On the 28^th of December of 2005, the Law "On State Registry" about alternations and additions in the Law of Georgia, defining the main authorities and functions of the Civil Registry Agency, its relations with the ministry and other organizational and structural issues, was approved.

According to the given Law the Ministry is assigned to provide approval of the Provision on the Agency before the 10^th of February, 2006. The given Law inured since the 30^th of January, 2006. The same day the Provision on the Civil Registry Agency was approved and inured. The Agency became to operate as an independent authority, an independent public institution.

Function of the Agency

Functions of the Civil Registry Agency:

a) Registration of birth, marriage, divorce, filiation, adoption, death and change of surname, name, patronymic;

b) Amendments, alternations, restoration and annulling of acts of civil status;

c) Reissue of certificates and confirmations on registration of acts of civil status;

d) Establishment, registration and storage of funds on acts of civil status;

e) Registration and removal from the registry of natural persons according to their domicile, issue of the respective identity documents and temporary residence cards;

f) Issue and replacement of the passport of a citizen of Georgia (travel passport for persons, temporarily residing in Georgia without Citizenship of Georgia);

g) Issue of informational card;

h) Issue of certificates to citizens of Georgia on absence of circumstances, impedimental to marriage for marriage abroad;

i) Issue of permits for marriage between a foreigner and a citizen of Georgia, for marriage registration of foreigners;

j) Consideration and approval of the application of a citizen on change of a name, surname, patronymic and enclosed documents submitted by a territorial office of the Agency;

k) Consideration and approval of the application of a citizen on correction (restoration) of a surname and enclosed documents submitted by a territorial office of the Agency;

l) Organization, coordination and methodic administration concerning registration of acts of civil status in the order, established according to the current legislation; decision of the issues related to registration of various kinds of acts of civil status;

m) Maintenance of the Civil Registry;

m.a.) Maintenance of citizenship registration, acts of civil status, establishment of informational-migration bank;

m.b.) Establishment of the informational bank related to the issue of identification cards, passports of a citizen of Georgia (travel passport) to citizens of Georgia and foreign citizens, residing in Georgia;

m.c.) Establishment of an informational bank concerning registration of foreign citizens, temporarily residing in Georgia;

n) Periodical summarization, assessment and analysis of the activity of the territorial offices of the Agency;

o) Provision of the territorial offices of the Agency with forms (documents of strict registration), control over their storage and application;

p) Elaboration and implementation of prospective and current plans for perfection of the activity of the territorial offices of the Agency;

q) Periodic preparation of offers on perfection of the normative acts, operating in the sphere of competence of the Agency and control over performance of the current legislation in the given sphere within its competence;

r) Methodological administration and control over the activity of the territorial offices of the Agency;

s) Realization of other authorities, stipulated in the legislation of Georgia.