Georgia opens borders for five EU countries, direct flights yet to resume

Georgia, which closed its borders almost five months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, has again opened its borders but to just five EU countries.

Citizens and residents of Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will be able to enter Georgia by direct flight only – but regular flights have yet to resume.

Before crossing the Georgian border, citizens of these countries will have to fill out a special electronic form and indicate their contact details, travel history over the previous 14 days, as well as indicate their place of stay in Georgia.

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At the border, travelers will undergo thermal screening. If a person has a temperature higher than 37 degrees upon arrival, they will submit a PCR test for the coronavirus.

Citizens of these five countries will not be placed in mandatory quarantine. However, if they previously visited countries outside the EU or countries with a high risk of infection, a two-week quarantine period will be mandatory for them as well. A specially created call center will maintain communication with everyone who arrives in Georgia.

Why these five countries?

These countries have opened their borders for Georgian citizens on the same conditions – that is, without quarantine.

At this stage, the following EU countries have not opened their borders to Georgia: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Norway, Malta, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

Italy, Cyprus, Iceland and Slovenia expressed their willingness to open their borders with Georgia, but Georgian citizens who arrived in these countries will have to go through 14-day quarantine.

Georgia has not opened borders for citizens of countries of the European Union that have not opened their borders to Georgia, and has made 14-day quarantine necessary for citizens of countries that demand Georgian citizens also go through quarantine.   

Do these rules apply to Georgian citizens abroad?

After returning to their homeland from EU countries, Georgian citizens will undergo 14-day compulsory quarantine. The quarantine will also apply to Georgian citizens arriving from Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Unlike foreign citizens, the state will cover the costs of quarantining Georgian citizens returning to their homeland.

How to fly to Georgia?

There are no regular international flights to Georgia at the moment and they are unlikely to be restored until August.

Lufthansa will carry out two flights a week between Tbilisi and Munich starting in August, while negotiations are underway with airBaltic and AirFrance to restore regular flights to these five countries.

Wizzair and Myway Airlines will charter flights from Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece and France in July. The ticket price for these flights for Georgian citizens will be no more than 200 euros. Other expenses will be covered by the state.

In addition, Georgian Airways is operating commercial charter flights from Vienna, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. 

However, citizens living abroad complain about this Georgian company. Facebook is full of dissatisfied comments that the price of tickets for these flights is much higher than the announced 200 euros, and it is almost impossible to buy them. Until now, only Georgian Airways was operating flights to Georgia.

However, after numerous complaints, the authorities began negotiations with foreign companies, and as a result, charter flights will also be carried out by Wizzair and Myway Airlines. Qatar Airways will also perform one flight in July, thanks to which 105 people will return to Georgia from Doha. According to the Georgian government administration, the situation is constantly changing due to the coronavirus, and negotiations are underway with other EU countries to restore transport, so the rules for entering the country will be reviewed every two weeks.