On 17 April 2025, Georgia changed the rules on entry and stay for citizens from 17 countries, effectively preventing them from entering and staying in Georgia without a visa.
Previously, citizens from these countries could enter Georgia without a Georgian visa if they held a visa or residence permit from a Gulf country. However, the validity period for the Gulf visas and permits was not specified, creating a loophole in the system.
The changes were made to tighten the rules of the program, determine a validity period, and “combat illegal migration.”
The restrictions apply to citizens of:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Ghana
- Ethiopia
- Eritrea
- Yemen
- Cameroon
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Somalia
- Syria
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Uganda
On 24 April 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia released a statement clarifying that the amendments were made to tighten entry requirements, not relax them as some media outlets had suggested.
According to the statement, citizens of these 17 countries will no longer be able to enter Georgia visa-free unless they hold a multiple-entry visa and/or residence permit from a Gulf country that is valid for at least one year on the day they cross the Georgian border. This must be confirmed by a travel document or other relevant documentation.
