Georgia

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Georgia based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Georgia does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.

The e-visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia contains a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.

Article 6 of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons establishes the general conditions for granting a Georgian visa, and there is no reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant. 

Article 11 includes among the grounds for refusing a Georgian visa or entry into Georgia, that the applicant \poses a threat to […] the protection of the health, rights, and legitimate interests of citizens of Georgia and other persons residing in Georgia.’

However, we found no evidence that HIV is considered among such risks in Georgia.

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Georgia based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Georgia does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.

The e-visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia contains a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Georgia based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Georgia does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.

The e-visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia contains a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.

Articles 14 to 21 of the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons delineate the conditions for obtaining a residence visa, and there is no reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.

Until February 2010, a health certificate was mandatory for obtaining a permanent residence permit. Since February 2010, new legal regulations came into force and the health certificate requirement for obtaining permanent residence was dropped. Only in exceptional circumstances, authorities were allowed to request a health certificate from permanent residency permit applicants. 

The 1993 Migration Law gave authorities discretion to discriminate on the basis of ‘dangerous diseases’.  ‘Dangerous diseases’ was a formality rather than practice. As far as we know, there has never been a case of such discrimination at entry or immigration reported. This law was changed in July 2006.

The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Georgia. There is some evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.

To receive HIV treatment in Georgia, individuals need a residence permit or refugee status confirmation. They can then contact one of four specialised AIDS Centers located in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, or Zugdidi (details available here). It is recommended to bring medical records that confirm their HIV status.

In some cases, tourists can get ARV for one month free of charge. This requires visiting an AIDS Center and paying for CD4 and viral load tests. This temporary option was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and was still available as of January 2023. We have no further information as to whether this is still the case.

ART cannot be bought in Georgia. Individuals may attempt to order it from India, but there is a risk of customs blocking the shipment unless the medication is registered.

IOM reports that the Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (2014) explicitly recognises the right of foreign nationals in the country to receive health care (Article 30). Additionally, the Law of Georgia on Health Care (1997) prohibits discrimination on the basis of nationality against patients in health-care institutions. Emergency health-care services are available for all populations, regardless of documentation or registration status, whereas some forms of health care may require a minimum period of registration within the municipality, which can limit access for foreign migrants with irregular status. Individuals who have received any form of international protection status, whether temporary or permanent, have the same rights as Georgian citizens to access the Universal Health Care Programme, the country’s public health insurance scheme introduced in 2013. At the local level, the municipality of Tbilisi provides financial support for health services to the general population. This support is aimed at covering the costs associated with treating rare or severe diseases, which individuals may struggle to afford. However, non-citizens are not eligible for this support.

• UNAIDS
• US Department of State
• e-Visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
• Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons
• International Organization for Migration

Migrant populations

Refugees and asylum seekers