Azernews.Az

By Victoria Moiseyeva

The final list of countries whose citizens can benefit from the visa-free regime upon entering Georgia has been approved by the government in Tbilisi.

The news was announced by the Director of the Consular Department of Georgian Foreign Ministry, Giorgi Tabatadze.

After making some changes to the law on the legal status of foreigners and non-citizens in Georgia visa regime, 24 countries were left out of list. This comes as 94 countries remain on the list.

Citizens of countries involved in the visa-free regime will be able to stay in Georgia without a visa for 90 days, instead of the previously established 360 days.

For short-stay visits, the period of stay will be 90 days within any 180 day period. This new rule will regulate duration of stay of the nationals who are required to obtain visa to enter Georgian territory, as well as duration of stay of the foreigners who does not require visa to enter Georgian territory for short-stay visits.

The rule of stay for 90 days within any 180 day periods will also affect those countries' nationals with whom Georgia has a bilateral and multilateral agreements and the period of stay is not defined in the agreement (nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kirgizstan).

The law on legal status of foreigners and non-citizens will enter into force from September, 1.

Georgian visas will be mainly issued in diplomatic missions or consular offices of Georgia abroad and in exceptional cases it can be issued at the state border, according to the new law.

The visas are issued at the state border in international legal or humanitarian or Georgian national interests, where a foreigner fails to meet the requirements and conditions for obtaining visa, on crew members of the ships standing in Georgian harbors, for persons arriving in Georgia to provide humanitarian assistance during life-threatening situations and situations hazardous to health and transit visas for transiting the territory of Georgia (five days) in order to enter a third country.

Foreigners who have entered the territory of Georgia before the new law entered into force have the right to stay on the territory of Georgia on the basis of the old rule. However, if they leave the territory of Georgia, at the time of the next entry the requirements of the new law shall be applied to them.

Those foreigners who hold valid Georgian visa obtained before September, 1 have the right to enter Georgian territory during the validity time of this visa.