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Do UAE Residents Need a Visa for Georgia? (2026 Quick Answer)
Most UAE residents do not need a Georgian visa for a short trip. As of October 2026, the answer depends on your passport and on how much time is left on your UAE residence visa.
- Emirati and other GCC citizens: visa-free for one full year.
- Most other expats with a valid UAE residence visa (Emirates ID), including Indian, Filipino and Egyptian passport holders: visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Citizens of 17 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Syria and Afghanistan: visa-free only if the UAE residence visa is multiple-entry and valid for at least one year on the day of entry.
The MFA of Georgia's "Do I need visa?" checker confirms this. On 22 October 2026 it returned "visa not required" with a UAE permit valid at the border for Indian, Philippine, Egyptian, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Kenyan and Iraqi passports.
Visa-free does not mean paperwork-free. Since 1 January 2026 every tourist needs health and accident insurance. Rules change, so we recommend running your passport through the MFA checker before booking.
Visa-Free Entry With a GCC Residence Permit or Other Visas
The legal basis is Government of Georgia Ordinance No 256 of 5 June 2015. Foreigners holding a visa or residence permit of a listed country may stay in Georgia without a visa for 90 calendar days in any 180-day period. The MFA list includes all six GCC states, plus the US, the UK, Canada, Japan and EU states such as Germany and France.
Validity on the day of entry
The ordinance requires the permit to be valid on the day you enter Georgia. The Embassy of Georgia in the UAE adds the day of departure. We recommend keeping your UAE residence visa valid until your flight back. If it is expiring, in renewal or cancelled, plan on a Georgian visa instead.
The 17 countries with a one-year rule
Since 16 May 2025, under Ordinance No 122, a stricter test applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, DR Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen.
For them, a visa or residence permit of the UAE or another GCC state only works if it is multiple-entry and valid for at least one year from the date of entry. The MFA checker and the Abu Dhabi embassy confirm this.
For these nationalities, a US, UK, Canadian, Japanese or EU-state visa or residence permit has no one-year condition. It only needs to be valid on the day of entry.
When You Need the Georgian e-Visa
The e-Visa suits UAE residents whose permit will not be valid on entry, for example because it expired or is in renewal, and whose passport is eligible.
As of October 2026, the MFA e-VISA PORTAL offers the standard e-Visa to Indian, Philippine, Egyptian, Indonesian and Vietnamese passports: single entry, up to 30 days in Georgia within a 120-day validity.
- Fee: 20 USD plus a 2% service fee, not refunded if refused.
- Indian applicants: a second mandatory DuVerify step within 24 hours, at an extra 15 USD per person.
- Decision: within 5 working days. We suggest applying two to three weeks ahead.
- Where: only from outside Georgia, for visits shorter than 90 days.
- Passport: valid at least 3 months beyond the e-Visa, with 2 free pages, undamaged and issued within the last 10 years.
Passports without the standard e-Visa
Sri Lankan, Nepali, Kenyan, Iraqi, Bangladeshi and Pakistani passports cannot use the standard e-Visa, and neither can any of the 17 countries above. Their usual alternative is the Embassy of Georgia in Abu Dhabi.
The embassy accepts applications only from holders of a valid UAE residence visa or multi-entry UAE visa that runs at least three months beyond the requested Georgian visa. Applicants attend in person by appointment. The fee is 20 USD or 75 AED, and the MFA lists 10 calendar days for a decision.
For 17-list citizens with less than a year of UAE residence left, the embassy points to a C1 tourist visa via the MFA online registration system. It calls this a 90-day visa, but the consulate sets the actual length, so we would not count on 90 days.
The 300 USD C5 e-Visa
Ordinance No 184 of 7 May 2026 created the C5 e-Visa: 300 USD, multiple entries, 5-year validity and stays of up to 1 year, issued only through the e-VISA PORTAL. As of October 2026 it is open to passports such as Pakistani, Nepali, Nigerian, Moroccan and Cameroonian, but not to Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan ones.
Documents at the Border - Insurance, Funds and Return Ticket
According to the MFA checker, the Border Police can ask UAE-permit holders for five documents:
- passport
- proof of the purpose of the trip
- proof of accommodation, meaning a hotel booking or rental agreement for the whole stay, or a property document
- travel and health insurance
- proof of sufficient funds
Mandatory insurance since 1 January 2026
Under Ordinance No 602, every tourist entering Georgia needs a health and accident policy, visa-free UAE residents included. As of October 2026 that means a sum insured of at least 30,000 GEL, any Georgian or foreign insurer, paper or electronic form in English or Georgian, and cover from arrival day to departure day. The patrol police can check it at the border.
The ordinance speaks of tourists, and no official text covers business or family visits, so we suggest a policy for any short trip.
Proof of funds
No minimum amount is published. The e-VISA PORTAL lists bank statements for three months, an employer letter with position and income, a property document or a signed sponsor letter as proof. Under Article 11 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, missing insurance or funds is a ground for refusing entry.
Return ticket
A return ticket is not on the official list for visa-free entry, but it is on the embassy's visa checklist. A UAE travel agent told Gulf News in June 2025 that checks are random but strict and that a return or onward ticket is expected in almost every case, so we recommend carrying one.
How Long You Can Stay
With a qualifying UAE permit, the limit is 90 calendar days in any rolling 180-day period, the same cap that Article 10 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens sets for visa-free visitors. The MFA days calculator shows how many days you have left.
- UAE permit: 90 days in any 180
- GCC citizens: one full year
- Standard e-Visa: 30 days within 120
- C5 e-Visa: up to 1 year
The passport should cover the whole stay, and the embassy asks visa-free UAE residents for at least 90 days of validity.
According to the undated MFA consular FAQ, overstaying by up to three months brings a 1,000 GEL fine and a 6-month entry ban, with steeper penalties for longer overstays.
Since 1 March 2026, working in Georgia, including remotely, requires a work permit. A visa-free stay is not one.
Golden Visa Holders and Family Members
Georgia's rules do not mention the UAE Golden Visa. The UAE government portal defines it as a renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years. Our reading is that it counts as a UAE residence permit, so the general rule applies.
For the 17 nationalities, a Golden Visa should normally pass the one-year test if at least a year is left on it on the day of entry. This is our interpretation, not an official statement. With less time left, the options are the embassy visa, the C5 e-Visa where available, or a valid US, UK or EU visa.
Travelling as a family
- Each traveller relies on their own UAE residence visa, so check every family member's expiry date, not only the sponsor's.
- Each person needs valid insurance cover.
- On the e-Visa route, every traveller, including a child entered in a parent's passport, needs a separate passport and e-Visa.
- At the embassy, each family member files a separate application and payment, and applicants under 18 add the parents' passport copies and a consent letter.
Georgia publishes no consent-letter rule for children entering visa-free, so ask the embassy or airline if a child travels with one parent.
Recent Changes (2025-2026)
- 16 May 2025: the one-year rule for GCC permits of 17 nationalities (Ordinance No 122).
- 1 January 2026: mandatory insurance of at least 30,000 GEL for tourists (Ordinance No 602).
- 1 March 2026: work permits required, including for remote work.
- 7 May 2026: the 300 USD C5 e-Visa (Ordinance No 184).
Khaleej Times reported in June 2025 that a Pakistani UAE resident was refused entry at Kutaisi despite carrying residency proof, hotel bookings, return tickets and insurance. The report did not say how long his permit had left, so it is one case, but it shows that entry is decided at the border.
As of October 2026 we found no newer MFA change to entry rules for visitors.
FAQ
Can I enter Georgia with a UAE residence visa?
Yes, for most nationalities: 90 days in any 180 if the permit is valid on the day of entry. Citizens of 17 countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, need a multiple-entry permit with at least one year left.
I am Pakistani with a UAE Golden Visa. Can I visit Georgia visa-free?
Georgian rules do not name the Golden Visa, but it is a UAE residence visa. In our reading it qualifies with at least one year left on the day of entry.
Do Indians living in Dubai need a visa for Georgia?
Not with a UAE residence visa valid on the day of entry. If it has expired or is in renewal, the e-Visa costs 20 USD plus 2%, and Indian applicants also pay 15 USD for the DuVerify step.
Is travel insurance mandatory for Georgia from the UAE?
Yes, since 1 January 2026: at least 30,000 GEL of health and accident cover for the whole stay, from any Georgian or foreign insurer.
How much money do I need to show at the border?
No official minimum is published. Officers may ask for proof such as recent bank statements, and a lack of funds is a legal ground for refusal.
Can I enter Georgia on a UAE visit visa?
The embassy mentions "a visa or residence permit" of the UAE, but there is no official guidance on visit visas, so we would not rely on one. Use the e-Visa if your passport is eligible.
My Emirates ID is being renewed. Can I still travel visa-free?
Georgia has no published guidance on this. The permit has to be valid on the day of entry, and the embassy also mentions the day of departure, so a visa is the safer choice.
Can I work remotely from Georgia on a visa-free stay?
Not without a work permit. Since 1 March 2026 foreigners need one to work in Georgia, including remotely.
Can Visarun guarantee entry to Georgia?
No. Visarun is an agency that helps check your permit and prepare documents, but visa decisions belong to the consulate and, as the embassy notes, the final decision on entry is made by the Georgian immigration authority.
