The European Union (EU) has decided to suspend the suspension of visa-free entry for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders—for members of the country's political elite and government officials, respectively, according to Rikard Jozwiak, the Europe editor for RFE/RL.

This measure, however, does not apply to ordinary Georgian citizens.

Of the 27 EU member states, only Hungary and Slovakia voted against this decision. But they will also now be obligated to implement this decision adopted by the EU.

The decision will come into force in early March.

In 2025, the EU Council had partially suspended the visa facilitation agreement for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports. At that time, each EU country could independently, on an individual basis, decide whether or not to introduce a visa regime.

Brussels’ aforesaid decision was due to the Georgian authorities’ criticism of the EU, and vice versa. Tbilisi must change its policy, they announced in Brussels, and later directly stated that Georgia must return to the path of European development.

By the end of June 2025, a number of EU countries had already introduced a similar visa regime: Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Italy, including the Czech Republic. The rest, with the exception of Hungary, were at various phases of implementation.