What are the new rules for entering Georgia?

Since February 1 new rules for the entry of foreigners and citizens of Georgia into the country have been in effect.

The government has eased a number of restrictions that were introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic:

Rules for foreign citizens traveling to Georgia

From February 1, tourists can cross the border with two types of documents.

Vaccinated visitors will be able to enter without any conditions – they must present at the border a document confirming a full course of vaccination of any type. This applies to citizens of all countries.

Visitors who have not been vaccinated, specifically citizens and residents of the countries of the European Union, Israel, Switzerland, USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, must have a negative test result within the last 72 hours. They will not have to isolate. However, they will be required to repeat the PCR test at their own expense on the third day after entering Georgia.

“We ask airlines not to allow foreign citizens to fly without a negative result made in the proceeding 72 hours, or a document confirming vaccination,” said Minister of Economy of Georgia Natia Turnava, commenting on the decision.

Turnava says the rule introduced by the Georgian government for foreigners is “an important innovation” that will bring tourism back to the country:

“These rules allow us to start active meetings with tour operators, hotels, other representatives of the tourism industry in order to start thinking about how to quickly attract the first groups of foreign tourists to Georgia.”

According to her, the regions of Georgia will gradually open up for tourism, and at the first stage this will mean Adjara.

Earlier, foreigners, even in the presence of a negative test result, were required to undergo self-isolation, and in the absence of one, complete quarantine.

Rules for Georgian citizens arriving from abroad

The rules are also changing for Georgian citizens arriving from abroad. A citizen must either have the result of a test taken within the last 72 hours with them or a PCR test must be done at their own expense upon arrival in Georgia.

However, the citizens of Georgia will have to go through self-isolation upon arrival in any case, although for eight days instead of 12.

However, the period of self-isolation can be reduced to three days, if upon arrival in Georgia they will be able to present a negative test result, or the first test in Georgia is negative, and do a repeat the test three days later, and in the case of a second negative answer, they will be released from self-isolation