Entry Rules for Georgia by Citizenship (2026)

Whether you can enter Georgia, and for how long, depends primarily on your citizenship — but citizenship alone does not determine the answer. Your travel document, any visa or residence permit issued by another country that you hold, and the conditions assessed at the border may also affect your right to enter and the permitted period of stay.

Prefer to answer a few questions? Try the interactive Georgia Entry Checker — pick your purpose and citizenship and it suggests the likely entry route and stay period. Guidance only, not legal advice.

Start with your citizenship: three buckets

For entry purposes, every nationality falls into one of three categories:

Visa-free — up to one year. Citizens of the countries listed in the annex to Ordinance of the Government of Georgia No 255 of 5 June 2015 may enter and stay without a visa for one year per entry. This is the regime that covers most Western travellers. How the year works — including the “border-runs” and their practical limitations — is covered in Visa-Free Entry & the One-Year Rule.
e-Visa. Foreign nationals who are eligible for Georgia’s e-Visa programme may apply online for a Georgian electronic (e-) visa, without visiting a Georgian diplomatic mission or consular office. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s citizenship, travel document, and, in some cases, other supporting documents or immigration status.
Visa required. Foreign nationals who are neither visa-exempt nor eligible for an e-Visa must obtain a Georgian visa before travelling. Depending on the purpose of travel, this may be a short-term (C) visa or a long-term (D) immigration visa, the latter generally being required for those intending to apply for a residence permit after arrival. See the Guide to Georgian Visas.

he framework for Georgia’s visa regime is set out in the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, while the detailed rules on visa exemptions are established by Government of Georgia Ordinance No. 255 of 5 June 2015. You can check your nationality against the current text of the Ordinance on the Legislative Herald (matsne.gov.ge) and against the official checker on geoconsul.gov.ge, which allows you to check the entry requirements applicable to your citizenship.

Visa-free entry based on a foreign visa or residence permit

One important exception is often overlooked. Even if your nationality would normally require a Georgian visa, you may still qualify for visa-free entry if you hold a valid visa or residence permit issued by a designated country.

This visa exemption is governed by a different legal regime from Georgia’s main visa-free country list. It is established by Government of Georgia Ordinance No. 256 of 5 June 2015, which approves the list of countries whose valid visas and/or residence permits allow their holders to enter Georgia without obtaining a Georgian visa.

Under this Ordinance, an eligible foreign national may enter Georgia without a Georgian visa and stay for up to 90 calendar days within any 180-day period. The qualifying visa or residence permit must be valid at the time of entry, and you should be able to present evidence of it if requested by the border authorities.

The list includes, among others, EU and EEA Member States, Schengen States, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, and several Gulf States. However, the countries covered by Ordinance No. 256are not identical to those covered by Ordinance No. 255, so you should not assume that the two regimes overlap.

Before relying on this exemption, always verify that both the issuing country and your particular visa or residence permit qualify under the current version of Ordinance No. 256. The easiest way to do this is by checking the official guidance available through geoconsul, which provides the applicable entry requirements based on your nationality and travel documents.

Do you hold a valid visa or residence permit of a designated country? (Ordinance No 256 list)

Yes

Enter visa-free short stay — up to 90 days / 180 Georgian visa or e-Visa apply before you travel

Your travel-document type also matters

Your right to enter Georgia depends not only on your citizenship, but also on the travel document you use. Different rules may apply depending on the type of passport or travel document you present at the border.

Ordinary, diplomatic, and service passports. Georgia has concluded separate bilateral visa-waiver agreements for holders of diplomatic and service (official) passports with a number of countries. As a result, the entry rules for holders of diplomatic or service passports may differ from those applicable to holders of ordinary passports of the same country. Diplomatic and official travel is also reflected in the A and B visa categories explained in the Guide to Georgian Visas.
Refugee and stateless persons’ travel documents. Entry rules for holders of refugee and stateless persons’ travel documents are governed by the applicable legislation and may differ from those applicable to ordinary passports. In addition, Government Ordinance No. 255 grants the same one-year visa-free stay to holders of a United Nations Laissez-Passer.

Because these rules depend on the type of travel document, rather than nationality alone, always verify the requirements for your particular document through the official geoconsul checker before travelling.

Requirements that apply at the border regardless of citizenship

Meeting the applicable visa or visa-free entry requirements does not guarantee admission to Georgia. The final decision is made by the border authorities in accordance with the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons.

Regardless of your nationality, the following requirements commonly apply:

A valid travel document. You must present a valid and genuine travel document. In certain cases provided by law, some foreign nationals (such as citizens of specified EU Member States) may enter using a national identity card instead of a passport.
A genuine purpose of travel and sufficient means of support. Border authorities may ask you to demonstrate the purpose of your visit and that you have sufficient financial means for your intended stay.
Mandatory tourist insurance (from 2026). Since 1 January 2026, most tourists entering Georgia must hold health and accident insurance with a minimum insured amount of GEL 30,000, valid for the entire period of stay, in accordance with Government Decree No. 602. Compliance may be checked at the border, and failure to meet this requirement may result in refusal of entry. See Health Insurance in Georgia for Foreigners.
Lawful entry into Georgia. Entry should take place through officially designated border crossing points. Under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories, entering Georgia through the occupied territories of Abkhazia or the Tskhinvali Region (former South Ossetian Autonomous Region) other than via the routes authorised by Georgian law is unlawful and may give rise to criminal or administrative liability, depending on the circumstances.

Even where all visa or visa-free requirements are met, entry may still be refused on the grounds provided by the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, including where a traveller presents an invalid travel document, has previously violated Georgian immigration law, or poses a threat to public order, public health, national security, or other legally protected interests.

Short stay versus long stay

The categories described above, including the visa exemption for holders of certain foreign visas and residence permits, relate primarily to short stays. They allow foreign nationals to visit Georgia for the period permitted under the applicable visa or visa-free regime, but do not by themselves grant the right to reside in Georgia on a long-term basis.

Foreign nationals wishing to live in Georgia on a longer-term or renewable basis will generally need to obtain an appropriate immigration (D) visa and/or a residence permit, depending on their circumstances and the applicable legal requirements. Further guidance is available in the Guide to Georgian Visas, the Immigration (D) Visa Guide, and the Guide to Residence Permits.

Please also note that, since 1 March 2026, foreign nationals who intend to carry out paid employment, self-employment, or entrepreneurial activity in Georgia generally require a work permit, regardless of whether they entered the country under a visa, a visa-free regime, or another lawful basis of entry.

How to check your own case

Because the lists are amended regularly, treat any summary — including this one — as a starting point, and verify shortly before you travel:

The geoconsul checker. On geoconsul.gov.ge (“Entering Georgia” / “Visa-free travel”), enter your citizenship and travel-document type to see the conditions that apply to you, and to apply for an e-Visa where eligible.
Ordinance No 255 on matsne. The consolidated text of the visa-free list is on the Legislative Herald, with dated consolidated versions. The parallel Ordinance No 256 carries the visa/residence-permit route.

A caution on the legal texts: the English version on matsne can lag the Georgian, and countries are added or removed over time. If the English page and the geoconsul checker disagree, treat the official Georgian text and the checker as authoritative, and — if anything is unclear — ask a Georgian consulate before you travel.

This guide provides general information only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration laws, visa requirements, and official lists may change over time. Before travelling, always verify the current requirements through the official_ Geoconsul _portal and the Legislative Herald (Matsne).

Frequently asked questions

Does holding another country's residence permit help me enter Georgia?

Yes, it can. Under Government Ordinance No 256, an alien who holds a valid visa or residence permit of one of the designated countries may enter and stay in Georgia without a Georgian visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, even if their own nationality would otherwise require a visa. The visa or permit must be valid on the day you cross the border, and you must be able to show it. The qualifying list is not identical to the visa-free list, so confirm your specific document on geoconsul before you travel.

How long can I stay in Georgia visa-free?

It depends which rule applies to you. Nationals of the countries on the Ordinance No 255 list may enter and stay for one full year (365 days) per entry. Someone entering on the visa/residence-permit route under Ordinance No 256 gets a shorter allowance — typically up to 90 days in any 180-day period. These are the general figures; the current allowance for your case is shown by the geoconsul checker.

Do I need insurance to enter Georgia?

Yes. From 1 January 2026, a tourist entering Georgia must hold valid health and accident insurance with a minimum sum insured of GEL 30,000, covering the whole stay, under Government Decree No 602. Border authorities may check the policy and entry can be refused without it. See health insurance in Georgia for foreigners.

Which official source should I check for my own nationality?

Use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs checker on geoconsul.gov.ge, which returns the entry conditions for a given citizenship and travel document, and — for the legal text — Ordinance No 255 on the Legislative Herald (matsne.gov.ge). The English version on matsne can lag the Georgian, and the lists are amended periodically, so verify shortly before travel.

Do diplomatic or service passports follow the same rules?

Not necessarily. Georgia maintains separate visa-free arrangements for holders of diplomatic and service (official) passports under bilateral agreements, so the answer for an ordinary passport of the same country can differ. Check the specific document type on geoconsul.

Can I enter Georgia through Abkhazia or the Tskhinvali region?

No. Under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories, entering the occupied territories from any direction other than those Georgia designates is unlawful and can carry criminal liability. Enter Georgia only through officially controlled border crossing points.

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