the review period might be prolonged for 9 months; overall, the administrative procedure will not exceed 21 months from the date the application was submitted.
Interview
The Ministry conducts the interview with you and with your adult family members accompanying you. Authorized officials of the Ministry will explain the asylum procedure and your rights before the start of the interview.
- You should be prepared for an individual interview. During the entire asylum procedure, you must tell the truth, provide detailed information about the reasons for applying for international protection and present all available documents (i.e. ID and civil documents, education or work related documents and other documents that you possess).
- Interview and related written/audio recordings are confidential, which means that the information about you will not be shared with anyone but the authorized officials, who are reviewing your application or other Georgian state agencies, involved in the asylum procedure.
- You have the right to have an interpreter during the interview. You have the right to change the interpreter if you cannot understand him/her.
What do you need to bring to the profiling interview?
You should bring to the Division of International Protection Issues of the Migration Department all available written documents supporting your asylum claim, if available:
- Personal identification documents (e.g. passport, ID card, travel document);
- Individual and status documents (e.g. birth and/or marriage and/or divorce certificate, guardianship document);
- Educational documents (e.g. certificates, diploma);
- Employment documents (e.g. certificate, working records, card);
- Membership cards (e.g. political parties, social organizations, union card);
- Any other available documents related to your application for international protection.
Decision
The Ministry may grant you refugee or humanitarian status or reject your application for international protection. The decision will be delivered to you in a written form in a language you understand.
Appeal
If you receive a negative decision from the Ministry, you have the right to appeal it to the court within 1 month from the moment you receive the decision. Your claim will be considered by the Tbilisi City Court (first instance) and by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals (second instance). For free legal aid you can address the Legal Aid Service of Georgia. For legal counselling you can also address the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Tbilisi.
You can find more information about what happens in case your asylum application is rejected here
Who will know that you have applied for asylum in Georgia?
Information about you as well as the information regarding your application for international protection is confidential and will not be shared with mass media, other organizations, citizens of Georgia and/or with the state agencies and citizens of your country of origin, without your written consent.
Related information
Seeking Asylum in Georgia information leaflet: English | русский | عربى | فارسی Türk