Kazakhstan warns citizens about new rules for staying in Georgia

Tengrinews.kz – New rules for foreigners' stay in Georgia are coming into force. The bill, published on the Parliament’s website, amends the Administrative Offenses Code and toughens penalties for overstaying in the country.

The goal of the reform is to "organize migration processes and improve compliance with the law".

According to the bill, the list of administrative punishments includes:

• Deportation from Georgia
• A ban on entry for up to five years

These measures can be applied as standalone or additional punishments. The decision to deport will be made by the court following a request from the authorized bodies.

Fines and penalties

Special attention is given to overstaying:

• Staying up to 3 months after the expiration: fine of 1000 lari (approximately 200,000 tenge) and a 6-month entry ban
• From 3 months to 1 year: fine of 2000 lari (approximately 400,000 tenge) and a 2-year entry ban
• Over 1 year: fine of 3000 lari (approximately 600,000 tenge) and a 3-year entry ban
• Violation of transit rules: fine of 500 lari (approximately 100,000 tenge)

Additionally, legal and physical persons who assist foreigners with illegal residence, work, or education may be fined 2000 lari (approximately 400,000 tenge).

The law also includes exceptions. Deportation will not apply if the foreigner faces:

• Political persecution
• Risk to life or health
• Torture or degrading treatment

"The foreign person will not be expelled if their return is associated with risks to life and human rights. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will make the corresponding assessment," the bill states.

Deportation and entry bans will be enforced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. If fines are not paid, foreigners may be denied a visa and re-entry until the debt is fully cleared.

Travelers planning to visit Georgia should pay close attention to the duration of their stay. The law will come into effect on September 1, 2025.

It is important to note that Kazakhstan and Georgia have a visa-free regime. Recently, there was confusion among Kazakh travelers due to information on the eGov.kz portal stating that the visa-free stay in Georgia is 90 days.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan clarified that the visa-free conditions remain unchanged: Kazakh citizens can stay in Georgia for up to one year. The Ministry confirmed that there was an error on the eGov website.