Georgia opens borders unconditionally for Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia

Georgia is opening its borders for travellers from five countries, announces PM Spokesman Irakli Chikovani after a meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council today.

The five countries are:

1. Germany
2. France
3. Latvia
4. Lithuania
5. Estonia

All five countries have also opened borders for Georgia.

In addition, Georgia is on a list of countries to enter the European Union as of July 1. Chikovani said that the government of Georgia is currently negotiating with other EU member states as to the further opening of the country’s borders.

The government of Georgia is also negotiating with international airline companies to resume direct flights in Georgia. So far an agreement has been reached with Lufthansa which will start flights between Munich and Tbilisi starting August. 

Georgia is technically ready to open borders [to these countries] even today, but it also depends when these five countries will start direct flights to Georgia. It seems this will happen in August”, the PR office of the government of Georgia says.

What are the safety rules for passengers arriving at Georgian airports?

• Citizens / residents of the above mentioned five countries will be able to visit Georgia only by direct flight.
• Before crossing the Georgian border, they must fill out a specially designed electronic form in which they must indicate their travel history of the previous 14 days before entering Georgia and where he/she is going to stay in the country. 
• If a traveller's temperature exceeds 37 degrees Celsius at the border, they will be tested by PCR at the airport.
• A 14-day quarantine will remain mandatory for those who have recently travelled to high-risk, non-EU member countries.
• A special call-centre group will be in communication with all travellers that arrive in Georgia.

If a traveller has a temperature higher than 37 C, they will have to take a PCR test, the cost of which will be covered by the state", Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze said.

Business travel

Chikovani said that 'business trips from all countries will be carried out smoothly in agreement with sectoral agencies’.

Visitors to Georgia on a business trip will be required to take a PCR test for coronavirus at their own expense every 72 hours, or to go through mandatory 14-day quarantine at their own expense. This, of course, does not apply to citizens / residents of the five EU member states with whom Georgia is unconditionally opening its borders", Chikovani said.

The electronic forms, which will have to be filled in advance by citizens of the above-mentioned five EU countries, as well as any business visitor, will be available on the website specially created by the government of Georgia www.StopCoV.ge.

As for Georgian citizens, after visiting the European Union for any purpose, they will have to go through a mandatory 14-day quarantine when returning to Georgia. 

Countries that have not yet opened borders for Georgia in the EU include: 

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Denmark
• Norway
• Malta
• Finland
• Switzerland
• Czechia
• Slovakia
• Hungary

A joint commission has been set up with Hungary to work on the restoration of air traffic.

Meanwhile, Italy, Cyprus, Iceland and Slovenia expressed readiness to open the borders for Georgia but under conditions that include mandatory 14-day quarantine when arriving in these countries.