European Commission Proposes Suspension of Visa Facilitation for Georgian Officials

The European Commission has proposed suspending certain provisions of the EU-Georgia Visa Facilitation Agreement, targeting Georgian diplomats, officials, and their families.

"If the Council adopts this proposal, Georgian diplomats, officials and their families holding diplomatic and official passports would require a visa to travel to the EU for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period," the Commission said in a statement, The Caspian Post reports.

"Visa facilitations such as shorter application times, lower visa fees, and the requirement to submit fewer supporting documents, would also no longer apply to Georgian holders of diplomatic and official passports. This Decision would not have a negative impact on people-to-people contacts, as Georgian nationals who are holders of ordinary passports will continue to benefit from the visa exemption when travelling to the EU for short stays," noted the Commission.

The Commission has also criticized recent Georgian legislation, including the Foreign Agents law (adopted in May 2024) and anti-LGBT law (adopted in September 2024″ and stated that they undermine fundamental rights “that lie at the core of the EU’s values.”

The proposal is also part of broader EU measures to address what it describes as Georgia’s “serious democratic backsliding.” The statement notes that in June 2024, the European Council warned that Georgia’s current trajectory halts its EU accession process. If the Council adopts the above-mentioned proposal, and once it enters into force, the member states will have to take the necessary measures. This means that “in accordance with the principle of sincere cooperation, they will have to apply the visa requirement for holders of diplomatic, service/official passports and special passports issued by Georgia and notify those measures to the other Member States and the Commission,” the statement highlights.