Visa‐free travel, residence permits, and length of stay in Georgia: how to avoid fines and entry bans

Migration rules in Georgia appear simple on the surface, but it is precisely at the intersection of visa‐free stays and residence permits (RP) that the most errors occur. Since October 1, 2025, the consequences of such errors have become more severe: fines have increased, and entry bans are now enforced in practice.

Let’s take a look at the key rules and common misconceptions that lead to problems at the border.

1. Visa-free travel: what it really means

Citizens of many countries (including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the US, and EU countries) can stay in Georgia for up to one year without a visa.

It is important to understand several key points:

• The year is counted as a calendar year, not “365 days by the clock.”
• If entry was on January 1, the visa‐free stay ends on December 31.
• tourist status without a residence permit does not limit the rights and obligations of a foreigner: from a legal point of view, the scope of rights, responsibilities, and protection is the same as for a foreigner with a residence permit.

A common mistake is to consider visa‐free travel as a “secondary” or “temporary” status. It is a full‐fledged legal basis for stay.

2. Residence permit: application and renewal deadlines

A residence permit is a separate legal basis for staying in the country, with its own strict deadlines.

Initial application

• is only possible while in Georgia;
• the application must be submitted using the passport used to enter the country;
• documents must be submitted no later than 40 days before the end of the legal stay.

Example: if you entered the country on January 1, the deadline for applying for a residence permit is November 20.

Residence permit renewal

• Submission: no earlier than 90 days and no later than 40 days before the end of the residence permit;
• possible online, including from abroad;
• expedited consideration does not cancel the submission deadline requirements.

3. Visa‐free travel and residence permits do not add up.

This is a key point that most often leads to violations.

• Visa‐free travel and residence permits do not add up and do not put each other “on hold.”
• The latest legal basis always applies.

Example:

• entry into Georgia — January 1;
• receipt of a residence permit on March 1 for a period of 1 year;
• you did not leave the country.

Legal residence ends on March 1 of the following year, not December 31 + residence permit.

This is where many people mistakenly believe that the days of the residence permit are “added” to the visa-free period. This is not the case.

4. Departure and re‐entry: when the period is “reset”

The “reset” rule applies only to visa‐free stays.

• When crossing the border, the visa‐free period starts again;
• it does not matter:
  • the country of departure,
  • the type of transport,
  • the length of stay outside Georgia.

Important: if you have a residence permit, departure does not extend its validity and does not give you a new year of stay.

5. Overstaying: actual fines and entry bans

From October 1, 2025, liability for overstaying will be strictly enforced in practice (Article 191 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

Penalties:

• up to 3 months — a fine of 1,000 lari + a 6‐month entry ban;
• up to 1 year — a fine of 2,000 lari + a 2‐year entry ban;
• more than 1 year — a fine of 3,000 lari + a 3‐year entry ban.

If the fine is not paid, entry or visa issuance will be denied until payment is made.

6. Real case: a mistake that cost two years of prohibition

A recent case serves as an illustrative example. A foreign national residing in Batumi had a five-month residence permit that had expired. She mistakenly believed that the term of the residence permit would be added to the 365 days of visa-free travel. As a result, she was overstaying her visa.

The outcome:

• a fine of 2,000 lari;
• a two‐year ban on entering Georgia;
• denial of entry even for family matters.

This case clearly shows that an error in calculating deadlines can have real and serious consequences.

Conclusion: what is important to remember

1. Visa‐free travel = 1 calendar year, no more.
2. Residence permits and visa‐free travel cannot be combined.
3. Always focus on the latest date of legal basis.
4. The deadlines for applying for a residence permit are critical — speeding up the process will not help.
5. Delays now mean not only a fine, but also a ban on entry.

If you:

• have been living in Georgia for a long time,
• are planning to apply for or renew your residence permit,
• travel abroad and return frequently,

we recommend that you check your length of stay in advance. Mistakes in migration status are now too costly, both financially and in terms of consequences.

If necessary, we can:

• check your individual case,
• calculate the deadlines,
• assist with the application or renewal of your residence permit.