Georgia set to require travel, health insurance for Turkish visitors

ISTANBUL

Georgia will require Turkish citizens to present valid travel and health insurance upon entry starting Jan. 1 next year, adding a new obligation to the long-standing practice of crossing the border with only an ID card or passport.

Under the new rules, every Turkish traveler will have to present valid travel and health insurance at the border, even for same-day visits through the busy crossing point in the Black Sea city of Artvin to Georgia’s Batumi.

Georgian officials say the move follows a rise in traffic accidents and sudden medical emergencies involving uninsured Turkish visitors. They say these incidents have led to high treatment costs and created legal complications between the two countries.

Osman Demircioğlu, head of a commerce chamber in Artvin, said the decision should not be viewed solely as a burden placed on Turkish travelers.

He noted that Türkiye has long required foreign vehicles entering its territory to carry compulsory traffic insurance, suggesting that Georgia’s policy can be seen as a reciprocal measure.