Rules for Exporting Culturally Significant Artifacts from Georgia

According to the Law on Culture, cultural valuables can encompass any samples of creative activity, created from any materials and by any means across historical epochs. The issues concerning the export and import of cultural valuables from and into Georgia are regulated by a separate law bearing the same name. It complements the aforementioned definition and underscores that cultural valuables constitute objects related to archaeology, prehistoric periods, history, literature, art, science, and possess either religious or secular value. They:

• Were discovered within the territory of Georgia.
• Were created within the territory of Georgia by the Georgian people or other groups who lived earlier or continue to live within this territory (including stateless individuals of Georgia and foreign citizens).
• Are gifts or were acquired (including by archaeological, ethnographic, and natural science expeditions of Georgia) with the consent of the relevant authorities of the foreign state where they were created.

In turn, a collection of cultural valuables constitutes a group of homogeneous or heterogeneous cultural objects gathered based on a certain criterion and collectively hold historical, artistic, scientific, or other cultural significance.

The Ministry of Culture issues permits for the export of cultural valuables from Georgia, which serves as the basis for moving the valuable items through customs and the state border. The permit is standardized, and it’s a one-time authorization valid for three months, priced at 14 lari.

It’s important to note that exporting cultural valuables from Georgia without permission from the Ministry of Culture constitutes a criminal offense under Article 259⁴ of the Georgian Criminal Code. Violation of this regulation can result in a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

To obtain the permit, one needs to provide the Ministry of Culture with the following documents:

• Written application.
• Copy of the identification or passport of the person carrying the cultural valuables.
• Three color photographs of the object believed by the applicant to represent cultural value (photo size: 9×13 cm).
• If the valuable item is a printed publication, the application should include a copy of the title page of this publication (in three copies).
• If there are multiple cultural valuables, the application should include a list describing each one (in two copies).
• If determining the age, material, or other parameters of the cultural valuable from the photos is impossible, the applicant must provide the original item for identification.

The relevant body within the Ministry of Culture (National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation) will review the application within 15 days. If no obstacles arise, the authority will issue the permit for exporting the artwork from Georgia. Depending on the item’s cultural significance, the Agency may request additional documents.

Cultural valuables can be exported from Georgia by their lawful owner or their authorized representative acting based on a notarized power of attorney. It's also important to consider:

Regarding imports, cultural valuables undergo mandatory customs control and registration upon entry into the country. The customs authorities of Georgia adhere to both domestic codes and international agreements. They verify the lawful basis for the object’s entry into the country and check if it is listed in international databases. The customs service informs the Ministry of Culture of the inspection results within a week.

During the transit of cultural valuables through Georgian customs territory, documents specified by customs legislation and the country’s international obligations are submitted to the Revenue Service of Georgia. Based on this information, a decision is made regarding the import of the specified cultural valuable for transit purposes.