ETIAS Visa Waiver for Travelers from Georgia

The world is tense with dangers that show no signs of going in the 21st century. The existential terrorist threat has ever-increased despite the war on terror and wars in the Middle East show no signs of letting up. The result has been an unprecedented flow of refugees and the EU has struggled with the security implications of this. Old threats have re-emerged as well, like foreign espionage.

The EU will tackle the new threats by falling alongside nations such as the USA in creating a visa waiver program, so that citizens of "safe" nations can enter more easily. The new ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorisation System) will allow the holder to work and travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days, within three years of being awarded the visa. Georgia will benefit from its close ties with the EU as it is planned to be included when the visa waiver arrives in 2023.

The new visa waiver will help the EU to better screen individuals entering the ETIAS countries through measures such as Interpol database cross-checks.

The ETIAS visa will give Georgians entry to all the Schengen states and the sovereign micro-states inside Schengen states. The list below includes all the nations Georgians can visit on their ETIAS visa waiver, including the non-EU nations that are part of the Schengen agreement.

Yes, but elderly Georgians and Georgians under-18 can access ETIAS visa waivers without paying an application fee. This could be because the EU assumes these Georgians are less likely to pose a threat.

Georgians will need a full visa to any nation outside of the Schengen area. Georgians must plan individual access to any of these nations they want to visit while travelling. Russia and the UK are two European nations that lots of Georgians will want to visit, but they will need to apply for visas separately for each.

Georgians may also need a proper visa to the Schengen area. Georgians wishing to live in the Schengen area, defined by a stay of longer than 90 days, will need to apply for a visa giving residency rights.

Georgians should also bear in mind that the ETIAS visa waiver will not arrive until 2023, and they must arrange a standard visa with whatever Schengen nation they are entering until then.

Georgians need very little documentation to complete their ETIAS visa waiver application. The required documentation is...

There are many more questions than documents on the ETIAS application and Georgians will need to be thorough when answering them. Any contradictions between the answers and the Interpol database cross-reference will lead to the Georgian's application being rejected. Truthful answers will help the Georgian to become one of the expected 95% who will have their application approved, usually within one day. The question subjects are listed below.

At times, additional requests for information or documentation may be required. The Georgian should not worry, as this usually does not mean their application will be rejected. These requests will delay their application, though, adding three days to the response time. Georgians should factor in these delays, making their ETIAS application long in advance of their travel plans.

If a Georgian gets a rejection back but thinks the decision is unfair, they can appeal the rejection. When they do so, the EU will tell the Georgian what kind of documentation they can supply to help in their application, and they will then have 96 hours to supply this documentation. A response will come within four weeks of them completing their appeal, and the decision will ultimately be up to the receiving nations in the Schengen area.