Travel to Schengen countries

Visa-free travel is possible in the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU member states, 4 non-EU countries. Visa-free travel is also possible with 4 Schengen candidate countries:

EU member states of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Greece, France, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, Sweden.

To obtain a visa for these countries, Georgian citizens must apply to the relevant consular services:

To obtain a UK visa: Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Georgia https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

To obtain an Irish visa: Consular Section of the Embassy of Ireland in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria

Under the visa-free regime with the EU, Georgian citizens can travel without a visa only for short-term visits to EU / Schengen member states;

Short-term visit means 90 days out of any 180 days;

The allowed 90 days out of 180 days can be used in conjunction with or by day distribution, for example, as follows:

Is it possible to enter the EU / Schengen area multiple times in 90 days?

Yes, however you need to make sure that the duration of your visit does not exceed a total of 90 days in the last 180 days.

Georgian citizen must leave the Schengen area before the expiry of 90 days (180 days) of stay in the EU / Schengen countries. If you stay in these countries for 90 days, you will be able to travel again 90 days after leaving the Schengen area.

Visa-free travel does not apply to long-term visits, for example, for higher education or employment!

In case of wishing to travel to the territory of an EU / Schengen country for a long period of time, the visa regime will still apply and Georgian citizens must apply for a visa at the consulate of the respective country accredited in Georgia.

Purposes of short-term visit

You can travel to EU / Schengen member states for visa-free travel for different purposes:

•Tourist travel;

•Visiting family members / relatives / loved ones;

•Holding business meetings, negotiations;

•Participation in international seminars, conferences, symposia and exhibitions;

•Participate in short-term training courses and trainings, exchange training / internship programs;

Use of medical services - short-term course of treatment / surgery The duration of any visit should not exceed 90 days;

What documents are required for visa-free travel?

Biometric passport of a Georgian citizen issued during the last 10 years, which must be valid for at least 3 months for the planned date of departure from the territory of the EU / Schengen country.

What you will be required to do when entering the territory of an EU / Schengen Member State during border control:

Upon entering the territory of the EU / Schengen, both under visa-free travel and under the visa regime, any citizen goes through border control, as a result of which a final decision is made on his / her entry into the respective country.

Therefore, it is recommended that you bring all the necessary documents to prove the purpose of your trip.

When entering the territory of an EU / Schengen country, at the request of a border guard, you are required to justify the specific purpose of the trip (eg business trip, tourist trip, visiting relatives or relatives, short-term training course).

In order to confirm the purpose of the trip, the representative of the Border Service has the right to request the following documents:

•Returnable travel ticket;

•Hotel booking in force;

•Travel insurance;

•Proof of travel financing: for example, cash in your possession, valid electronic bank card, funding statement, host letter of guarantee.

In case of travel for conferences, seminars, business meetings, in addition to the above documents, it is recommended to bring:

•Invitation to an event / conference, seminar / program in which you participate;

When traveling to visit relatives, friends or relatives, it is recommended that you bring the following documents with you:

•Contact details (address, telephone number, etc.) of the host legally residing in the territory of the EU / Schengen Member State;

•A copy of the host's residence permit or other document proving legal presence in the respective country.

In case of using medical services, in case of traveling for a short-term medical course / operation, it is desirable to have with the above-mentioned documents:

•The consent of the medical institution in which you plan the treatment and / or the recommendation of the Georgian medical institution, to carry out the relevant treatment in the EU member state. •Medical insurance for the entire travel period; •Confirmation of financial support for travel and treatm

•Medical insurance for the entire travel period;

•Confirmation of financial support for travel and treatment with cash, valid electronic card or document confirming the transfer.

A citizen of Georgia shall be refused entry into an EU / Schengen Member State if:

•will not be able to confirm the purpose of the trip or financial security;

•Endangers the public order and health or internal security of any EU / Schengen member state;

•Convicted of a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year in any EU / Schengen Member State;

•There is conclusive evidence of his involvement in such criminal activity or of such intent;

•It is forbidden to enter the territory of the European Union or there is a decision on its expulsion (Schengen Unified System).

Travel to Israel

The period of stay in the territory of the State of Israel without a visa should not exceed 90 days within 6 months from the moment of entry.

To travel to the State of Israel, a person must have a return ticket and a valid passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months after entry.

In addition, travelers at the border with the State of Israel may be required to provide information on health insurance, hotel booking, and sufficient financial resources to stay in the State of Israel.

A visa-free permit does not allow you to work in the State of Israel!

Visa-free travel rules with Israel

•Visa-free travel allows Georgian citizens to make short-term visits to Israel without a visa for various purposes: tourism, business, short-term exchange programs / training, training courses, participation in cultural or scientific events, treatment, etc.

•Short-term visit implies that Georgian citizens have the right to stay in the territory of Israel for a period of 1 to 90 days for a period of 6 months. Accordingly, a citizen of Georgia must leave the territory of Israel after the expiration of his / her legal stay in Israel. The next entry into the territory of Israel is possible after the expiration of a period of 90 days (3 months) from the last entry. Visa-free entry to Israel does not allow you to work or work in Israel !!!

•In case of exceeding the period of legal stay in Israel, the stay in the territory of Israel will be considered illegal and such a person will be subject to deportation (forced return to Georgia). However, in such a case, the said citizen will be restricted from further entry into the territory of Israel.

•In the case of a long-term visit to Israel for various purposes (including the right to work), a visa issued by the Israeli consulate is required.

What procedures do Georgian citizens have to go through at Ben Gurion Airport?

Any citizen of Georgia may be required to submit the following documents to a representative of the Border Control Service at the Israeli border crossing:

•Documents proving the purpose of the trip (invitation or a copy of the residence permit of the person you are going to visit, hotel reservation or proof that you will live with a friend or relative, confirmation of the medical institution where you plan treatment, travel or medical insurance, etc.);

•Proof of sufficient funds for subsistence and return to the country for the full period of travel (cash, traveler's checks or valid bank cards, etc.);

•Return Guarantee: Passenger ticket in both directions (air ticket, intra-country bus or other means of travel ticket, etc.)

•A valid passport of a citizen of Georgia, the validity of which must be at least 6 months after entry.

The Border Guard Service conducts additional interviews with passengers to determine the purpose of the citizens' visit. The border crossing procedure, including the interview, may take 3-4 hours, depending on the current flow of passengers and the human resources of the Immigration Service.

The Israeli Border Guard Service has the right to refuse entry or stay in Israel to any person it deems undesirable in accordance with its applicable laws and regulations.

It should be emphasized that the Embassy of Georgia in Israel is not authorized to interfere in the implementation of Israeli immigration procedures, therefore the Consular Section of the Embassy will not be able to assist Georgian citizens to enter Israel.

Additional information on visa-free travel to Israel is available on the website of the Embassy of Georgia in Israel: http://israel.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=999&info_id=34217

Information on the importation of medicines for personal use in the State of Israel:

When entering the territory of the State of Israel, a foreign citizen is allowed to bring medicines for personal use under the following conditions:

•The citizen must have a doctor's prescription translated into English (apostille certification is not required), which indicates the name, surname, age, diagnosis and name of the drug;

•In case of import of narcotic drugs / psychotropic substances, the citizen must submit documents translated into English by the relevant agency of the sending country;

•In case of non-submission of the mentioned certificates, the citizens will be deprived of medicines for personal use by the Customs Service.

In addition, please see the list of reasons why a citizen may be refused entry to the territory of Israel: https://geoconsul.gov.ge

Travelling to Georgia

On September 1, 2014, a new visa policy was launched in Georgia. The list of countries whose citizens (stateless persons) have the right to enter Georgia without a visa in case of short-term visits has been defined. More information on visa regulations can be found on the Georgian Consular Services website: www.geoconsul.gov.ge.

Based on a short-term visa, a foreigner can stay in Georgia for 90 days in a period of 180 days. Georgia long-term visa is issued for 90 days and is a prerequisite for obtaining a residence permit in Georgia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an electronic visa system, the application of which can be filled out at the following address: www.evisa.gov.ge

The decision to refuse a Georgian visa may be appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia within 1 (one) month from the date of notification of the refusal decision by the interested person.

See the complaint form to be submitted to the Ministry.