Visa and entry to Georgia for treatment: visa-free travel, the e-visa, the C4 medical visa and mandatory insurance
The rules for coming to Georgia for treatment depend on your citizenship: citizens of many countries enter without a visa and may stay for up to a year, some need an e-visa, and others have to apply at an embassy. Since 1 January 2026, every tourist must also have mandatory health and accident insurance with cover of at least GEL 30,000. We work out which rules apply to you, request an invitation from the clinic when one is needed and fit your travel dates around your treatment plan.
-
Entry rules checkedBased on your passport and residence, before you buy a ticket
-
Clinic invitationA notarised original, when the visa application requires one
-
Insurance checkGEL 30,000 or more, a policy in Georgian or English
In short: six entry rules that shape your treatment plan
- Citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, the European Union and several Gulf states enter without a visa and may stay for up to one year.
- Citizens of India and Egypt need an e-visa, and citizens of Iraq must apply at a Georgian embassy or consulate, unless they hold a valid visa or residence permit of another country on the list.
- Georgia's visa system has a separate category for people coming for treatment, C4, and a clinic registered in Georgia can issue the invitation.
- A short-term visa cannot be extended while you are in Georgia, so the days of treatment and recovery have to be counted before you travel.
- Insurance has been mandatory since 1 January 2026: health and accident cover for the entire visit, at least GEL 30,000, with the policy in Georgian or English.
- A travel policy meets the entry requirement but usually does not pay for the planned treatment you are coming for.
Which rules apply to your citizenship?
The table lists the countries from which patients contact us most often about treatment in Georgia. For each of them, a separate guide also explains languages, payment and the documents to pack.
| Citizenship | Entry rules | Country guide |
|---|---|---|
| Azerbaijan | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Azerbaijan |
| Armenia | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Armenia |
| Israel | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Israel |
| Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar | Visa-free, one year | Patients from the Gulf states |
| Kazakhstan | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Kazakhstan |
| Ukraine | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Ukraine |
| Russia | Visa-free, one year | Patients from Russia |
| Turkey | Visa-free, one year | No separate guide yet; a coordinator will answer your questions |
| The 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland | Visa-free, one year; EU citizens may also enter with a national identity card instead of a passport | Patients from Europe |
| Iran | Visa-free; check the permitted length of stay currently in force before you travel | Patients from Iran |
| India | Visa required; e-visa: single entry, 30 days within a 120-day period, fee USD 20 | The general rules are on this page |
| Egypt | Visa required; e-visa on the same terms: single entry, 30 days within 120 days, USD 20 | The general rules are on this page |
| Iraq | Visa required; no e-visa is issued, the application is submitted at a Georgian embassy or consulate | Patients from Iraq |
Citizens of India, Egypt and Iraq who hold a valid visa or residence permit of an EU country, the USA, the United Kingdom, a Gulf state or another country on the list may enter without a visa and stay for 90 days in any 180-day period; that document must be valid on the day of entry. The table is based on the list approved by Government Resolution No. 255 of 5 June 2015, the 90-day rule for holders of visas and residence permits on Resolution No. 256 of the same date, and on data from the e-visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of 12 October 2026. The lists change from time to time, so we check your specific case again before you buy your ticket.
The e-visa: what should you know before you apply?
Georgian e-visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its official portal, evisa.gov.ge. This route is only for people who are outside Georgia when they apply, and only short-term category C visas are issued electronically.
- The state fee is USD 20 plus a 2% service charge; it is not refunded if the application is refused.
- A decision takes at least 5 working days, so we plan the application as soon as the clinic confirms your date, not in the week before your flight.
- Every traveller, children included, needs a separate visa, and supporting documents must be in English or Georgian.
- Your passport must remain valid for at least three months after the visa expires, must have been issued within the last ten years and must have two blank pages.
- The portal currently lists an additional verification stage for some applicants, with a separate fee and a short deadline; we check whether this applies to your citizenship.
At the border, an e-visa holder may be asked for their passport, a document confirming the purpose of the trip, proof of accommodation, travel and medical insurance and proof of sufficient funds. For treatment, the clearest proof of purpose is a letter from the clinic or an appointment confirmation, which we request in English; proof of a hotel or apartment booking is prepared by our accommodation service. If your medical documents are in another language, they are translated into English by our medical document translation service.
The C4 medical visa and a clinic invitation: when do you need them?
Georgia's visa system has a separate category for treatment: C4 covers people who come to the country for medical purposes. The question only arises when your citizenship requires a visa and you apply at a consulate; a citizen of a visa-free country does not need a medical visa, and a passport, insurance and a treatment plan are enough.
Who issues the invitation, and why it goes to a notary
An invitation can be issued by a Georgian citizen, a holder of a residence permit or a legal entity registered in Georgia, such as a clinic. It is drawn up in the approved form and submitted to the visa authority as a notarised original. We agree with the clinic who will fill in the form, which dates it should state and how to get the original to you in time; when the paper has to go abroad, we use an international courier service.
The full list of documents required for a C4 visa is set by the visa rules, and the consulate specifies it for each individual application. We therefore confirm the list with your consulate rather than relying on a general checklist found online. Every visa applicant needs travel and medical insurance valid for the entire stay.
People travelling with you
The visa rules have no separate category for an accompanying person: a family member or caregiver enters in the ordinary category, under the rules for their own citizenship. The patient may enter visa-free while the companion needs a visa, or the other way round, so we check each passport separately. Each person must also have their own mandatory insurance policy.
Why should you count your days of stay before you travel?
A short-term category C visa, including C4, cannot be extended while you are in Georgia: extension inside the country is only available for a few other types of visa. Nor is there a separate type of residence permit for treatment. For citizens with the one-year visa-free regime this rarely causes problems, but lengthy treatment for a patient arriving on a 30-day e-visa has to be planned to a precise schedule.
When we count the days, we add up five periods:
- pre-operative consultations and tests that the clinic carries out on site;
- the procedure itself and the days in hospital;
- recovery near the clinic until the doctor clears you to fly;
- a follow-up visit, removal of stitches or a repeat test, if the plan includes one;
- spare days in case discharge is delayed.
The length of each period is determined by the treating doctor, not by us. We ask the clinic in writing how many days the plan covers and when you can expect to be cleared to fly, then compare that number with your permitted stay. If there is little margin, we try to save days: we bring your arrival date closer to the first appointment and, if the doctor agrees, you have the preliminary tests done at home and send us the results.
Mandatory insurance since 1 January 2026: what requirements must the policy meet?
Under Article 12 of the Law of Georgia on Tourism, a tourist arriving in Georgia must have mandatory health and accident insurance. The requirement has applied since 1 January 2026, and the detailed rules are set by Government Resolution No. 602 of 26 December 2025. The law treats as a tourist any visitor who comes for personal, business or leisure purposes and stays in the country for at least one night but no longer than one year, so a patient coming for treatment and anyone accompanying them are normally covered by this rule.
- The sum insured is at least GEL 30,000.
- Cover includes health and accident risks on every day of the visit, including the days of arrival and departure.
- The policy may be issued by a Georgian or a foreign insurer, on paper or electronically.
- The policy must be in Georgian or English; a document in another language needs a translation or a new policy.
- The Ministry of Internal Affairs may check the policy at the border crossing point.
The rule does not apply, for example, to holders of diplomatic, service or special passports, or to people whose entry is governed by an international agreement; most patients are not affected by these exceptions.
How to choose a policy, which exclusions to read before you sign and whether the treatment itself can be insured are covered in detail in our insurance guide.
What we prepare before you arrive
Five steps, all completed before you buy your ticket. In your case, some of them may not be needed at all.
-
Determining your entry rules
We check your citizenship and that of each person travelling with you, as well as any visa or residence permit of another country that gives you the right to visa-free entry. We send you the result in writing, with the source.
-
Agreeing the timeline with the clinic
We obtain an estimated treatment schedule from the clinic and compare it with your permitted stay. If the two figures do not match, we tell you before you buy your ticket, not at the border.
-
Invitation and clinic letter
When a visa is required, we request an invitation from the clinic in the approved form and make sure it is notarised. Under the visa-free regime, an appointment confirmation in English is enough to explain the purpose of your trip at the border.
-
Document pack
We gather your translated medical records, proof of accommodation and your insurance policy in one folder, and check the policy point by point against the 2026 requirements: amount, period, language and risks covered.
-
Arrival instructions
Before your flight, we send you short instructions: what to have to hand at passport control, who will meet you at the airport and how your coordinator will contact you. Pick-up details are described on the transport page.
If you are travelling with personal medicines, bear the customs rules in mind: up to 10 standard packs of an ordinary medicine may be brought in without documents, while narcotic and psychotropic medicines are allowed only for a supply of up to 31 days, with a certified prescription translated into English and a doctor's certificate. Details are on the medicines page.
The decision on a visa is made by a Georgian state authority, and the decision on entry at the border by the border service, so no one can promise you a visa. Our job is to make sure your application is complete and consistent and that the dates match your treatment plan. This work is part of the coordination service, whose fee is agreed in writing before work begins, and complex legal questions are passed on to our legal help service. You will find all our services on the international patients page.
Frequently asked questions about visas and entry
Can I extend my visa if treatment takes longer than expected?
A short-term category C visa, including the C4 medical visa, cannot be extended while you are in Georgia, and there is no separate type of residence permit for treatment. This rarely affects citizens of countries with the one-year visa-free regime, but it is the main risk for anyone holding a 30-day e-visa. That is why, before you travel, we obtain a plan from the doctor that includes spare days and compare it with your permitted stay. If the plan does not fit, we discuss it before you buy your ticket and look for a solution, such as having some tests done at home.
Does the person accompanying me need a visa?
That depends on the companion's own citizenship, not the patient's. The visa rules have no separate category for an accompanying person, so a family member or caregiver enters under the ordinary rules: if their country is on the visa-free list, they need no visa; if not, they apply separately. Every traveller, children included, needs their own e-visa. Each person must also have their own insurance policy with cover of at least GEL 30,000 for the entire visit.
Will the mandatory insurance pay for my treatment?
As a rule, no. The rule in force since 1 January 2026 requires a health and accident policy covering the entire visit, but travel policies usually exclude planned treatment. Such a policy meets the entry requirement and will help if something unrelated to your treatment happens, for example a fracture. The cost of the operation is paid by you, or by your insurer at home if it has confirmed this in advance. We read the terms of each policy with you before you sign.
Who issues the invitation for a medical visa, and why does it need a notary?
An invitation can be issued by a legal entity registered in Georgia, such as a clinic, or by a Georgian citizen or a holder of a residence permit. It is drawn up in the approved form and submitted to the visa authority as a notarised original, because notarisation confirms that the inviting party really did sign and issue it. We request the invitation from the clinic, check the dates and your details, and send the original to you by courier if you are applying abroad.
How long does an e-visa take, and how much does it cost?
According to the official portal, a decision takes at least five working days. The fee is USD 20 plus a 2% service charge, which is not refunded if the application is refused; for some applicants the portal requires an additional check with a separate fee. For citizens of India and Egypt, the e-visa allows a single entry and 30 days within a 120-day period. We prepare the application as soon as the clinic confirms the date, so that there is enough time before your flight and you can buy your ticket once the visa has been granted.
I am an Iranian citizen: how long can I stay in Georgia?
Iranian citizens enter Georgia without a visa, but official and public sources give conflicting information on the permitted length of stay. That is why we do not give a figure on this page and check it for your specific trip before you buy your ticket. If your treatment and recovery plan is longer than a few weeks, we look at this question especially carefully. Languages, payment and documents for patients coming from Iran are explained in a separate guide.
What you will need once you have arrived
- Airport pick-up and transport A driver holding a sign with your name, a wheelchair-accessible car or an ICU ambulance, daily trips to the clinic.
- Accommodation near the clinic A hotel, an apartment or an adapted room for the patient and family, with a booking confirmation for the border.
- What to bring to Georgia A list of documents, medicines and personal items for a patient coming for treatment.
Entry rules, timing and insurance in a single check
Send us your citizenship, your country of residence and the expected dates of treatment. We will tell you whether you can enter without a visa or will need one, how many days you will have and what you need to prepare.