Eid travel: Some UAE residents denied entry to Georgia amid stricter visa rules

Georgia has tightened visa regulations for specific nationalities, including residents of the UAE, as part of amendments officially introduced on April 17, 2025. The revised rules impact citizens of several countries, including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, even if they hold valid visas or residence permits from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The regulatory changes caught UAE resident Muhammad, a 31-year-old senior product manager, completely off guard when he and a friend landed at Kutaisi International Airport for the Eid Al Adha holidays. They had flown from Abu Dhabi on a Wizz Air flight.

“We had all the required documents, UAE residency proof, hotel bookings, return tickets, and travel insurance. Some passengers were stopped before boarding, but we were cleared to fly,” said Muhammad, a Pakistani expat.

However, after landing, the situation changed. Before reaching immigration, they were asked for identification by a police officer.

“We were escorted aside, our passports were taken, and our photos were clicked in front of the other passengers,” Muhammad recalled. “We weren’t given any explanation until a female officer handed us rejection-of-entry papers.”

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Mohammad “felt insulted” by the handling of the entire situation where he and his companion were supposedly treated “like a criminal”.

“We were detained for more than 12 hours in a prison-like room without food, clean water, or proper sanitation.”

Muhammad is now urging others, especially Pakistani passport holders, to carefully reconsider travel plans to Georgia. “We lost money on flights, hotel bookings, insurance, and car rentals, but that’s nothing compared to the mental stress, anxiety, and psychological trauma we endured.”

Georgia introduced the changes through an amendment to the Government Resolution of June 5, 2015, titled “On Approval of the List of Countries, the Visas and/or Residence Permits of which Allow Aliens to Enter Georgia without a Visa for the Appropriate Period and Conditions”.

The updated regulation does not simplify entry procedures, claimed incorrectly by some media and social media reports, but rather introduces stricter requirements aimed at combating illegal migration and ensuring better control of Georgia’s borders.

Key change

Gulf residency no longer automatically grants visa-free access.

Under the previous version of the resolution, citizens of certain countries could enter Georgia without a visa if they held valid visas or residence permits from GCC member states. However, the previous regulation did not specify any minimum validity period for those visas or permits. As of April 17, 2025, this has changed.

Citizens from a designated list of countries who hold multiple-entry visas or residence permits issued by Gulf countries will now only be allowed to enter Georgia without a Georgian visa if their visa or permit is valid for at least one year on the day of entry. This validity must be clearly demonstrated by a passport or other relevant documentation.

Travel agents in the UAE confirmed that after the new policy came into motion, some residents have been stopped at the Georgian immigration.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Godly Babukutty of Epic Travel said although they have not faced issues with their customers, they are aware of such incidents happening to other residents.

“What Georgia has implemented now is nothing new and many countries have been doing this since years. The reason why Georgia is now tightening its security measures is because people would often not have a proper itinerary or would book tickets without answering all the required questions on the form.”

He also urged residents to ensure all the requirements like hotel bookings, return tickets and cash is prepared before booking flight tickets.

“This is why it is always safer to book through travel agencies who ensure travellers have all the necessary documentation before flying out. We also urge our customers to never travel without insurance.”

Affected countries

This restriction specifically applies to nationals of the following countries:

• Pakistan

• Afghanistan

• Bangladesh

• Ghana

• Ethiopia

• Eritrea

• Yemen

• Cameroon

• Côte d’Ivoire

• Democratic Republic of Congo

• Morocco

• Nigeria

• Somalia

• Syria

• Sudan

• Tanzania

• Uganda

These individuals will no longer be granted visa-free access to Georgia simply by virtue of holding a short-term visa or residence permit from a Gulf country. Only those with a minimum one-year validity on their Gulf-issued visa or permit will qualify for visa-free entry.

Georgia emphasises that these amendments are designed to tighten existing rules, not to ease them. According to official statement, misinterpretations circulating in the media suggesting otherwise are false and do not reflect the actual content or intent of the legislative changes.