EU Parliamentarian:
“Georgians will travel to EU visa free from April”

Georgian citizens will be able to travel to and within the European Union's (EU) Schengen Zone without a visa from the end of April 2017, says a European Parliamentarian.

Today Andrejs Mamikins, a European Parliament member and co-rapporteur of Georgia’s visa liberalisation, said the Council of Europe had suggested the second half of April as the final date for Georgia’s visa waiver.

There are only technical details that remain. It seems like the final text regarding Georgia will be signed on April 7. On April 15, the decision will be published in the official journal of the EU and from the end of April any Georgian citizen who has a biometric passport will be able to travel in EU states without a visa,” Mamikins said.

He added a vote about Georgia’s visa waiver would take place at the European Parliament’s plenary session, and this was expected to happen either in January or February 2017. 

This would be followed by "complex procedures” including translating the document into 24 official languages of EU member states.

This process cannot last longer than eight weeks. This is where the final date – the end of April – derives from,” Mamikins said.

Meanwhile European Parliamentarian Mariya Gabriel, who is a rapporteur of Georgia’s visa liberalistaion, said in an interview with Georgia’s Public Broadcaster that she would do her best to advance Georgia's visa liberalisation process.

I will spare no effort to speed up Georgia’s visa liberalisation and Georgia be granted a visa free regime sooner than the end of April,” Gabriel said.