First ID card for a minor: what to do under Georgian law

What to do

1. Who applies: from 14 to 18 years of age, the ID card is issued upon application by the minor themself OR by the legal representative (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3); under 14, upon application by the legal representative (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3). From the age of 14, a minor may come alone; the law does not require a parent’s consent for an ID card.
2. Deadline: a citizen must obtain an ID card within 6 months of turning 14 (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3).
3. Parent abroad or conflict between parents: an application from the minor or from one representative is sufficient. Do not confuse this with the passport: the consent of the legal representatives (in person, notarised or electronic) is required for a minor’s PASSPORT (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 20²). Special case: for a child without supervision or a child who is a victim of violence, an application from the guardianship authority is also sufficient (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3).
4. Address: an ID card is not issued without registration (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3); registration of a minor at an address other than the parents’ is possible only with a parent’s written consent (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 3).
5. Where and what to bring: the territorial service of the Public Service Development Agency (Public Service Hall) issues the card on the 10th working day or on an expedited basis (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 13); application, birth certificate (or another document), photo (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 16); documents need not be brought if the data is already in the Agency’s database (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 16). Abroad, applications are submitted through the embassy or consulate within 45 days (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 13). Validity: until the age of 18, the ID card is issued for 4 years (Law on Registration of Citizens, Art. 14).
6. Where to apply: Public Service Development Agency, territorial service at the Public Service Hall; abroad, the embassy or consulate of Georgia.
7. Evidence: birth certificate (or data already in the Agency’s database), photo, documents of the legal representative if they apply; written consent of a parent is needed only for registration at a different address.
8. Traps: transferring the rule on the consent of both parents from the passport (and from a child’s exit abroad) to the ID card; believing that a minor over 14 must have a parent present at the application. The law allows the minor to apply alone. Referring to a “passport desk”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs or a service centre: in Georgia, documents are issued by the Public Service Development Agency through the Public Service Hall. Promising a fine for missing the 6-month deadline: no sanction for this was found in the Code of Administrative Offences.

Be sure to check

• from age 14 the minor or a legal representative applies; under 14, a legal representative
• obligation to obtain the ID card within 6 months after turning 14
• consent of both parents is required for a passport, not for the ID card
• where to apply (Public Service Development Agency / Public Service Hall), required documents and the issuance deadline