The beloved country requires an entry permit

Georgia will make mandatory health insurance and accident insurance for all foreign tourists starting January 1, 2026, as part of amendments to the country’s tourism laws. The purpose of the move is to improve the safety of visitors and reduce the financial burden on the health system, caused by medical emergencies of uninsured tourists.

According to the new regulations, every foreign citizen entering Georgia will be required to present a valid insurance policy for the entire duration of their stay in the country. The policy must include a minimum coverage of at least $5,000 (over NIS 15,000) for ambulatory medical care in emergencies, as well as $30,000 (over NIS 90,000) for hospitalization and medical treatment in a hospital. The insurance is required to be valid without a deductible.

The insurance check will be carried out at the points of entry into the country, and tourists who do not present a valid policy that meets the requirements may be denied entry. Although a number of media reported the possibility of imposing fines, the authorities in Georgia have so far emphasized that the enforcement will be based on preventing entry and not on financial punishment.

According to officials, the decision was made following ongoing difficulties faced by the local health system. Medical institutions in Georgia are obliged by law to provide emergency treatment to foreign tourists, even when they are not insured, which in many cases led to treatments without reimbursement and increased pressure on the clinics and hospitals. The health services association in the country previously warned that this situation caused direct financial losses to the medical institutions.

The new regulations are expected to affect millions of visitors every year, including tourists from neighboring countries. Turkish citizens, who until now could enter Georgia using only an ID card or passport, will also be required to present valid travel and health insurance, even in the case of short visits lasting only one day. Officials in Georgia cited an increase in the number of road accidents and medical emergencies among uninsured visitors as one of the main reasons for the tightening of the rules.

The government in Georgia emphasizes that this is not a bureaucratic move, but a step aimed at making the tourism industry safer and more stable. The National Tourism Authority has already begun consultations with insurance companies to determine possible rates and conditions of coverage.

While tourists will be allowed to purchase insurance from any insurance company they choose, discussions regarding how to implement and control compliance with the requirements are still ongoing. Local insurance companies propose to adopt a model similar to that existing in car insurance for residents who are not citizens of the country, according to which tourists will purchase insurance from Georgian insurance companies. The representatives of the industry claim that such a model will facilitate the processing of claims by local medical institutions, strengthen the local insurance market and may even generate an additional annual turnover of up to 100 million Georgian Lari (118 million NIS).