EU restricts visa-free entry for georgian officials
On 6 March 2026, the European Union suspended the visa-free regime for holders of Georgian diplomatic, official and service passports. This decision follows the earlier suspension of parts of the EU Georgia Visa Facilitation Agreement, proposed by the European Commission in December 2024 and adopted by the Council in January 2025.
The European Commission noted that this is the first time the reinforced visa suspension mechanism has been applied. This mechanism, which had been under discussion since 2023, was formally adopted in June 2025.
As a result of the suspension, representatives of Georgian state authorities holding diplomatic, official or service passports are now required to obtain a Schengen visa when travelling to the Schengen area for official purposes. According to the Commission’s guidance, failure to use the appropriate passport when travelling for official purposes may result in the issuance of an entry ban.
It is important to note that these restrictions do not apply to holders of ordinary Georgian passports. Georgian citizens travelling for private purposes continue to benefit from visa-free travel to the Schengen area.