Georgia Visa-Free Visit: the rule, how days are counted, examples

Summary

Citizens of the countries on Georgia's visa-free list may enter and stay in Georgia without a visa for one full year. The list is set by Government Ordinance No. 255 and includes the EU countries, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and many others. One full year is 365 days, or 366 when the stay includes 29 February. Foreigners who are visa-free but not on this list fall under the general limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. Border practice is that a new entry starts a new year, but the law does not say so. The border police, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, apply the rule.

Limit: One full year for each stay
In days: 365 days, or 366 when the stay includes 29 February
Applies to: Citizens of the countries listed in Government Ordinance No. 255
A day counts when: You are in Georgia for any part of it, starting with the arrival day
Law: Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Article 10(3)
Run by: Border police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Who it applies to

Remote workers and freelancers who base themselves in Tbilisi or Batumi for many months.
Long-term travellers from the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and other listed countries.
People who plan to become tax resident in Georgia and need to track their days in the country.
Retired people and families who spend a large part of the year in Georgia.
Visitors who leave for Armenia or Türkiye and return, and want to know what happens to their year.

The rule

The Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons sets the general rule in Article 10(2): a foreigner who does not need a short-term visa may enter and stay for a maximum of 90 calendar days in any 180-day period. Article 10(3) then makes an exception. It says that a list of countries whose citizens may enter Georgia without a visa and stay for a different period, namely one full year, is set by an ordinance of the Government.

That ordinance is Government Ordinance No. 255 of 5 June 2015. Its annex lists the countries, and its notes say that citizens of the listed countries may enter and stay in Georgia without a visa for one full year. The ordinance has been amended several times, most recently in February 2026, so the list changes. Check the current list for your passport before you travel.

The law does not state in clear words that leaving Georgia and entering again starts a new year. In practice border officers have given a new year at each entry, and many long-term visitors rely on this. Because it is practice and not written law, it can change without a new law, and an officer can refuse entry. Do not build a long-term plan on it without checking first.

A second group enters under Article 10(3-1): foreigners who hold a visa or residence permit of certain other countries, named in the same ordinance, can enter without a Georgian visa for the period and on the conditions in that ordinance. The period for this group is set in the ordinance and is not the one-year stay. The visa-free year is a right to stay. It is not a work permit, and it does not make you a resident for other purposes.

Why it exists

Georgia chose an open visa policy to bring in tourists, investors and skilled foreigners. In 2015 Parliament changed the law so that the visa-free stay for listed countries became one full year. The long stay makes the country attractive to people who work online or test life there before they invest. The general rule of 90 days in any 180 remains for other foreigners, so the year is a benefit given country by country.

Counting the days

You count the days of one stay in Georgia, from the day you enter to the day you leave. Any part of a day in Georgia is one day.

Check that your country is on the current list under Government Ordinance No. 255.
Take the date of your entry stamp as day 1.
Find the same date one year later. Your year of stay ends at that point, so plan to leave before that date.
If you count in days, the year is 365 days, or 366 when it includes 29 February.
If you leave Georgia and enter again, write down the new entry date and keep proof of the exit.

How Countr counts it. Countr counts any part of a day in Georgia as one day and counts each stay on its own. It treats one year as 365 days, so when your year includes 29 February it warns one day early and never late. When you leave Georgia and come back, Countr starts a new count, which follows border practice. That practice is not written law, so check before you rely on it. Countr only counts days the phone can see. If your photos or location history have large gaps, the app can show fewer days than you really stayed.

Track Georgia Visa-Free Visit on your phone.

Countr finds your past trips in your photos and keeps counting from there.

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Examples

A full year in Tbilisi

Sophie, a French citizen, enters Georgia on 15 March 2026. Her year of stay runs to 15 March 2027. Counted in days with 15 March 2026 as day 1, day 365 is 14 March 2027. She books a flight for 10 March 2027 and is inside the limit.

A year with 29 February

Liam, an Irish citizen, enters on 1 September 2027. His year includes 29 February 2028, so one full year is 366 days and ends with 31 August 2028. Countr counts 365 days and shows him at the limit on 30 August 2028, one day early. He is not late if he leaves on 31 August, but the app has already warned him.

A trip to Armenia after eleven months

Noah, a US citizen, has been in Georgia since 2 January 2026. On 20 November 2026 he travels to Yerevan for a week and returns on 27 November. In border practice he is stamped in for a new year from 27 November. The law does not promise this, so before the trip he checks the current rules, and he carries proof of funds and a return plan in case the officer asks.

Exceptions

Foreigners who do not need a short-term visa but are not on the one-year list may stay a maximum of 90 calendar days in any 180-day period under Article 10(2).
Holders of visas or residence permits of certain other countries can enter without a Georgian visa for the period set by the ordinance, under Article 10(3-1).
A foreigner with a Georgian residence permit enters without a visa for the whole validity of the permit, under Article 10(4).
Citizens of countries that are not on any list need a Georgian visa, which can be applied for at a consulate or through the e-Visa portal.
A person who has not paid a fine for an earlier unlawful stay in Georgia can be refused a visa or entry under Article 11.

Common misconceptions

“Everyone can stay in Georgia for a year without a visa.”: No. The year is only for citizens of the countries listed in Government Ordinance No. 255. Other visa-free foreigners have 90 days in any 180-day period, and many nationalities need a visa.
“The law says a border run resets my year.”: It does not say that. A new year at each entry is border practice. It has been applied for years, but it is not a written right and can change.
“A year without a visa means I am a resident of Georgia.”: No. The visa-free year is a right to stay as a visitor. A residence permit and tax residence are separate things with their own tests.
“One year always means 365 days.”: One full year is 366 days when it includes 29 February. If you count 365 days you are on the careful side.

Questions and answers

Which countries get one year visa-free in Georgia?

The countries in the annex to Government Ordinance No. 255. The list includes the EU countries, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and many more. The ordinance has been amended several times, so check the current list for your passport.

Does the day I arrive in Georgia count?

Count it as day 1. Countr counts any part of a day in Georgia as one day, and counting the arrival day keeps you on the careful side.

What happens if I stay longer than one year?

You are then in Georgia unlawfully and a fine applies. An unpaid fine for unlawful stay is a ground to refuse a visa or entry later. Leave before the year ends, or apply for a residence permit in good time.

Can I work in Georgia during the visa-free year?

The visa-free year gives you a right to stay. It is not a work permit, and Georgia has separate rules for foreign workers and for registering a business. Check those rules before you take local work.

Does a year in Georgia make me tax resident there?

Tax residence has its own test. Under the Tax Code a person who is in Georgia for 183 days or more in any continuous 12-month period ending in the tax year is a resident for tax. Your visa-free days count for that test.

Is the visa-free year different from the 90 days in 180 rule?

Yes. 90 calendar days in any 180-day period is Georgia's general limit for visa-free foreigners under Article 10(2). The one-year stay under Article 10(3) replaces it for citizens of the listed countries.

Sources

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This page explains the rule and how the days are counted. It is not legal or tax advice. The authority decides each case on its own facts.