EU Abolishes Visas for Georgian Citizens

The European Parliament has approved the abolition of the visa regime for Georgian citizens.

According to the new legislation, adopted by Euro MPs on Thursday, Georgian citizens will be able to enter the Schengen area without a visa for a brief period of time.

The legislation has to be approved by the European Council and will enter into force immediately after the suspension mechanism is enabled. The mechanism permits EU member-states to suspend visa-free travel regimes temporarily in cases of influx of migrants or threats to national security.

According to the new rules, adopted in plenary hall by 553 votes "for", 66 "against" and 27 abstentions, Georgian citizens who have bio-metric passports will be able to enter the EU without a visa for a period of 90 days within a period of 180 days for reasons of business, tourism or family matters, but not in order to seek employment.