The short answer: most UAE residents don't need a visa for Georgia. If you hold a UAE residence visa (or another UAE visa) that is valid on the day you enter Georgia and on the day you leave, you can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period [1][2].
Emirati citizens can stay visa-free for a full year. The exception is citizens of 17 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria: their UAE visa must be multiple-entry and valid for at least one more year on the day they cross the border, or they need a Georgian visa [1][3]. Every tourist also needs health and accident insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover [5][6].
Do UAE residents need a visa for Georgia?
- UAE citizens: visa-free for one full year, on an Emirati passport [1][4].
- Holders of a UAE visa or residence permit: visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period, whatever their nationality (with the exception below). Ordinance 256 says the UAE visa or residence permit must be valid on the day you enter; the Embassy's page says it must also be valid on the day you leave. Plan for both [1][2].
- Citizens of countries that are visa-free for Georgia on their own passport: the UAE rule doesn't matter to you, because your passport already lets you in. The Foreign Ministry's "Entering Georgia" page tells you which rule applies to your nationality [5].
The same 90-day rule covers visas and residence permits of the other Gulf states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia [2]. The rule says "visa and/or residence permit", so a UAE visit visa can count, as long as it is valid on the days you enter and leave Georgia. For the 17 nationalities below, a visit visa must also be multiple-entry and valid for at least a year, which most are not [1][3].
The one-year rule for 17 nationalities
Since 16 May 2025, a Government ordinance has added a stricter condition for citizens of 17 countries [3]:
- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen.
If you hold one of these passports, your UAE (or other Gulf) visa or residence permit gets you in visa-free only if a visa is multiple-entry, and the visa or residence permit is still valid for at least one year on the day you cross the Georgian border [1][3]. In practice: if your residence visa expires in ten months, it is not enough, even though it is valid. Either renew it before you travel, or apply for a Georgian tourist visa (category C1, for up to 90 days) [1].
The one-year count runs from the day of entry, not from the day you book. If your residence is close to the one-year line, check the expiry date on your Emirates ID against your travel dates before you buy flights.
What to carry at the border
- Your passport. The Embassy asks for a passport valid for at least 90 days [1]. It doesn't say counted from when, so the safe reading is 90 days beyond your departure date.
- Your UAE residence visa or Emirates ID, valid on the day you enter and the day you leave [1].
- Travel health and accident insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover for your whole stay, including the arrival and departure days. It has been mandatory for tourists since 1 January 2026. The policy can be on paper or on your phone, in Georgian or English, from a Georgian or a foreign insurer, and the border police may ask to see it [5][6].
- Your hotel bookings and return ticket. They are on the Embassy's list for visa applicants [1]; for visa-free travellers they are not a written requirement, but they help if the officer asks about your plans.
Meeting the rules doesn't guarantee entry: the border officer makes the final decision [1].
If you need a visa
If you fall under the one-year rule and your UAE residence is too short, or your nationality needs a visa for another reason, there are two routes:
- The e-visa portal (evisa.gov.ge): whether you can use it depends on your passport, so pick your country on the portal first. The fee is 20 USD plus a 2% service fee, it is not refundable, and a decision takes at least 5 working days. The passport must be valid for 3 months after the visa ends and have 2 free pages [7].
- The Georgian Embassy in the UAE: for holders of a valid UAE residence visa (Emirates ID) or a valid multiple-entry UAE visa, which must be valid for more than three months beyond the dates of the Georgian visa. You register online, upload the documents as PDFs and attend an appointment at the consular section. The fee is 20 USD (75 AED) per person. The list includes your passport, Emirates ID, insurance covering at least 30,000 GEL for the visit, proof of accommodation, a return ticket and three months of bank statements. Each family member needs a separate application and payment, and for children under 18 you upload a parent's passport copy and a consent letter [1]. A short-term visa through an embassy takes about 10 calendar days [5].
Apply well ahead of your flight: an e-visa decision takes at least 5 working days, and the Embassy route needs an in-person appointment [1][7]. A C1 visa allows a stay of up to 90 days [1].
Planning a trip from the UAE
For when to go, our guide to the best time to visit Georgia goes through the year month by month: snow in Gudauri from late December, blossom in April, cool mountains in summer and the grape harvest in September and October. Our guide to trip costs has 2026 prices, and our first-trip tips cover money, SIM cards and getting around.
All our tours are private: your own car and driver-guide, with a guide in Arabic or another language on request. Our Georgia tour packages group the multi-day trips by length, or plan your own dates and we send you a private route with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Embassy of Georgia to the United Arab Emirates, "Visa information": uae.mfa.gov.ge
- Government of Georgia, Ordinance No. 256 of 5 June 2015 (visa-free entry for holders of visas and residence permits of listed countries): matsne.gov.ge
- Government of Georgia, Ordinance No. 122 of 17 April 2025, in force from 16 May 2025 (in Georgian): matsne.gov.ge
- Government of Georgia, Ordinance No. 255 of 5 June 2015 (countries whose citizens are visa-free for one year): matsne.gov.ge
- Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, "Entering Georgia": geoconsul.gov.ge
- Government of Georgia, Ordinance No. 602 of 26 December 2025 on mandatory insurance for foreign tourists (in Georgian): matsne.gov.ge
- Georgian e-visa portal, FAQ: evisa.gov.ge
Last checked: 25 October 2026, against the official pages above. Entry rules can change; the Embassy's page and the border officer have the final word.
