Since 2023, compulsory military service in Georgia has been governed by the Defence Code and is now called 'national conscript military service'. Here is who it applies to, how long it lasts, when you can be exempted or deferred, and what happens if you don't appear.
Who is called up
- Citizens aged 18 to 27 who are on the conscript military register and have no ground for exemption or deferment
- Who is called up is decided each year by random electronic selection; the call-up dates are set by government resolution
- Service is done only within the Ministry of Defence system
- Anyone who hasn't served by 27 is enrolled in the Defence Forces reserve
How long it lasts
| Where you serve | Term |
|---|---|
| Combat unit | 6 months |
| Combat support or service support unit | 8 months |
| Junior command, staff or specialist post | 11 months |
If you volunteer before being called up, you choose the term yourself. So does someone who has the right to a deferment but wants to serve anyway.
Who is exempt
- Those found unfit for service on health grounds
- Those who did military or alternative service in another country
- Those convicted of a serious or particularly serious crime
- The only son in a family where a member died fighting for Georgia's territorial integrity or during military service
- Members of Parliament; a conscript of exceptional talent — by decision of the Prime Minister
Grounds for deferment
- Temporarily unfit on health grounds — up to 1 year; partly fit — up to 3 years
- Students at a recognised Georgian or foreign university, until each level is completed; fully online study at a foreign university does not count. Also medical residents — until the residency ends; vocational students — only once, and only if they have not used a student or residency deferral
- School pupils — until 20; those registered for the national or master's exams — until results and enrolment
- Someone with two or more children; someone with one child — for 3 years from the birth; a single father
- The only child of a mother or father; someone supporting an underage brother or sister
- Someone with a disabled family member who has no other carer
- A rural doctor or school teacher; a teacher or researcher with a doctorate
- Someone under criminal prosecution — until the decision; someone with a suspended sentence — until it ends
Paid deferment — GEL 5,000
- The fee is GEL 5,000 and defers the call-up for 1 calendar year
- You can use this right until you turn 25
- After the year you are again subject to call-up — without another ground, you must pay again
- When you appear before the call-up commission, you are told how to pay
If you live abroad
If you stay abroad for more than 1 month, you must register on the conscript register at a Georgian consulate within the next 2 weeks. If you did military or alternative service in another country, you are exempt — prepare the document that proves it in advance.
What happens if you don't appear
| Offence | Liability |
|---|---|
| Not appearing for military registration when summoned, without good reason | GEL 1,000 fine (Article 196¹) |
| Not registering at a consulate when abroad for more than 1 month | GEL 1,000 fine (Article 196⁷) |
| Not reporting a change of address, job, family status or studies within 2 weeks after the competent body asks for it | GEL 200 fine (Article 197) |
| Not appearing before the call-up or medical commission to avoid conscription | GEL 1,000 fine; if unpaid — 15 days' detention (Article 197¹) |
| Evading service — including by faking illness, self-injury or a false document | A crime: a fine or up to 3 years in prison (Article 356 of the Criminal Code) |
During martial law or a state of emergency, evading service is punished more severely — 2 to 5 years in prison.
How we help
- We check whether you qualify for exemption or deferment and prepare the application
- Appealing a call-up commission decision
- Appealing a fine under Articles 196¹–197¹
- Defence in a criminal case under Article 356
Legal basis
Official texts (in Georgian) — Legislative Herald of Georgia, matsne.gov.ge.
Important: this article is general information based on the law in force on the date it was published.
Laws change and every case is different, so it doesn't replace advice from a lawyer. Before you act on it, contact us. MMLAW is not responsible for decisions made solely on the basis of this article.
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