On determining provisional procedures different from those established by legislation for the administration of activities and provision of services to persons by the Legal Entity under Public Law called the Public Service Development Agency in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

Minister of Justice of Georgia

Order No 543

25 May 2020

Tbilisi

On determining provisional procedures different from those established by legislation for the administration of activities and provision of services to persons by the Legal Entity under Public Law called the Public Service Development Agency in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

On the basis of Article 45³(1) and (2)(b) of the Law of Georgia on Public Health, and Article 7(1)(b) of the Rules approved by Ordinance No 322 of 23 May 2020 of the Government of Georgia ‘On Approval of Isolation and Quarantine Rules’, I hereby order:

Article 1 – Conditions for provision of services by the Public Service Development Agency

1. The services of the Legal Entity under Public Law called the Public Service Development Agency operating within the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia (‘the Agency’) shall be available through the Public Service Hall, the Legal Entity under Public Law operating within the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, which shall be carried out through preliminary bookings via the citizen's portal my.gov.ge.

2. Except for the cases determined by the legislation, the Agency shall be also authorised to receive electronic applications for the services determined by this paragraph, if electronic communication allows direct visual contact between an applicant and a person authorised to receive an application, and it is possible to identify and verify the identity of the applicant using the information available in the electronic database of the Agency. Such services are as follows:

a) the issuance of a biometric passport of a citizen of Georgia, if a relevant biometric document has been issued to the interested person and his/her biometric data can be used again to issue a new biometric passport;

b) the issuance of an electronic identity card, if an electronic identity card and/or a biometric passport has been issued to the interested person and his/her personal signature/data can be used again to issue a new identity card;

c) the repeated issuance of initial birth and death certificates and civil status registration certificates;

d) the transfer to a third person of the right to express a person's consent to carry out acts falling within the scope of authority of the Agency, or of representation rights;

e) the issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage;

f) the issuance of a certificate of registration of change of name, surname (including the recognition of a surname as valid), including making mandatory amendments to the respective civil record based on such change/recognition as being valid, including in the civil record drawn up on behalf of a minor child (children) by a parent (parents) in the case of changing a name or surname (recognition of a surname as valid), (except for cases related to issues of marriage, divorce, establishment of paternity, adoption), and a certificate of change of name and/or change/establishment of surname, as well as the issuance of other civil status registration certificates due to such change/recognition as valid;

g) the recognition of a change of name in a birth record as valid;

h) the apostillisation/legalisation of initial birth and death certificates, repeated civil status registration certificates and certificates of no impediment to marriage;

i) the translation of initial birth and death certificates, repeated civil status registration certificates and certificates of no impediment to marriage for the purpose of their apostillisation/legalisation;

j) the registration of natural persons according to their place of residence.

3. In the case of registration of marriage with ceremonial services and on-site services (provision of services outside the building), only the parents, witnesses and one photographer are allowed to attend the wedding together with the persons to be married. It is mandatory that the recommended social distance is observed between persons attending the wedding.

4. In order to receive services at the territorial offices of the Agency and the territorial bodies of the Public Service Hall (except where prepared documents are provided), an applicant is obliged to agree on a preliminary basis (book) the time and place of the receipt of services via the citizen's portal my.gov.ge. The Agency shall provide services after presenting the code of the booking made via the citizen's portal my.gov.ge. 

5. The prepared documents shall be sent to an applicant by post, in which case a fee for the postal service in the amount of GEL 5 is added to the fee for the respective service. For the purposes of calculating deadlines for providing services, the transfer of a prepared document to the postal service shall be equivalent to its delivery to an applicant.

6. The services determined by this paragraph shall be provided according to the procedures approved by Ordinance No 508 of 29 December 2011 of the Government of Georgia ‘On approval of the time frames, amount of service fees, and the procedure of payment for services rendered by the Public Service Development Agency, a Legal Entity under Public Law operating under the governance of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, and for services rendered by a consular official within the framework of delegated authority’.

7. The Agency is authorised not to provide services on site to persons who are in self-isolation or quarantine. The Agency is authorised to provide services to persons who are in self-isolation or quarantine if there is an important and urgent interest therein, for which the Agency shall take all possible measures to provide services safely.

Article 2 – Provision of services on site

1. In the case of telephone communication (hotline: (032) 2401010) by an interested person, the Agency is authorised to provide services to the address specified by the interested person (provision of services on site) within 10 calendar days after submitting an application, only in the following cases:

a) the initial issuance of an electronic identity card/electronic residence card to a person;

b) the initial issuance of a biometric passport of a citizen of Georgia and a service passport to a person, which may also be issued by a consular official within the framework of delegated authority;

c) the issuance of identity cards (without electronic media);

d) the repeated issuance of personal authentication, qualified electronic signature activation keys and personal unblocking keys (PUK) together with the repeated issuance of qualified electronic signature and authentication certificates, without issuing electronic identity (residence) cards;

e) the registration of natural persons according to their place of residence:

e.a) when it is necessary for issuing an electronic identity card or a biometric passport of a citizen of Georgia;

e.b) when a person has an electronic identity card but does not have an active registration;

e.c) in exceptional cases, according to a decision of the Agency.

2. Except for the cases determined by legislation, the services specified in paragraph 1 of this article may be provided on site if:

a) an applicant is 70 years of age and older;

b) an applicant cannot move due to his/her health status.

3. In the cases provided for in paragraph 2 of this article, the fees for the provision of services on site are not charged by the Agency.

Article 3 – Additional measures to be taken

1. The Agency shall carry out administrative proceedings without an oral hearing or, if necessary, with an oral hearing held by means of electronic communication.

2. The meetings of the commission on citizenship issues shall be held by means of electronic communication.

Article 4 – Provisional procedure for the registration of marriage

Before the entry into force of Article 1(3) of this Order, the Agency shall register a marriage without special ceremonial services and on-site services (provision of services outside the building).

Article 5 – Entry into force of this Order

1. This Order, except for the cases determined by paragraph 2 of this article, shall be effective till 15 July 2020 and shall apply to relations originating after 23 May 2020.

2. Article 1(3) of this Order shall enter into force:

a) in relation to the marriage registration place located in the building of Tbilisi Public Service Hall – after 29 May 2020;

b) in relation to the marriage registration place located at No 2 Uznadze Street, Tbilisi – after 31 May 2020.

Minister of Justice of Georgia                                      Thea Tsulukiani