Israel visa-free travel details announced

Georgian citizens can now travel to Israel without a visa for tourism or other private reasons.

Today Georgian authorities released details about the visa-free regime, which was adopted yesterday by Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on information from Israel’s Ministry of Interior Affairs.

The new rules state Georgian citizens who travel to Israel as a tourist or private visitor and stay in the country for 90 days or less during a six month period will be granted entry to Israel without a visa.

Travellers are obliged to have a return ticket and valid passport, which must be valid for at least six months from the date they enter Israel.

Furthermore, the tourists may be required to provide information about health insurance, hotel reservation and whether they have enough finances to fund their stay in Israel.

By gaining visa-free entry into Israel did not mean travelers had the right to work in the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

However, Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said the Israeli Foreign Minister was currently on strike so the country could not officially provide the Georgian Ministry with all necessary information.

In an interview with Georgian journalists, the Ambassador of Israel in Georgia, Yuval Fuchs, said the agreement had been ratified and local citizens could now travel to Israel without a visa.

"It is very regrettable that at the moment I cannot speak with authority, only unofficial, because the Israeli Foreign Ministry officials are on strike in demand of better conditions,” the Ambassador added.

Meanwhile, the two countries signed the visa free agreement in November last year but Israeli legislative bodies still needed to ratify it.

With Israel, Georgia had already unilaterally abolished a visa regime.