How to get into universities in Georgia: documents, NCEQE and apostille
No national exams, but a fixed chain of approvals: university consent, NCEQE recognition, a ministry order and a D3 visa. Here is every step.
International students enter universities in Georgia without sitting Georgian national exams. Instead, you need three approvals in a fixed order: the university's consent, recognition of your school certificate by NCEQE (the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement), and an enrollment order from Georgia's Ministry of Education.
This page walks through each step for the upcoming intake: which documents to prepare, how to legalize them in your home country, what NCEQE charges and how long it takes. It is written for applicants from India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt and the Gulf. Most of it applies to both MD (MBBS) and non-medical programs.
Most delays happen before the file ever reaches Georgia: a missing apostille, a translation that is not notarized, a visa file without the ministry order. If you plan for these early, the process is predictable.
How admission to universities in Georgia works
The university decides whether to accept you. The state confirms your school certificate and issues the enrollment order. Only then can students from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt apply for a study visa.
Admission steps, from application to residence permit
Apply to the university. Each university sets its own entry requirements. At Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU), for example, you send your documents, fill in a questionnaire, pass an online interview on Zoom and then receive an offer letter.
Get the university's written consent. For enrollment without national exams, NCEQE needs a written consent signed by the rector of your chosen university.
Legalize and translate your documents. Put an apostille or consular legalization on your school documents at home, then get a notarized translation into Georgian.
Apply to NCEQE for recognition of your school certificate. NCEQE checks that the certificate is authentic and matches Georgian standards.
Receive the ministry order. NCEQE forwards your file to the Ministry of Education, the minister issues an order, and the university enrolls you.
NCEQE recognition: fees and processing times
NCEQE recognition is mandatory for every foreign school certificate. You choose the speed, and the fee depends on it.
| Processing time | NCEQE recognition fee |
|---|---|
1 month | 40 GEL |
15 working days | 80 GEL |
5 working days | 120 GEL |
1 working day | 250 GEL |
If you submit by mail, add 5 GEL. Enrollment without national exams is a separate NCEQE service: 30 GEL for 1 month or 60 GEL for 15 working days.
You can submit the file in four ways:
- in person at NCEQE, 2 Merab Aleksidze Street, Tbilisi;
- online through my.gov.ge, which requires a Georgian ID card and an electronic signature, so it is usually not an option for foreign applicants;
- through a representative with a power of attorney;
Documents NCEQE asks for
- Application form.
- Copy of your passport with a notarized translation into Georgian.
- Notarized translation of your school certificate.
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Documents for the university and translation rules
Universities ask for a shorter list first. TSMU asks for a passport, a high school certificate and a language certificate; applicants under 18 add a translated birth certificate and their parents' passports.
Translation is the strict rule. Any foreign-language document goes to NCEQE only with a notarized Georgian translation. TSMU asks for notarized Georgian translations in two original copies.
Apostille or consular legalization: rules by country
Georgia has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 14 May 2007. If your country is also a party, an apostille is enough. If it is not, your documents need consular legalization.
| Country of issue | Hague Apostille Convention | What your documents need |
|---|---|---|
India | Party | Apostille. For the D3 visa, the Georgian embassy requires an MEA apostille on all education documents |
Pakistan | Party since 9 March 2023 | Apostille |
Saudi Arabia | Party since 7 December 2022 | Apostille |
Nigeria | Not a party | Consular legalization |
Egypt | Not a party |
Consular legalization usually runs in two steps: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country, then the Georgian consulate. After the apostille or legalization, you still need the notarized Georgian translation.
University requirements: language, interview and NEET
Language certificate and interview
TSMU asks for an internationally recognized certificate at B1 level or higher in the language of the program, English or Russian. It also holds an online interview on Zoom before issuing an offer letter. Other universities set their own level and format.
Do you need Georgian or a preparatory year?
English- and Russian-taught programs do not require Georgian. For Georgian-taught programs, a university may require a preparatory year. TSMU, for example, runs a preparatory course.
NEET for Indian MBBS applicants
A Georgian university may not require NEET for enrollment, but NMC requires NEET for Indian citizens who want to study medicine abroad. The Georgian embassy in India also lists NEET in its D3 visa checklist for MBBS students. The MD program in Georgia lasts 6 years (360 ECTS), with the final year fully clinical. More on programs and universities is on our MBBS in Georgia page.
Timeline for the upcoming intake
Georgian universities publish exact application dates closer to the intake. Plan backward from the semester start.
As a guide, start the NCEQE and ministry procedure at least 2–3 months before the semester begins.
| Stage | Standard option | Faster option |
|---|---|---|
NCEQE recognition | 1 month, 40 GEL | 1 working day, 250 GEL |
Enrollment without national exams (ministry order) | 1 month, 30 GEL | 15 working days, 60 GEL |
D3 study visa | Consular fee 20 USD, plus the VFS service fee if you apply through VFS | Depends on the embassy |
Student residence permit, after arrival | Decision on day 30, 300 GEL | Day 20 for 450 GEL, day 10 for 600 GEL |
The D3 visa file
You apply online on geoconsul.gov.ge; in India, documents go through VFS Global. The key items are the Ministry of Education order, the university's enrollment order, NEET (MBBS only), proof of accommodation and funds, insurance for the full visa period, and an MEA apostille on education documents. The D3 visa is issued for 90 days. Full checklist: Georgia student visa.
The Georgian embassy in the UAE adds an online student entry permit (registration.gov.ge) and a UAE residence permit or multiple-entry visa valid 90 days beyond the requested visa.
When to apply to a Georgian university
Planning backward from the semester start for the upcoming intake
2–3 months before the semester
Start the procedure
Begin the NCEQE and ministry steps; universities publish exact dates closer to the intake.
1 working day to 1 month
NCEQE recognition
1 month costs 40 GEL; the fastest option, 1 working day, costs 250 GEL.
15 working days to 1 month
Ministry enrollment order
Enrollment without national exams costs 30 GEL for 1 month or 60 GEL for 15 working days.
Issued for 90 days
D3 study visa
Students from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt apply with the ministry order; the visa is issued for 90 days.
40 days before your stay ends
Student residence permit
File in Georgia no later than 40 calendar days before your stay ends; a decision comes on day 30, 20 or 10.
Exact application dates are set by each university and published closer to the intake.
What to know before you apply
Several points matter more than brochures suggest, especially for future doctors.
Practicing medicine in Georgia requires Georgian
After the MD, graduates receive junior doctor status without extra exams. A junior doctor has no right to independent medical practice and works under a licensed doctor. Georgian law makes the Georgian language mandatory for independent practice, and TSMU runs its residency programs only in Georgian (per its website). Universities include Georgian courses so students can talk to patients. If you plan to work as a doctor, plan your licensing exam at home or in a third country from year one.
WFME recognition has an end date
WFME recognizes agencies, not universities. Georgia's accreditor, NCEQE, holds WFME recognition until November 2028. A student starting now graduates later than that. Renewal is a question for the future, and nobody can guarantee it. Check the status again before each major step, such as ECFMG registration.
Check your home-country rules before you pay
For India, the rulebook is the NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations (FMGL) 2021. They set conditions on course length, internship, language of instruction and licensing in the country of study. In Georgia, the clinical internship sits inside the 6-year MD, not after it. Georgia's Ministry of Education states that its MD is in line with the new NMC rules. That is Georgia's position, not an NMC decision. Read the current FMGL text and compare it with your specific program before paying a deposit. Applicants from Pakistan, Nigeria and Egypt should do the same with their national medical regulator.
No fixed bank balance for the visa
The Georgian embassy checklists do not set a fixed amount for the D3 visa. You show your own funds or a sponsor package: a notarized sponsor affidavit, the sponsor's ID, a 3-month bank statement and a salary certificate. A grant or scholarship letter also works.
Do not plan on working in Georgia
Since 2026, part-time work for a Georgian employer requires a separate permit. Plan your budget without counting on earnings in Georgia. Tuition and living costs are on our cost of studying in Georgia page.
Motivation letter: template and a paragraph-by-paragraph guide
A ready skeleton in English with a note on what each paragraph has to do, plus the mistakes that make a letter useless.
- Where a letter is really required and where it is not
- A five-paragraph template with example wording
- How to strengthen it with specifics and numbers
- Seven mistakes and a checklist before you send
Not sure which legalization route applies to your certificate, or whether a program fits NMC rules? Book a free consultation. We assess your chances, check your documents against NCEQE and embassy requirements, and map every step to the upcoming intake. Reach us through the form on the contacts page, WhatsApp or Telegram. For an overview of the country, see our guide to study in Georgia.
