Categories and types of georgian visa

Georgian visa is a permit of established form stamped inside the travel document of a foreigner or issued electronically (e-visa), which confirms his/her right to enter or/and stay in Georgia, or transit the territory of Georgia.

For the purpose of issuing Georgian visa, a foreigner can be invited to Georgia by citizen of Georgia, person having residence permit in Georgia, legal person registered in Georgia, Georgian ministry, office of the state minister as well as diplomatic representation, consular office or international organization accredited in Georgia. the invitation is an official document including a written recommendation confirming the purpose of foreigner’s visit to Georgia.

Types of Georgian visa

A foreigner who meets the requirements and conditions set forth for the issuance of a Georgian visa can be granted a single- or multiple-entry visa.

A single-entry short-term visa is issued according to the length of stay requested on the visa application form, but for a stay of no more than 30 days.

A multiple-entry short-term visa is issued for the duration of maximum five years. at the same time, the entry and the total length of stay of a foreign citizen shall not exceed 90 calendar days within the 180 day period. a multiple-entry short-term visa is issued to the foreigner who has been in Georgia at least once during the previous year and has grounds for applying for a short-term multi-entry visa.

Long-term visa shall be issued with the right to multiple entries to the country, for the term of 90 calendar days, for 1-year validity period and for the term the person will be staying in Georgia. Long-term visa for a 1-year validity period shall be issued only for d5 category immigration visa.

Georgian visa has the following categories:

• A category – diplomatic visa;
• B category – Special visa;
• C category – ordinary visa;
• D category – immigration visa;
• T category – transit visa.

A – Diplomatic Visa

A1 category visa is issued to the top officials of foreign legislative and executive authorities, members of top- and high-level delegations, and accompanying family members, arriving in Georgia on state, official, business, friendly or unofficial visits;

A2 category visa is issued to employees of diplomatic and equivalent missions accredited to Georgia; consular officials and their family members; to employees of representation offices of international organizations located in Georgia who have been granted diplomatic status by Georgia, and to their family members;

A3 category visa is issued to diplomatic couriers and individuals arriving in Georgia on a special diplomatic mission;

A4 category visa is issued to honorary consuls of Georgia and their family members, if they are citizens of a foreign country;

A5 category visa is issued to individuals holding a business/official or ordinary passport and entering Georgia on various missions, in the national interests of Georgia, including persons having diplomatic passports coming to Georgia for working visits 

B – Special Visa

B1 category visa is issued to members of foreign delegations, persons having service passports coming to Georgia for working visit, their accompanying family members and other accompanying persons;

B2 category visa is issued to administrative, technical and service personnel of foreign diplomatic missions, consular employees and service staff of consular offices, their family members and household workers; employees of international and humanitarian organizations located in Georgia and their family members as well as domestic workers accompanying the persons having A2 diplomatic visa;

B3 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia under international bilateral and multilateral treaties of Georgia, members of peacekeeping forces, and other military contingents deployed in Georgia under an international treaty and their family members;

B4 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia as members of different missions, which are in the national interests of Georgia.

C – Ordinary Visa

C1 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia for tourism purposes;

C2 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia to visit relatives and friends, and to freelancers;

C3 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia to hold business meetings and negotiations, participants of scientific workshops, conferences and other research, pedagogical, cultural or sports events; persons arriving in Georgia to perform journalistic activity; crew members of the ships standing in Georgian harbours, unless visa-free movement of the crew members is provided by an international treaty; to the drivers and co-drivers performing international cargo / civil transportation;

C4 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia to receive or provide humanitarian assistance during life-threatening situations and situations hazardous to life and health, to carry out charity activities; a guardian or caregiver of a Georgian citizen, persons under guardianship or care of a Georgian citizen; persons arriving in Georgia for treatment; persons visiting graves of relatives and friends, persons arriving with the purpose of pilgrimage.

D – immigration Visa

D1 category visa is issued to persons arriving in Georgia to work; representatives and consultants of companies coming to Georgia to perform their official duties; foreigners coming to Georgia for contracted work, and persons coming Georgia for carrying out entrepreneurial activity according to the Law of Georgia on entrepreneurial activity;

D2 category visa is issued for persons coming to Georgia to carry out scientific, sports, cultural or educational activity; freelancers; foreigners coming to Georgia as interns or volunteers; press workers coming to Georgia to carry out their professional activity;

D3 category visa is issued to persons coming for study or do research at an authorized educational institution or to those coming to Georgia as part of an international educational programme;

D4 category visa is issued to persons who come to Georgia for family reunification;

D5 category visa is issued to the person - who, under the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia, have the right of ownership of real property within the territory of Georgia (other than agricultural land) with its market value exceeding USD 100 000 equivalent in GEL, and their family members.

T - transit Visa

T category visa is issued to aliens transiting Georgia to enter a third country. the maximum length of transit visa is 10 days.

Procedures for obtaining visa

Georgian visas are issued by Georgia’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad,1 while electronic visa shall be issued by the ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia to the foreigner abroad upon submitting the relevant visa application through the website of the ministry − evisa.gov.ge (e-visa Portal). the ministry of Foreign affairs is also entitled to issue an immigration visa to the foreigner legally staying in Georgia.

Citizens of those countries where Georgia does not have a diplomatic mission or a consular office may apply to Georgia’s diplomatic missions or consular offices in the neighbouring countries. Foreigners who do not reside in their home countries may apply to Georgia’s diplomatic missions and consular offices in the countries of their residence. in such an event, a foreign citizen must have a multiple entry visa or a valid residence permit of the country in which he/she resides.

All necessary documentation for issuing an immigration visa to foreigner legally staying in Georgia can be submitted to the ministry of Foreign affairs as well as to the branches of Public Service Hall, territorial offices of the Public Service development agency and Community Centers; all above-listed institutions are entitled to stamp visa into the travel document or issue an electronic visa.

Ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia makes decision on issuing an immigration visa to foreigner legally staying in Georgia.

Decision on issuing a short-term visa is made in 10 calendars days upon receiving visa application and other necessary documents; while an online application submitted through the website of the ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia www.evisa.gov.ge (E-ViSA PORTAL) shall be processed and an electronic visa shall be issued not later than within 5 days from submitting an online application.

Decision on issuing d category (except for d5 category) long-term immigration visa shall be made within 30 calendar days from submitting visa application. Decision on issuing D5 category immigration visa shall be made within 10 days from submitting visa application.

Extending visa

Foreigners staying in Georgia can apply for extension of short-term diplomatic and special visas (a and b categories) as well as d3 and d5 category immigration visas.

Documents required for extending short-term diplomatic and special visas shall be submitted to the ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia, while the documents for extending D3 and D5 category immigration visas can be submitted to the ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia as well as to the branches of Public Service Hall, territorial offices of the Public Service development agency and Community Centres.

Note: A foreigner, whose legal stay in Georgia expires, can apply for extending his/her visa without leaving the country. While the administrative proceedings for extending the Georgian visa are underway, the term of foreigner’s stay in Georgia shall be deemed justified and he/she will be exempted from the penalty envisaged by Georgian legislation for violating the terms of legal stay in the country. at the same time, until the final decision on extending the visa has been made, a foreigner cannot be expelled from Georgia.

For additional information on the visa procedures, please visit the websites: www.geoconsul.gov.ge; www.mfa.gov.ge; www.evisa.gov.ge.