Georgian citizens granted visa-free entry to EU countries

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Citizens of Georgia holding biometric passports will be able to travel to EU member countries without obtaining a visa for a short visit from March 28.

The visa-free regime implies free movement in the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU member states and four non-EU states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), as well as four candidate countries to Schengen (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Croatia), RIA Novosti reported.

Rules for visiting EU member states

Georgian citizens are allowed to stay in Schengen zone for not more than 90 days within any 180-day period for purposes other than working and they can use approved days both continuously or with redistribution.

The purpose of the short-term visit may be tourism, business meetings, trainings, participation in cultural events or visits to family and relatives.

In the case of a working and long-term study visit, a Georgian citizen will need to obtain a visa at the consulate of the country in question.

The immigration officer has the right to ask the citizen at the border of the Schengen area the following documents: proof of financial security - an extract from the bank with sufficient money or cash, a certificate from work and most importantly - confirmation of the purpose of the trip: return tickets, passenger insurance and hotel bookings, and in case tourists intend to see relatives, then it is necessary to have an invitation from them.

The amount for financial security must be at least 50 Euros per day, in addition to the cost of living in a hotel.

"The main thing is that the citizen of Georgia, if necessary, could prove at the border point the purpose of his short-term visit and explain where he is going, why and when he intends to return," Georgian Foreign Minister Mikhail Janelidze told reporters.

Since the visa-free regime’s entry into force, the passengers will be checked to provide all necessary documents required for entry into the Schengen area on the state border of Georgia in international airports.

Violators of the regulations to be punished

Simultaneously with the visa-free regime, the mechanism for suspending the visa-free regime will come into effect. The agreement on this mechanism for third countries in case of migration crisis in one or several EU member states was put forward by the EU Council as a precondition for the abolition of visas for citizens of Ukraine and Georgia.

Based on the most widespread problem in Georgia - lack of jobs, some experts and analysts suggest that after the enactment of the visa-free regime, the flow of illegal migrants from Georgia may increase.

In order to prevent and suppress such risks, the government of the country has developed a special mechanism at the border points to control the time of stay of its citizens in Europe.

When the stay of a Georgian citizen in the EU member states exceeds three months, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia will be informed and, consequently, begin searching for the offender to start the readmission procedure. At the initial stage, all the search costs will be covered by the government, but after a while, they will fall on the offenders.

Georgia celebrates the historic day

Solemn events in honor of the celebration of the entry into force of the visa-free regime began in the capital and in major cities of Georgia on Sunday. International airports of Georgia have also prepared for the important event.

Airports are preparing to accept an increased flow of passengers, according to the head of the Georgian Airports Association Ketevan Aleksidze.

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili will be the first to visit the EU after the visa-free regime comes into force, together with representatives of the authorities, students, representatives of national minorities, scientists and researchers, he will travel to Athens and then to Brussels.

"The historic day for modern Georgia has come,” the chairman of the parliamentary committee for European integration Tamara Khulordava said at a briefing adding that this decision “is the concrete result of all Georgia's reforms and efforts which Europe has appreciated."

The Council of the European Union on February 27 approved a mechanism to suspend visa-free liberalization and liberalization of the visa regime for Georgia, and  Brussels officially signed on March 1 a decision on the abolition of visas for Georgia.

On March 9, 2016, the European Commission submitted to the European Parliament and the Council a legislative proposal on visa liberalization for Georgia. In late 2016, the EU approved the completion of the legislative process of providing the citizens of Georgia with the visa-free regime with the EU member states.

The prospect of easier travel to Europe has been used by the pro-Western government in Tbilisi to win popular backing for EU-sponsored reforms.

Negotiations on visa liberalization for Georgia began back in 2008 as part of the Eastern Partnership Program. Georgia entered the practical phase of those talks in 2012 as it prepared for associate EU membership. Georgia abolished visa requirements for EU citizens back in 2006.