TBILISI, April 7 – Georgia may soon introduce a new visa category aimed at attracting wealthy foreign visitors, under a fast-tracked bill now moving through parliament.
The proposed new permit, called the C5 ordinary visa, would be a multiple-entry short-term visa valid for five years, with the right to stay in Georgia for up to one year. The changes are being made to the country’s law on the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons, according to the bill now under accelerated consideration in parliament.
Under the draft, the C5 visa would be issued to people entering Georgia for tourism who are allowed to carry out activity only for the benefit of a non-resident person, as long as that activity is connected to work performed outside Georgia. The visa would also be available to the applicant’s spouse and minor children.
The bill was prepared by deputies from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and has already been initiated in parliament. According to the authors, the new visa is meant to help Georgia attract high-spending visitors from what they describe as relatively safe countries.
The explanatory note says the new system would create a mechanism allowing such visitors to enter Georgia repeatedly over a long period in exchange for a higher visa fee. Lawmakers present the C5 visa as a modern economic tool designed to bring in affluent foreign visitors and increase spending in the local economy.
Backers of the bill argue that wealthy tourists can have a strong economic effect on the host country by increasing tourism revenue, strengthening the service sector and bringing in foreign currency. They also say such visitors may later show interest in starting businesses, which in turn could support investment.
The explanatory note also says the state could benefit through higher budget revenue tied both to special visa fees and to the economic activity of visa holders inside the country. It adds that attracting higher-income visitors could help diversify the economy, including in sectors such as medicine, education and high-end services.
Another argument made by the bill’s backers is that easier repeated travel could help bring more visitors to Georgia during the off-season, giving small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism industry more financial stability throughout the year.
