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Georgia introduces categories of entry visas

1 September 2014 17:35 (UTC+04:00)
Georgia introduces categories of entry visas

By Victoria Moiseyeva

Based on the law "On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons", there have been five categories of entry visas for foreigners in Georgia since September 1. They are as follow: migration, diplomatic, special, ordinal, and transit.

The migration visas include student visa, working visa and visa for business purposes, as well as for family reunification.

Diplomatic entry visas will be issued for the officials of other countries, members of the high-level delegations, as well as members of their families to pay a state visit, an official visit, a working visit, a friendly or an unofficial visit.

Moreover, diplomatic visas will be issued for diplomats and honorary consuls.

To get a visa, citizens of other countries will have to apply to the Georgian consulate in the place of residence.

Georgia will issue multiple-entry visas with a validity of 180 days (with the right to stay in the country 90 days within a specified period) for the citizens of the countries which are subject to the visa regime as stated in the law.

The citizens of the countries with which Georgia has established a visa-free regime (Europe, the members-states of NATO and the Commonwealth of Independent States) will be able to stay in Georgia without a visa for a total of 90 days within six month period.

Those who wish to stay in Georgia for a long period will have to obtain the appropriate visa in the Georgian consulate in the country of residence. It will be possible to obtain a visa at the border only in exceptional cases. At the same time, the practice of issuing residence permits will be valid in accordance with the new law.

In addition, consular fee for examination of the short-term and long term visas by the diplomatic missions and consular offices is $50 except when a foreigner is exempt from consular fees.

There are several cases when foreigners are exempted from payment of consular fee: in the cases provided in international treaties and agreements; Georgian citizens, who are foreign national family members while applying for Georgian visa; foreigners while applying for diplomatic or special category visas; honorary consuls and honorary citizens of Georgia while applying for Georgian visa.

Georgia retains visa-free regime with 94 countries. It abolished the regime with 24 countries some weeks ago.

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