Coming to Georgia for treatment from the EU and the Schengen area: entry, insurance and documents

Which document does an EU citizen enter with, and for how long?

The list in Government of Georgia Resolution No. 255 of 2015 includes every EU member state, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Citizens of these countries do not need a visa and may stay in Georgia for one full year, which is long enough even for the longest treatment plan.

For EU citizens, the resolution has a separate provision allowing entry with an identity card issued by a member state, provided it shows the holder's first name, surname, date of birth and photo. This provision applies to EU citizens; for citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, the safe option is a passport. A practical tip: ask your airline in advance which document it accepts at boarding, and for lengthy treatment bring your passport too, as a back-up document.

If you live in the EU but are a citizen of another country

In this case the rules depend on your citizenship. If your country needs a visa, Government Resolution No. 256 still allows you to enter without one if you hold a valid visa or residence permit of the EU or of another state on its list: the permitted stay is 90 days in any 180-day period, and the document must be valid on the day you cross the border. The list includes every EU member, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. For some treatments 90 days is a tight window, so we check your plan against it before you arrive. We explain the other cases on our Visa and entry service page.

Is the European Health Insurance Card valid in Georgia?

No. According to the European Commission's official page, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is accepted in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Georgia is not on that list. Moreover, according to the same page, the card does not cover costs if the purpose of your trip is precisely to receive treatment, so if you travel for treatment it will not help you even within Europe.

That is why you need a separate policy for Georgia. Since 1 January 2026, the Georgian rules require a visitor to hold health and accident insurance of at least GEL 30,000, from the day of arrival up to and including the day of departure, in Georgian or English. The policy may be from a European insurer. Pay attention to three details:

• Geography: some European travel policies cover only European countries; check that Georgia is within the area of cover.
• Maximum trip length: an annual policy often limits a single trip to a certain number of days; your visit must fit within that limit.
• Language and amount: if the document is only in your national language, ask your insurer for an English certificate showing that the amount stated in euros is not below GEL 30,000.

A travel policy usually excludes planned procedures: it covers the entry requirement and unexpected events. We write in detail about choosing a policy in our insurance guide.

Will your health system at home reimburse treatment in Georgia?

An EU citizen has the right to be reimbursed for planned treatment received in another EU country, if that treatment would be covered by their public insurance at home anyway; in some cases, for example treatment involving an overnight stay or a complex procedure, prior authorisation is needed. This rule applies within the EU. Georgia is not a member of the European Union, so you cannot rely on a right to reimbursement under this rule.

That does not mean reimbursement is ruled out: some national funds or private insurers also cover treatment received outside the EU under their own rules. This depends entirely on your policy, and we cannot answer that question for you. Before you travel, ask your insurer in writing:

1. Whether treatment outside the EU is covered

   And if so, whether prior approval is needed, without which it will refuse.

2. Which documents it requires for reimbursement

   An itemised invoice, proof of payment, a medical report, diagnosis and procedure codes.

3. In which language and in what form

   Whether it accepts an English translation, or requires a translation into its own language done by a sworn translator.

Consider your insurer's reply together with the clinic's quote before you confirm a date. The cost structure and the receipts to keep for reimbursement are covered in our Costs and payment guide.

Which language will you speak, and which records need translating?

With European patients, English usually becomes the shared working language: our coordinators work in English and Russian, and for German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and other languages we look for an interpreter for your dates and tell you in advance if we have not found one for a particular language. The informed consent form and the clinic's records are drawn up in Georgian, and Georgian law does not expressly establish a right to an interpreter, so we book a medical interpreter in advance for the moment you sign.

As for written documents: if your doctor's letter, discharge reports and test results are not in English, our medical translation service translates them into English or Georgian for the clinic. The documents most often needed are:

You will find the full list of things to bring in our What to bring to Georgia guide.

Paying with a European card, and personal medicines

You pay for treatment directly to the clinic, against an invoice issued in your name. Georgia's currency is the lari, so agree in advance whether the invoice will be in lari, euros or dollars, at which day's exchange rate the amount will be converted and who pays the bank charges. Let your European bank know that you plan to make a large payment outside the EU, so that the transaction is not stopped by a security filter. Keep every receipt: when you claim reimbursement, they are the first documents you will need.

The rules on personal medicines in Georgia are as follows: up to ten standard packs of an ordinary medicine may be brought in without documents, while larger quantities need a medical document. A medicine containing a narcotic or psychotropic substance may be brought in only as a 31-day supply, with a customs declaration and with a prescription and a doctor's certificate translated into English and certified by the competent authority of your country. This certification has to be arranged at home; the details are on our Medicines service page.

How do you use a Georgian medical document in Europe?

On discharge, the clinic issues documents in Georgian. You are entitled to copies on written request, within 10 working days, so we send the request in good time and prepare a translation into your language, for your doctor, your insurer or your employer.

According to the status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, all EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are parties to the Apostille Convention. Two states initially objected to Georgia's accession: Germany, which withdrew its objection in February 2010, and Greece, which did the same in December 2015. From those dates the Convention applies with them too, so today a Georgian document needs an apostille for these European countries, not consular legalisation.

An apostille is needed not for a doctor but for an official procedure, for example for a court, a social security authority or an insurer, if it asks for one. The apostille on a document issued by a medical facility is affixed by the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, without an intermediate notarial step. Some European authorities accept translations only from a translator registered or sworn in their own country, so we first ask the recipient whether it will accept our translation. Our Documents for home service prepares the whole package, and the details of the procedure are on our apostille page.

The same rule works in the other direction: if you need to present an official document issued in Europe in Georgia, for example a power of attorney or a child's birth certificate, and the institution asks for the official form, you have the apostille put on it in the country that issued it.

What does the coordinator do, and where do you go for consular help?

Solidaroba.ge is not a clinic and does not make medical decisions: the treatment plan and clearance to fly are determined by the treating doctor. We arrange the organisational side: translation of your records, written replies from licensed clinics, the interpreter, airport pick-up, accommodation and the documents for your return. This work is described in our Personal coordinator service; the fee is agreed in advance and in writing and is not added to the clinic's bill, and if a clinic pays us a fee, we tell you before you choose.

Not every European country may have its own embassy in Tbilisi. Before you travel, check on your foreign ministry's official website which mission serves your citizens in Georgia, and save the contact details on your phone. In a medical emergency in Georgia, call 112.

Frequently asked questions from patients coming from Europe