EU Warns Stricter Checks for Georgian Officials as Visa-Free Suspension Takes Effect

2026-03-06 - 13:15

The EU issued guidelines warning of entry bans if Georgian officials fail to use their diplomatic or service passports when travelling to the bloc for “official and diplomatic purposes,” as visa-free suspension for Georgian diplomatic passport holders under the new mechanism takes effect on March 6. The suspension, approved by the EU member states in February, follows a new legal mechanism that ensures the unified application across all EU member states without any bilateral visa exemptions, and has been triggered after Brussels warned of “appropriate measures” citing Georgia’s “backsliding” on key commitments in December. “Today, the European Commission is suspending visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports. They are now required to be in possession of a visa when entering the Schengen area for official purposes,” the EU Commission announced in its March 6 press release, noting that it’s the first time that the new “reinforced visa suspension mechanism” is applied. The commission further issued guidelines for member states for “effective” implementation of the decision. It recommended “heightened scrutiny of all Georgian nationals crossing the EU’s external borders,” noting that “representatives of Georgian authorities have to use their diplomatic or service passport when travelling to the EU for official and diplomatic purposes” and that “not doing so, may result in the issuance of an entry ban.” “Member States should also ensure that all Georgian nationals are checked against national and European databases,” the Commission said, citing an “additional layer of security screening” like the gradually implemented Entry/Exit System. “In addition, when holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports apply for a Schengen visa, Member States are encouraged to carry out a thorough screening, conducting an interview and requesting supporting documents from these applicants,” the Commission said, noting that the member states should refuse visas “in case of any doubts about the reliability of the information provided by the applicants.” According to the Commission, the temporary suspension will last 12 months, and can be extended for another two years “if the governance and rule of law issues are not addressed by the Georgian authorities.” The Commission said it “can also decide to extend the measure to all Georgian citizens,” adding that “it is up to the Georgian authorities to redress the situation” during this time and “strongly” encouraging Georgian authorities “to engage constructively in this process.” ‘Deliberate and Persisting Violation of Commitments‘ According to the Commission, the new mechanism “is activated in response to Georgia’s deliberate and persisting violation of the commitments taken under its visa-free regime in key areas of democracy and fundamental rights.” The Commission said that the visa liberalisation “aims to foster people-to-people contacts and promote shared values, including respect for human rights and democratic principles.” It also said that the actions of the Georgian authorities since October 2024, “including crackdown on protesters, opposition politicians, and independent media, have negatively impacted the situation in Georgia and resulted in breaches of several fundamental rights and international legal standards.” According to the press release, Tbilisi “also refused to align with the EU visa policy, which is an essential condition of maintaining visa-free travel.” The Commission said it considers “that the actions of Georgian authorities undermine the principles on which visa liberalisation is based.” The bloc and EU member states started considering suspending the visa-free regime, which Georgians have enjoyed since 2017, amid anti-democratic moves by the Georgian Dream government over the past two years. While Brussels decided to initially suspend the visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders, the Commission warned in December that “ultimately, Georgia could lose its visa free status entirely.” Also Read: 30/01/2026 – Analysis | Checking Georgia’s Anti-EU Drift 05/01/2026 – Economic Crisis, Identity Loss – Kobakhidze Claims EU Is in Decline