Georgian parliament approves new regulations on travel to EU
With 74 votes in favour the parliament of Georgia approved the legislative changes in the third reading today, which will impose new regulations on travel to EU countries when it comes fully into force on January 1, 2021. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian citizens traveling to a Schengen country with which Georgia has a visa-free travel regime but who do not possess the necessary documents may be refused to cross the Georgian state border, says a new law passed today in parliament.
With 74 votes in favour the parliament of Georgia approved the legislative changes in the third reading today, which will impose new regulations on travel to EU countries when it comes fully into force on January 1, 2021.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Georgia Kakha Kuchava said there have been many cases when travellers crossed the border of Georgia without having a return ticket, or hotel reservation, or means of subsistence and a citizen was sent back to Georgia.
Kuchava said that ‘our partner countries have requested us’ to regulate this issue in order to prevent increased instances of Georgian citizens being returned back to Georgia.
As part of the new law a citizen of Georgia may be refused to cross the border if he/she does not have a:
- Valid biometric passport
- Round-trip ticket
- Booking of the hotel/apartment or other documents; address of the host who obtains legal residence in the EU/Schengen area
- Travel insurance
- Proof of funds
In addition, if a citizen enables others to abuse the right to asylum in a foreign country, she/he will face imprisonment for a term of three to six years.
Georgian citizens do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen Zone from March 2017.
The first visa-free journey from Georgia began in Athens, Greece and continued in Brussels, Belgium.
The Agenda.ge economic editor was one of the first who made the first visa-free travel with Georgian government members. Click here to read our report ‘How I entered the EU without visa’.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has warned Georgian citizens, who have plans to enter the Schengen Zone, to have all necessary documentation and on their person, as Georgian embassies in the Schengen Zone countries have no legal levers to interfere in the decisions of immigration officers if they say that some of the documents are absent or invalid.
The process for changing one’s surname has been made more difficult with the amendments prepared by the Ministry of Justice and passed by the Georgian parliament. The new regulations will help the Georgian government to easily identify citizens who violate visa free travel rules while the current law allows a person to change one’s surname 25 times or more on different grounds.
This time last year, a small Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili left for a historic trip on which Georgians travelled visa-free for the first time to the European Union (EU).
Almost a year ago, visa-free travel regulations for Georgian citizens traveling to the European Union (EU) went into force. Welcoming the special anniversary at a government session this morning, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said this is one of the country’s greatest achievements.
Georgia will introduce additional verification at Georgian border checkpoints for Georgian citizens travelling to Schengen countries from January 1, 2021 to make sure they fulfil the existing Schengen entry criteria.EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell visited Tbilisi International Airport earlier today to see how these checks will be implemented and what Georgian citizens can expect.
Georgian citizens will now be screened at border checkpoints while traveling to the EU or Schengen zone in addition to facing checks at their destination.
The Georgian interior ministry on Friday said 868 Georgian citizens had been deported from several European Union member states over the past three months for violation of mandatory terms of stay in the countries.