TBILISI – The Georgian parliament approved in the third and final reading on Wednesday the new rules of traveling to the Schengen zone.
The amendments to the Law on the Procedure of Traveling of Georgian Citizens to and from Georgia say that a traveler must have a biometric passport to be valid for three months upon the date of return to the home country.
A Georgian citizen may not be allowed to travel if he or she does not have a purchased or booked return ticket, a hotel booking, or a precise address of the person he or she will be staying with in the Schengen zone, or insufficient funds.
The amendments criminalize the issuance of fake certificates or documents to Georgian citizens seeking asylum in a foreign state. Such actions will be punishable with two to six years in prison or three to eight years in prison in the event of aggravating circumstances.
The harsh measures were taken due to the increased number of Georgian citizens seeking asylum in the European Union. Concerns have been expressed by Germany, France, Sweden and Iceland, which have urged the Georgian authorities to take relevant measures.
The new rules will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
Georgia has been entitled to visa-free travel to the Schengen zone of the European Union since March 28, 2017. Georgian citizens can stay in the Schengen zone visa-free for 90 days.
