The European Union has launched a formal procedure to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens holding diplomatic, service, and official passports — a move that signals a deterioration in relations between Brussels and Tbilisi.
On 21 January, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert confirmed that the EU has activated a revised visa suspension mechanism and transmitted its assessment to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. If adopted, the decision would require all EU member states to uniformly suspend visa-free travel for holders of these passport categories.
Georgia has enjoyed visa-free travel to the Schengen Area since 2017, a key achievement in its path to European integration. However, EU institutions have repeatedly warned that the regime is conditional — tied to democratic standards, rule of law, human rights, and anti-corruption commitments.
Concerns intensified after Georgia’s contested 2024 parliamentary elections, months of mass protests, pressure on independent media, and what Brussels describes as "continued backsliding." In December 2025, the European Commission published a report warning that Georgia had failed to implement multiple recommendations under the visa liberalisation framework.
To address enforcement gaps, the EU revised its visa suspension rules at the end of 2025. The new mechanism is faster, more flexible, and focuses on passport categories rather than individuals — allowing Brussels to act more decisively.
According to the European Commission, the current step applies only to diplomatic, service, and official passport holders. However, EU officials openly acknowledge a second phase is possible. If Georgian authorities continue to ignore EU recommendations, visa-free travel could be suspended for ordinary citizens as well — a scenario already under discussion in Brussels.
In its report, the Commission warned that Georgia could ultimately be moved to the EU’s list of visa-required countries, citing violations of fundamental rights, rollback of anti-corruption reforms, and security concerns linked to Russian influence.
Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili dismissed the visa issue as “bureaucratic blackmail,” stating that government representatives are not afraid of visas and will not “betray patriotism” to satisfy EU demands. He argued that focusing on visa restrictions only highlights what he called the EU’s "excessive and unnecessary bureaucracy."
This rhetoric suggests there is little willingness from the ruling Georgian Dream Party to change course — even as EU integration remains Georgia’s officially declared top foreign policy priority.
The visa suspension process unfolds amid broader international pressure. The United States has frozen its strategic partnership with Georgia and imposed sanctions on billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili – honorary chariman of Georgian Dream and a key power broker. Penalties have also been slapped on other senior officials. Several EU member states — including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Germany — have introduced visa sanctions against Georgian officials.
With legitimacy questions surrounding state institutions and continued protests at home, the visa issue has become more than a technical dispute. It is now a political test of Georgia’s European future — and a clear signal that Brussels is prepared to move from warnings to action.
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