Switzerland has introduced new visa requirements for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders, highlighting growing tensions between Georgia and its European partners.
The decision follows recent action by the European Union and signals a broader shift in how European countries are responding to concerns over democracy, human rights and foreign policy alignment in Georgia.
The Swiss Federal Council has announced that holders of Georgian diplomatic, official and service passports will now require a visa to enter Switzerland. The restriction will remain in force for 12 months and does not affect ordinary Georgian citizens travelling for short stays.
The move also includes the partial suspension of an agreement between Switzerland and Georgia that previously simplified visa procedures.
The step follows a key decision by the European Commission on 6 March 2026 to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian officials across the Schengen Area. This marked the first use of the EU’s reinforced visa suspension mechanism.
As a Schengen-associated country, Switzerland is required to follow EU rules in this area, making its decision a direct extension of the bloc’s policy.
According to EU officials, the measures were taken in response to what they describe as ongoing violations of commitments linked to visa liberalisation. These include concerns about democratic backsliding, pressure on opposition figures and restrictions on independent media in Georgia.
The EU has also criticised Georgia for failing to align with its visa policy, which is considered a key condition for maintaining visa-free travel.
Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders will now face stricter entry procedures, including visa applications, additional document checks and possible interviews. European authorities have also recommended closer screening at borders using shared databases.
The suspension is set to last until March 2027 but could be extended if concerns are not addressed. There is also the possibility that broader restrictions could be introduced in future.
While the changes do not affect the general public, they send a clear political message. European institutions have indicated that future cooperation, including visa-free travel arrangements, will depend on progress in governance, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights in Georgia.
Mail sorting centres used by Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private postal company, were destroyed&nbs...
The Israeli-U.S. invasion of Iran, which began on 28 February, entered its seventh month on Friday, as Tehran wrapped up a week of high-level visit...
Iran is setting conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including an end to the war, the lifting of the U.S. blockade and sanctions. At the ...
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
The death toll from flooding in Nepal has climbed to 469, the South Asian country’s police said on Friday. Almost 1,000 people are still missing in Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, following the glacier collapse near the border with China on Wednesday morning.
The inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum brought together policymakers, investors and technology companies as Central Asia looks to build a more connected financial system and compete for a bigger share of global fintech investment.
Kazakhstan is discussing support for the Trans-Caspian green energy corridor with the European Commission, as work continues on a project to transmit electricity from Central Asia towards European markets, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said.
Uzbekistan's region of Karakalpakstan is developing three cryptocurrency mining facilities and three data centers with a combined investment of $5.1 billion, as the region seeks to attract larger and higher-quality investments.
A restaurant payment with a Visa card in Damascus has become a symbol of Syria’s reconnection with the global financial system.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment