Georgia mandates language exams for international students applying to university

What the new language rule covers

Georgia's Ministry of Education, Science and Youth has rolled out a state language examination for foreign applicants to Georgian universities, administered by the National Assessment and Examinations Center (NAEC). The exam framework went live in 2025, with the first registration window running Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 for that year's session, per Georgia Today and Business Media Georgia.

Education consultancies tracking the 2026-27 intake report that foreign applicants must either submit an internationally recognized certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL or sit the government-approved Georgian exam. The requirement appears to apply even when programs are taught in English or Russian, though a single consolidated decree spelling out scoring thresholds and a uniform July 1 cutoff hasn't surfaced in any English-language government gazette.

Who has to take it

International students applying to Georgian bachelor's, master's and professional programs at both state and private universities sit at the center of the rule. Medical programs, a major draw for South Asian and Middle Eastern applicants, fall inside the same admissions pipeline.

The rule does not reach:

• Tourists and short-term visitors, who remain unaffected at the border
• Remote workers using Georgia's 365-day visa-free stay window, provided they aren't enrolling at a university
• Expats on standard work contracts outside regulated professions

Some Georgian press framing suggests the state exam could later be repurposed for residency or naturalization checks, though no current regulation ties it to residence permits.

Steps for applicants this cycle

Anyone applying for the 2026-27 academic year should line up language proof now rather than wait for university-by-university clarification. Two routes:

• Book an IELTS or TOEFL sitting and request scores be sent directly to the target Georgian university
• Register through NAEC for the next state language examination cycle if pursuing Georgian-medium study or if a university requires the domestic test

Confirm requirements in writing with the admissions office before paying application fees, because individual universities are interpreting the rollout differently while the central decree remains unpublished. Fee schedules for the state exam haven't been published in English-language sources.

Read our full Georgia guide for the complete picture or browse recent visa updates across the region.