Georgia’s Interior Ministry clarifies visa policy changes following “deliberate misinterpretations”

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a detailed statement to clarify recent government amendments regarding visa-free entry, following what it described as “deliberate misinterpretations” circulating in the media and on social networks.

The ministry said the changes, adopted on April 17, 2025, to the government’s 2015 resolution, were being inaccurately portrayed as a relaxation of entry rules for certain foreign nationals. In response, officials stressed that the amendments are, in fact, aimed at tightening visa-free access in order to strengthen border control and combat illegal migration.

“We want to provide the public with clear and accurate information,” the ministry stated. “Contrary to misleading claims, the new regulations impose stricter conditions on visa-free entry for nationals of specific countries, particularly those entering Georgia with Gulf state visas or residence permits.”

The ministry explained that before the changes, citizens from certain countries could enter Georgia without a Georgian visa if they held valid documentation from Gulf nations. However, there were no requirements concerning the remaining validity period of such documents. The revised rules now require that the visa or residence permit be valid for at least one year as of the travel date—proof of which must be presented with appropriate documentation.

This restriction specifically affects citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The ministry emphasized that these measures are part of ongoing efforts to address illegal migration and reinforce national security, rather than an effort to simplify entry for foreign nationals.