Changes ease ID issuance process for Georgian’s living abroad

Issuing vital identification documents to Georgian citizens living abroad could soon get easier if Parliament approves a law change that will see a state agency oversee the currently complicated process.

Under the changes, instead of having to go to Georgian consulates and Embassies, Georgian citizens living abroad could send documents straight to Tbilisi where the State Services Development Agency (SDA) would take appropriate action, said deputy Minister of Justice Alexandre Baramidze.

Parliament were currently discussing changes to the law ‘On the Rule of Registration of Citizens of Georgia and Aliens Residing in Georgia, of issuance of ID (residence) Card and Passport of a Citizen of Georgia’.

He hoped Georgian lawmakers would agree to the change, which would see the SDA be in control of registration and identification documents (ID) issuance to Georgian citizens living abroad.

Under the current law, only Georgian consulates and Embassies are able to make these decisions.

Baramidze said the changes aimed to see the establishment of a centralized electronic database which meant information was universally collected and "not scattered among various agencies”.

If the changes were approved, the deadline for issuing electronic ID cards would increase from 30 days to 45 days.