Visa-free regime in Georgia: who may stay without a visa, for how long, and what ends it

Visa-free regime: entry and stay with no visa, for a period the law fixes

Georgia's visa-free regime (უვიზო რეჟიმი) is the set of rules under which a foreigner may enter and stay without a visa: as a rule for up to 90 days in any 180, and for "one full year" for citizens of the countries listed by Government Resolution No 255 of 5 June 2015, counted from the first border crossing.

Its source is Article 10 of the Aliens Law, whose full title is Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons; the article is headed "Exemption from Georgian visa obligations" (საქართველოს სავიზო ვალდებულებებისაგან გათავისუფლება). Resolution 255 fills the one-year list, and Article 2, sub-point "ჟ" (sub-point (p) in the English translation), fixes when the "period of stay" starts.

Elsewhere "visa-free" usually means a short tourist window. Georgia's one-year version lets a buyer view, sign, register and file for a permit without leaving, but it is not residence: no right to work, no months towards a permanent permit. Georgian media also use უვიზო რეჟიმი for the EU's visa-free travel for Georgians since 2017; here it means Georgia's rules for foreigners.

Article 10 paragraph by paragraph: four routes into Georgia without a visa

Paragraph 3 turns on citizenship; paragraph 3¹ on a document issued by another state. Resolution No 256, adopted the same day as Resolution 255, fills paragraph 3¹. From 17 April 2025 citizens of 17 countries qualify through a Gulf visa or permit only when that document allows multiple entries and has at least a year of validity left on arrival. We did not re-read the current Resolution 256 list, so confirm it with a consulate.

Resolution 255: the one-year list and its eight amendments

Resolution No 255 took effect on publication, 8 June 2015, repealing Resolution No 522 of 1 September 2014. Note 1 to its annex grants a stay სრული 1 წლის ვადით, "for one full year"; Note 2 let EU citizens cross with an identity card. The original annex had 94 entries, five of them grouped territories such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, leaving 89 states, the Holy See among them.

The consolidated text needs a paid login, so we rebuilt the list from the original plus all eight amending acts. None removes a country, which gives 96 entries: 91 states including the Holy See, and 5 territory entries. That is our reconstruction, not an official count.

Note 1 now excludes Ukrainians (one year under Note 5) and Chinese citizens; Note 1² gives the Chinese "a full 30 days, only for tourist purposes". A separate bilateral agreement for ordinary passports, from 28 May 2024, sets 30 days per visit and 90 in 180. Country answers: our guide to visa-free stay by country; dated changes: the residency rules tracker.

When the clock starts, when it stops, and the price of overstaying

Under Article 2, "The period of stay shall be calculated from the date an alien crosses the state border for the first time". The entry stamp or border record is the start date. We found no rule on whether leaving and returning inside the year starts a new year, and no official convention for the last day of "one full year", so plan with a margin.

The end is firm. Article 47(3): "Aliens shall be obliged to leave Georgia before the expiry of their lawful stay in Georgia." Overstaying is an offence under Article 191 of the Code of Administrative Offences, restated by Law No 875-IIმს-XIმპ of 26 June 2025, in force since 1 October 2025.

Before 1 October 2025 Article 191 set GEL 180 up to 3 months, GEL 360 beyond, and no entry ban. The fine may be paid before or after leaving; unpaid, it bars any visa or entry until payment (Art. 47(4); Note to Art. 191), and Article 11(1)(b) also allows refusal of entry. An expelled alien may not return for 2 to 5 years (Art. 63(1)).

The insurance condition attached to the stay since 1 January 2026

Article 12 of the Law on Tourism: "Tourists visiting Georgia shall have mandatory health and accident insurance." The rules are in Government Resolution No 602 of 26 December 2025, in force from 1 January 2026.

• Sum: "at least GEL 30,000" (Annex, Art. 4).
• Period: the whole stay from entry to departure, at most one year (Arts. 2(1)(e), 3(2)).
• Form: paper or electronic, in Georgian or English (Art. 5).
• Check: the Patrol Police may ask for it at border crossing points (Art. 3(3)).
• Exempt: diplomatic or special visas; diplomatic, official, service or special passports; accredited staff, treaty entrants, international drivers (Art. 1(3)).

A tourist is a visitor staying "for at least an overnight stay and for not more than 1 year, other than to be employed by a resident entity" (Art. 2(პ.ა); (o.a) in English). Residence-permit holders are not on the exemption list, and whether they fall outside that definition we could not confirm. Resolution 602 sets no sanction, but Aliens Law Article 11(1)(d) allows refusal of entry without health and accident insurance. Our moving to Georgia guide covers the policy as part of a move.

Where the regime leaves a trace on paper

No certificate of visa-free status exists. The regime shows only through other papers:

• Entry stamp or border record: the proof of the first crossing (Art. 2). Permit files ask for proof of lawful stay, as our residence permit service notes.
• Insurance policy: must state, among other data, the insured risks and the start and end of cover (Res. 602, Art. 2(1)(c)). We have not seen real policy wording.
• Permit application: the end of lawful stay drives the deadline, see applying at the Public Service Hall.
• Sale contract and extract: no visa status; the buyer is identified by passport (Instruction 487, Art. 13(8) to (9)).
• Brochures: a "visa-free year" claim follows your passport, not the building; we have not verified any specific brochure.

Worked example: one full year from 15 March 2026, and a 20-day overstay

A buyer with a Resolution 255 passport, not Chinese or Ukrainian, first enters on 15 March 2026. By our calculation:

Dollar figures use the National Bank rate of 2.5979 lari on 20 October 2026. Resolution 520 exempts the property and investment permits from the 40-day rule, as our temporary residence permit entry explains, so for an owner that date matters mainly for a relative filing on another ground. The doubt about the last day leaves the penalty unchanged: up to 3 months is one band. Unpaid, the GEL 1,000 would keep the owner away from the flat altogether.

Easily confused: Resolution 256 entry, e-visa, residence permit, tax residence

The e-visa also requires insurance, a return ticket and a USD 15 "DuVerify" check done within 24 hours; we could not confirm the consular fee or processing time.

Owning a flat does not lengthen the visa-free year. Owners move on to a temporary residence permit, an investment residence permit and later a permanent residence permit. See also tax resident and, since most foreigners need a right to work from 1 March 2026, work permit.

The term in five languages

Georgian sale contracts do not use the term, because visa status is not recorded in them; the legal acts prefer the verb form უვიზოდ შემოსვლა, "to enter without a visa".

Mistakes and warning signs

• Treating "one year" as universal. The default is 90 in 180; China gets 30 days; Ukraine's rule changed four times since 2023.
• Relying on a border run. No rule says re-entry restarts the year.
• Crossing on an ID card. Only EU, Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens may.
• Reading the 2015 annex as current. It lacks Jordan and China.

Checking your visa-free position step by step

1. Find your group

   Resolution 255, Resolution 256 or neither.

2. Record the first entry

   Photograph the stamp on arrival day.

3. Buy the policy

   At least GEL 30,000, for the whole stay.

4. Set a cautious end date

   No official rule fixes the last day.

5. Choose a permit early

   Some grounds need filing 40 days ahead.

6. Leave on time

   Or pay any fine before travelling back.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a foreigner stay in Georgia without a visa?

90 days in any 180 as a rule; one full year for Resolution 255 countries.

How many countries are on the one-year list?

By our count, 96 entries: 91 states and 5 territory entries.

Does leaving and re-entering restart the year?

We found no rule that says so. Count from the first crossing.

What does overstaying cost?

GEL 1,000 to 3,000 plus an entry ban of 6 months to 3 years (Art. 191, since 1 October 2025).

Is travel insurance compulsory?

Yes for tourists, since 1 January 2026: at least GEL 30,000 for the whole stay (Resolution 602).

Can Chinese citizens stay a year?

No. Resolution 255 gives 30 days for tourism; the bilateral agreement allows 30 days per visit, 90 in 180.

Does buying a flat extend my visa-free stay?

No. Only a residence permit gives a longer basis.

Can I work during a visa-free stay?

No. From 1 March 2026 a separate right to work is required for most foreigners.

Sources

1. Aliens Law, Arts. 2, 10, 11, 47, 63 (accessed 2 November 2026)
2. Resolution No 255 of 5 June 2015 and its original English text
3. Resolutions No 27 of 2017 and No 359 of 2023
4. Resolutions No 578 of 2019 and No 43 of 2022
5. Resolutions No 81 of 2023, No 147 of 2024, No 98 of 2025, No 80 of 2026
6. Resolution No 256 of 5 June 2015
7. Law No 875-IIმს-XIმპ, Code of Administrative Offences Art. 191, and the Code as it stood in June 2025
8. Fines and entry bans, Tengrinews
9. Resolution No 602 of 26 December 2025
10. Law on Tourism, Arts. 2, 12
11. E-visa portal (accessed 2 November 2026)
12. Georgia-China visa exemption, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
13. Resolution No 520 of 1 September 2014, Art. 3(4)

Change log

• 2 November 2026 - Glossary entry published from the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Government Resolutions No 255, 256, 27, 578, 43, 81, 359, 147, 98, 80, 520 and 602, the Code of Administrative Offences, the Law on Tourism, the e-visa portal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tengrinews.