Mandatory Travel Insurance in Georgia
Everything tourists, expats, and entrepreneurs need to know to cross the border smoothly after January 1, 2026
From January 1, 2026
Mandatory Tourist Insurance Upon Entry to Georgia
Guide for tourists, expats, and entrepreneurs.
MANDATORY for
- Tourist (visitor) — a foreigner entering for business/leisure/personal purposes, with at least one overnight stay and for a period of up to 1 year, excluding cases of employment in the country of destination or at an institution at the place of destination.
Georgian IE – CONTROVERSIAL
— Foreigners who have registered an IE in Georgia do not formally fall into the category of persons for whom insurance is NOT mandatory...
Recommendation: We recommend having mandatory tourist insurance.
NOT MANDATORY for
- Employees of Georgian companies — a direct exception from the concept of "tourist".
- Foreigners for whom the requirement... is excluded by the Decree:
- persons with a diplomatic/special visa;
- drivers of international cargo and passenger transport;
- Foreigners holding a Residence Permit (ВНЖ).
Important nuance: According to the Tourism Agency, such foreigners are not legally tourists, although there is no direct exception for residence permit holders in the Law.
Policy Requirements
To pass the border control, the insurance must meet the following criteria:
- Coverage: Health (emergency outpatient and inpatient care) and accidents.
- Coverage Limit: Minimum 30,000 GEL.
- Language: Georgian or English (or certified translation).
- Term: The full period of stay in the country (up to 1 year).
Tourist Insurance in Georgia
Planning to enter Georgia? Choose the option below:
Medical Insurance for Residents of Georgia
For those residing in the country permanently:
Q&A
Do residence permit holders need insurance?
No.
Nuance: There is no direct exception for residence permit holders in the Law, however, according to the Tourism Agency, such foreigners are not legally tourists, so the insurance obligation does not apply to them.
Nuance: There is no direct exception for residence permit holders in the Law, however, according to the Tourism Agency, such foreigners are not legally tourists, so the insurance obligation does not apply to them.
Do I need insurance if I have an IE or company but no residence permit?
The situation depends on the source of income:
— If you work for a Georgian company (or for its benefit) — no.
— If you work for a foreign company — yes, you do.
(The administration notes that there is some uncertainty, but this is the current interpretation).
— If you work for a Georgian company (or for its benefit) — no.
— If you work for a foreign company — yes, you do.
(The administration notes that there is some uncertainty, but this is the current interpretation).
If I entered Georgia as a tourist before January 1, 2026, do I need to get insurance urgently?
No. If you arrived in the country before the law came into force, insurance is not required.
Will regular Georgian medical insurance work or do I need special tourist insurance?
Any insurance will do. The main and mandatory condition is that the policy must specify coverage for accidents.
How are the dates checked? Can I buy a policy for 2 weeks and stay for a year?
You can enter with short-term insurance, but you are obliged to renew it so that it covers the entire period of your stay.
Checks take place only at the border (upon entry and exit). Inside the country, the policy is not checked, but upon exit, the dates of stay and the availability of insurance for this period will be verified.
Checks take place only at the border (upon entry and exit). Inside the country, the policy is not checked, but upon exit, the dates of stay and the availability of insurance for this period will be verified.
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