While the Eastern European nation of Georgia is not presently part of the European Union or Schengen Zone allowing border-free travel between members, its citizens are still allowed to visit the 27 countries making up the EU (the Schengen Zone also includes non-members Switzerland and Norway) for up to six months without a visa.
The rules (three more months than the 90 days given to citizens of more faraway countries like the U.S. and Great Britain) allow for easy travel between the country that has been growing as an economy in large part due to its rising recognition as a tourist destination.
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But Georgia, which was formally granted EU candidate status in December 2023, also has a history of corruption and suppression of political opposition which the Commission that granted the status says need to be addressed before it is accepted as a formal member.
Multiple EU members expressed concern over the country’s elections
With the country’s parliamentary elections coming up on Oct. 26, local news outlet Georgian Formula TV reported that EU representatives informed the Georgian government that visa-free travel is one of the privileges that may get revoked if democratic principles are not respected during the elections.
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A number of EU members had already called for sanctions and suspension of travel benefits after the Georgian government passed a foreign agents bill that would brand European and other Western NGOs and media outlets working out of the country as “foreign agents” similar to what Russia did at the start of its invasion of Ukraine.
There is also growing criticism that the current government is leaning increasingly pro-Moscow despite strides made toward European democracy in past years.
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Georgian PM calls ‘improvement of relations between Georgia and the EU crucial’
“The improvement of relations between Georgia and the EU is crucial,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said in an interview with local media outlet Jam News, in which he also called for an end to the war in Ukraine. “Starting next year, relations between the Georgian government and our partners will significantly improve, which is vital for avoiding any obstacles to economic development.”
That said, he also called the threat to suspend visa-free travel “blackmail” and an attempt to influence the outcome of the election.
“This is some kind of cheap blackmail attempt,” Kobakhidze told reporters at a press conference in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. “It will not have an impact on the election.”
Over the last year, a number of countries have moved to loosen their visa rules for travelers. The Chinese government has been testing a trial run travel policy that offers citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland visa-free entry into the country for up to 15 days.
Australia and New Zealand were added to the list last September while citizens of the United States and Great Britain still need to apply for a tourist visa but the rules for getting one have also been made more lax. One can simply submit one’s personal information to the local Chinese consulate instead of having to book a plane ticket and hotel stay before the visa is granted.
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