Ministry of Education, Science and Youth has set out the deadlines and conditions for enrolling 1st-year pupils in state public schools for the 2026–2027 academic year.

An amendment has been made to Georgia’s Law on General Education regarding the age of school entry. Specifically, for the 2026–2027 academic year, only kids who will have turned 6 by September 15 will be eligible to register.

From the 2026–2027 academic year, changes are also being introduced to the 1st-year registration process itself. A new 3rd stage, registration on a territorial basis, has been added before the general open registration phase. Its purpose is to increase the likelihood of pupils being enrolled in a state school close to their place of residence.

Twelve cities will participate in the territorial registration stage: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, and Rustavi, which will be divided into school catchment areas, and Poti, Zugdidi, Telavi, Ambrolauri, Akhaltsikhe, Ozurgeti, Mtskheta, and Gori.

In the case of Tbilisi, pupils living on the administrative boundaries between catchment zones will also be permitted to register at schools in an adjacent zone, provided those schools are no more than 1 km from their place of residence. The list of relevant addresses and corresponding schools will be set out by individual administrative-legal act, in the interest of greater flexibility.

Registration at this third stage will be processed in accordance with the pupil’s registered address recorded in the electronic database of the Legal Entity under Public Law (LEPL), the Public Service Development Agency, as of April 1, 2026.

Registration Timeline for First-Year Pupils / 2026–2027 Academic Year

Stage I: During the first stage of registration, from February 18 to March 2, 2026, children with special educational needs will be registered in schools. Parents of these children should apply to their desired public school within this period. Upon application, the school will register the child in the Education Management Information System (EMIS). To confirm the special educational need, the parent completes a referral form at the school, whereupon specialists from the Psycho-Educational Assessment and Consultation Unit of the LEPL School Marshal Service’s Inclusive and Special Education Support Centre will assess the child and determine their educational needs. Where a special educational need is confirmed, the school will arrange enrolment based on the psycho-educational assessment report and accompanying documentation.

The period for submitting documents and completing enrolment for children registered at Stage I runs from March 4 to April 17, 2026.

A child may be considered to have special educational needs if they present with any of the following: (a) a physical disability; (b) an intellectual developmental disorder; (c) a learning disability; (d) a sensory developmental disorder (hearing and/or visual impairment); (e) a speech and language developmental disorder; (f) a behavioural or emotional disorder; (g) a need for long-term hospitalisation; (h) social difficulties in learning that prevent the child from meeting national curriculum requirements; or (i) an autism spectrum condition.

Children for whom a special educational need is not confirmed will be able to proceed with registration at subsequent stages.

Stage II - Registration and submission of documentation will take place from April 21 to May 8, 2026.

The following children register at this stage: those who have a sibling already attending the chosen school; those whose parent is a member of staff at the chosen school; and those from a family in which two or more children are entering Year One simultaneously. Registration at this stage is handled directly by the state school upon receipt of the relevant documentation.

Stage III - Territorial online registration will run from May 15 to 25, 2026, via the official EMIS website at registration.emis.ge. Registration is completed by the parent or legal guardian.

The period for submitting the documents required to enrol pupils who registered online at Stage III runs from May 27 to June 12, 2026.

Stage IV - General open online registration will begin on June 15, 2026, and run until July 3, 2026, again via registration.emis.ge. Registration is completed by the parent or legal guardian.

The period for submitting the documents required to enrol pupils who registered online at Stage IV runs from July 6 to 17, 2026.

If the required documents are not submitted within the specified deadlines, the registration will be automatically cancelled.

Stage V - This stage is for pupils who were unable to register at Stages I through IV, or who wish to change their registration, and will cover any remaining or newly vacated places. Registration and submission of documentation at this stage takes place from July 20 to 31, 2026, and is handled by the state school based on the documentation submitted by the parent or legal guardian.

Necessary enrolment documents for First Grade:

Parents/legal representatives must provide a statement containing the legal representative’s contact information and residence details, along with a copy of the legal representative’s identity card and a document confirming residence in Georgia. Additionally, a copy of the student’s birth certificate or identity document and proof of residence must be submitted. Documents in foreign languages must be translated into Georgian as per Georgian legislation.

The Ministry encourages parents to carefully review the registration terms and conditions to ensure a smooth enrolment process for their children.