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Summary:
- Travel health insurance is now mandatory to enter Georgia (since January 1, 2026).
- Your certificate must be in English or Georgian.
- Minimum coverage required: 30,000 GEL.
- Proof can be shown digitally (PDF) or on paper.
- Most issues come from unclear certificates, not from missing insurance.
Georgia has that rare mix of spontaneity and depth. You can land in Tbilisi for a weekend, then find yourself a few days later in the Caucasus with nothing but mountain air and a packed table waiting at night. It is close enough to feel easy, yet different enough to feel like a real break from routine.
That is why this new requirement matters. Since January 1, 2026, Georgia requires visitors to carry travel health insurance that includes accident coverage for the entire duration of their stay. It is not a complicated step, but it is strict enough that arriving unprepared can lead to awkward delays at the border.
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The rule, in plain English
If you enter Georgia as a foreign visitor, you must be able to prove you are covered for medical care and accidentsduring your trip. Border officers can request this proof at airports and land borders, so it is worth treating the insurance certificate like an essential travel document.
Your certificate must be:
- valid for your full stay
- written in English or Georgian
- shown as a paper document or a digital certificate (usually a PDF)
- backed by a minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL
A common misconception is that “having insurance” is enough. What really matters is whether your certificate clearly shows the required information without explanation.
Why the certificate is what trips people up
Most travelers are already covered through a travel insurance plan, their bank card, or an assistance package. The issue is that the proof they bring is often not usable for border checks.
Think of it from the officer’s point of view: they are not going to read your entire contract. They need a document that makes the essentials obvious in seconds. That is why the format and wording matter.
Your certificate should clearly show:
- your full name
- your travel dates
- the fact that it includes health and accident coverage
- the coverage amount, at least 30,000 GEL
If one of those elements is missing or hard to find, you might end up stuck trying to explain something that should have been simple.
Your 20-second checklist before you fly
Open your insurance certificate and check it like you would check your passport expiration date. If it is not crystal clear, ask your insurer for a better version. This is one of those cases where a clean one-page PDF is more valuable than a long contract.
| What to check | Good sign | Red flag |
| Language | English or Georgian | Only in French, Spanish, German, etc. |
| Dates | Covers your entire stay | Starts after arrival or ends early |
| Coverage amount | At least 30,000 GEL | Missing or hard to spot |
| Coverage type | Mentions health and accidents | Too vague or generic |
| Format | Official PDF or paper | Screenshot or email snippet |
A practical rule: if a stranger could understand it in ten seconds, you are safe. If you need to explain it, you are taking a risk.
Local vs international insurance: both are accepted
Georgia does not force you to buy coverage from a specific provider. You can use an international insurer or buy a local policy. For most travelers, sticking with their usual travel insurance is the easiest option, as long as it matches the requirements and provides a certificate in English.
What matters is not the country of the insurer, but the clarity of your proof. A good certificate with the right dates, coverage amount, and wording is what makes your arrival smooth.
The email template that gets you the right document
If you want to avoid vague replies and back-and-forth, send your insurer a short, direct request. You are not asking for information. You are asking for a certificate that works at the border.
Copy and paste this:
- Can you provide a certificate in English?
- Does it cover the entire duration of my stay?
- Does it explicitly mention health and accident coverage?
- Does it show the coverage amount (at least 30,000 GEL)?
- Can you send it as a PDF?
This usually saves time because it removes ambiguity and forces the document to include what matters.
At the border: the simple “no stress” setup
You might never be asked for your insurance, but you do not want to gamble on it. The worst moment to search for a PDF is after a long flight, with a weak connection, while you are standing in line.
Do this instead:
- save your certificate offline on your phone
- keep a paper copy as backup
- create a folder called “Georgia 2026” with your passport scan, tickets, and insurance certificate
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Most travelers who run into trouble made one of these mistakes:
- certificate not written in English
- insurance not covering the full stay
- coverage amount missing
- relying on bank card insurance without an official certificate
A little preparation makes this rule almost invisible.If you travel to Georgia in 2026, arrive with travel health insurance that covers accidents, valid for your whole trip, with a minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL, and a certificate in English or Georgian. Once that is done, you can get back to the fun part: planning your route, booking your guesthouses, and deciding how long you want to stay in Tbilisi before heading out to the mountains.
