Do you need a visa for Georgia in 2026?

Most travelers don't need a visa for Georgia at all. Citizens of around 90 countries, including the entire EU, the US, the UK, Canada, and Israel, enter on a passport alone and can stay for up to 365 days. Since January 1, 2026, there's a separate requirement that catches many visa-exempt travelers off guard: mandatory travel insurance.

Who can enter Georgia without a visa

Georgia runs one of the most open entry policies in the region. No visa is required for citizens of:

• every EU and Schengen country;
• the UK and its overseas territories;
• the US, Canada, Mexico, and most of Latin America;
• Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia;
• the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman;
• Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other CIS countries;
• Australia and New Zealand.

The standard visa-free stay is 365 days. A few nationalities get shorter windows: Chinese citizens traveling for tourism get 30 days, Iranian citizens get 45 days, and Uruguay, Peru, and Chile fall under a 90-days-in-180 rule.

EU, Swiss, and Turkish citizens can cross the border with a national ID card showing a photo and date of birth. Everyone else needs a passport valid for the full length of the trip.

The visa-free list changes by government decree from time to time. Check your specific nationality on geoconsul.gov.ge before booking flights, rather than relying on any single article, this one included.

What to check before you fly

There's no arrival form or entry card to fill out at the Georgian border. The officer checks your passport and, if needed, a visa or residency document. Two things worth confirming ahead of time:

1. Your passport needs to stay valid through the entire trip.
2. If your passport carries an entry stamp from Abkhazia or South Ossetia issued through a crossing point not recognized by Georgia, entry will be denied.

The mandatory insurance rule that started in 2026

Since January 1, 2026, entering Georgia requires more than a passport or a visa: every foreign national also needs an active travel medical insurance policy. The rule applies regardless of nationality or how long you're staying, even if your country is on the visa-free list.

What the policy needs to cover:

• it has to be arranged before departure, insurance can't be purchased at the airport or land border;
• coverage must run for the entire length of your stay, starting from your arrival date;
• the document has to be issued in English or Georgian;
• it must include emergency medical care, evacuation, and repatriation;
• the minimum coverage as of early 2026 is around 30,000 GEL (about $11,000), though exact limits by category of care are worth confirming with your insurer, since requirements can shift.

Traveling without a valid policy carries a fine of 300 GEL (about $110), and border officers can refuse entry in some cases. Checks happen at every crossing point, including the airports in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi, as well as land borders.

If your country isn't on the visa-free list

If your nationality requires a visa, an e-Visa is available for most countries. The application goes through an online portal, no consulate visit needed. You'll typically need a passport, a photo, and proof of your travel purpose.

There's a separate rule for travelers who don't hold a Georgian visa but have a valid visa or residence permit from the US, UK, Schengen area, or Gulf states. If that document is valid for at least a year at the time of entry, you can enter Georgia visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This is particularly useful for Indian citizens and travelers from several other Asian countries who aren't on Georgia's open visa-free list.

If you already hold Georgian residency

Georgian citizens never need a visa, entry is on a national or international passport. Foreign nationals holding a valid Georgian residence permit also skip the visa requirement, a passport plus the residence card is enough at the border. The 2026 insurance rule targets foreign visitors specifically, so if you hold residency, it's worth confirming your own status at the House of Justice when you renew it.

Getting around once you land

Once the visa question is settled, logistics are straightforward. If you're planning to drive, booking a car rental ahead of time means picking it up right at Tbilisi airport arrivals instead of arranging transport into the city first. Worth checking separately whether you need an international driving permit, that's a different requirement from the visa or the insurance policy.

The short version

Most travelers skip the visa entirely: around 90 countries get visa-free entry for up to a year. The real change to plan around is the insurance requirement that started January 1, 2026, it applies to every foreign visitor and has to be sorted before departure. Before booking, check two things: your country's status on geoconsul.gov.ge, and the coverage details with your chosen insurer.