Deputy Interior Minister Debunks Claims of Visa-Free Travel for 17 Countries
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze has strongly denied reports suggesting Georgia has opened visa-free travel to Afghanistan and 16 other countries, calling the claims a "complete lie."
In a public statement addressing recent controversy surrounding amendments to a government decree, Darakhvelidze clarified that the changes do not ease entry rules but instead impose stricter requirements on citizens from 17 countries. "There has never been and there are no plans to make such a decision," he said. "Unfortunately, the changes were misinterpreted as if we had opened visa-free travel to these countries, which is categorically false."
According to Darakhvelidze, since 2015, citizens of any country holding a valid visa or residence permit from a list of 50 designated nations, including EU and Persian Gulf states, were allowed to enter Georgia. However, the law did not previously specify a minimum validity period for those visas or permits.
"We identified 17 countries whose citizens were frequently found to be staying illegally in Georgia or submitting a high number of asylum applications," Darakhvelidze said. "Under the revised rules, these individuals must now hold a visa or residence permit valid for at least one year in order to enter the country. Before, even a five-day visa could grant them entry."
The affected countries include: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Darakhvelidze emphasized that the move was driven by national security and migration management concerns and followed consultations with relevant agencies. "This is not an opening of borders. On the contrary, we have imposed additional restrictions," he said.
