EU Warns Georgia of Possible Suspension of Visa-Free Travel
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, July 18, 2025
The European Commission has sent letters to the Georgian Dream government warning that the European Union may suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens if Tbilisi fails to implement key recommendations related to human rights, anti-corruption, and democratic standards.
The warning follows a meeting of EU foreign ministers on July 15 in Brussels. A letter signed by Beate Gminder, Deputy Director-General in DG Migration and Home Affairs, was addressed to Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili and published by the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
"I would like to ask you to update the Commission on the implementation of these recommendations and, if not already done, to take appropriate measures to address the issues raised in all Commission recommendations," the letter reads.
"The Commission will assess the compliance with the recommendations in the context of the next visa suspension mechanism report," it continues. "Based on this assessment, in case of persisting non-compliance, the Commission could take appropriate measures on the basis of Article 8 of the revised Visa Regulation, specifically activating the visa suspension mechanism."
Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the Schengen Area since 2017. The Commission described this as a "key milestone" in EU-Georgia relations and said it has brought "tangible benefits" to Georgian citizens.
The letter recalls the findings of the Seventh Visa Suspension Mechanism Report, adopted on December 6, 2023, which documented serious breaches of fundamental rights and freedoms in Georgia, particularly violations of the principle of non-discrimination. These breaches, the Commission noted, contradicted relevant European and international standards.
Among the eight key recommendations listed in the annex to the letter are:
. Repealing the Law on "transparency of foreign influence"
. Repealing the legislative package on "family values and protection of minors"
. Amending the national human rights strategy to ensure the rights of LGBTIQ persons are upheld
. Strengthening anti-corruption measures and ensuring the independence and neutrality of the Anti-Corruption Bureau
. Aligning Georgia's visa policy with the EU list of visa-required third countries
. Addressing irregular migration and unfounded asylum applications in EU member states
. Setting up asset recovery and management offices
. Aligning Georgia's data protection laws with EU standards
A separate but similar letter was sent to Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, Georgia's ambassador to the EU, requesting an update on implementation progress by the end of August.
The letter does not refer directly to recent domestic developments, including repressive measures and controversial legislation passed by the Georgian Dream-controlled parliament since November 28, 2024, when the party announced it was freezing the country's EU accession process.
The EU has already suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, a move it took in January 2025.
