Visa-free travel to EU for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports officially revoked

EU visa-free travel suspended for Georgia

The European Commission has suspended visa-free travel to the EU for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports. The decision came into force on 6 March and will initially remain in place for one year.

This is the first time the EU has applied its new strengthened visa suspension mechanism.

Brussels links the move to what it described as the Georgian authorities’ “deliberate and systematic violation” of their obligations in the areas of democracy and fundamental human rights.

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What does the European Commission’s decision mean?

● All civil servants holding diplomatic, service or official passports will have to obtain a visa from the relevant embassy in order to travel to EU countries;

● Georgian officials will have to use the appropriate — diplomatic or service — passports during diplomatic or official visits to the EU. Violating this rule could lead to a ban on entry to the EU;

● When Georgian citizens holding diplomatic, service or official passports apply for a Schengen visa, EU member states must carry out stricter checks, including interviews, requests for additional documents and detailed verification of the information provided in the application;

● If there are doubts about the accuracy of the information provided, member states will have the right to refuse to issue a visa;

● The European Commission is also urging member states to conduct enhanced checks on all Georgian citizens crossing the EU’s external borders. These checks should use both national and European databases, including the Visa Information System (VIS), the Schengen Information System (SIS) and other publicly available databases;

● As an additional monitoring tool, the EU’s new Entry/Exit System is being considered. It is expected to be launched gradually from October 2025 and will allow for more detailed monitoring of the movements of third-country nationals;

● The suspension of visa-free travel will initially remain in force for one year. However, if the Georgian authorities do not take steps to ensure the rule of law in the country, the European Commission may extend the measure for another two years;

● Brussels has also not ruled out the possibility of extending restrictions to all Georgian citizens if necessary. The European Commission said that improving the situation depends primarily on the actions of the Georgian authorities and called on Tbilisi to “engage constructively” in the process.

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How did this happen — and, above all, can it still be stopped?

The European Commission said the decision was a response to developments in Georgia in recent months. It noted that actions taken by the government since October 2024 — including the suppression of protests, arrests of opposition politicians and pressure on independent media — have worsened the situation in the country and led to a number of violations of fundamental human rights and international legal norms.

Brussels also noted that Georgia has failed to fully align with the EU’s visa policy, which is a key requirement for maintaining visa liberalisation.

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Background

The decision follows the suspension of the EU–Georgia Visa Facilitation Agreement proposed by the European Commission in December 2024 and approved by the Council in January 2025. The suspension of visa-free travel is already being implemented by 19 EU member states.

Today’s decision, adopted under the updated visa suspension mechanism, reintroduces EU-wide visa requirements for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. It also ensures that exemptions for these groups will no longer be possible.

The suspension was adopted in the form of a European Commission Implementing Regulation and received the approval of member states in February 2026.

The updated visa suspension mechanism, which entered into force in December 2025, gives the EU more effective and faster tools to respond to abuse of visa-free travel, security risks and backsliding on the protection of fundamental rights.

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EU visa-free travel suspended for Georgia