Over 800 Georgian citizens depart for Europe after visa-free regime comes into force on March 28

Over 800 Georgian citizens departed for European countries on the first day the visafree regime came into force, Sputnik News reports. Nearly 300 people from Tbilisi departed for Athens, Warsaw and Munich, and about 500 people departed for Budapest, Thessaloniki and Larnaca from Kutaisi International Airport.

Students, scholars and Georgia’s government members led by Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili departed with the first flight from Tbilisi to Europe. They are already in Athens, and then will depart for Brussels. Georgian citizens are able to travel to almost all EU countries without a visa for 90 days every half a year starting March 28.

The countries excluded from the visa-free travel regime are Ireland and Great Britain. The Georgian foreign ministry issued the latest clarification for its citizens on March 27. The ministry namely said citizens will have to answer the questions of border guards in both Georgian and European checkpoints, regarding purpose of travel, presence of two-way tickets, booked hotels, insurance certificate, and possession of a daily 50 Euros.

Violators of the regime will not only be deported, but will also be fined 3 thousand Euros. The ministry said residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will also be able to travel under the regime in case of having Georgian passports.