Travel Insurance for Georgia: What Tourists Need in 2026

If you're planning a trip to Georgia in 2026, there's one thing the country now requires that it didn't a year ago: travel insurance. Since 1 January 2026, every visitor entering Georgia has to show proof of a compliant policy at the border, with a minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL for the full length of the stay.

You'll see this requirement called a few different names — travel insurance, tourist insurance, or Decree 602 insurance. They all refer to the same thing: the mandatory health and accident policy that incoming tourists need to enter Georgia.

This guide explains exactly what that means in practice — who's covered by the rule, what the policy has to include, what it costs, and how to avoid the queues at the border by buying online before you fly.

Quick answer: do you need travel insurance for Georgia?

Yes — almost certainly. Under Georgian Decree No. 602, mandatory travel insurance applies to nearly every non-Georgian visitor entering the country, regardless of whether you're a tourist, a digital nomad, a business traveler, or a student. The policy must cover medical and accident treatment up to at least 30,000 GEL, must be valid for every day you're in Georgia, and must be presentable at the border as a PDF or digital border card.

A small group of travelers — diplomats, certain treaty nationals, and airport-transit passengers — are exempt. If you think that might be you, run through the 2-minute exemption check before assuming.

Who needs travel insurance to enter Georgia?

The Decree 602 requirement applies to most foreign nationals at every Georgian land and air border. In practice, that includes:

• Tourists on short or long visits, from any visa-free country
• Business travelers entering for meetings, conferences, or short assignments
• Digital nomads and remote workers taking advantage of Georgia's one-year visa-free stay
• Students arriving for semesters or short courses
• Drivers entering with a foreign-plated vehicle (Decree 602 covers you — vehicle TPL is a separate mandate, see our car insurance page)
• Family members joining residents for visits
• Travelers in transit who clear passport control (transit-only passengers staying inside the international zone are exempt)

If you're entering Georgia on a non-Georgian passport and you're not in one of the narrow exemption categories, plan on buying a policy.

For background on who can enter Georgia visa-free in the first place, see our guide to visa-free entry to Georgia.

What the policy must cover

To satisfy Decree 602, your travel insurance must meet three minimums:

1. Coverage amount: at least 30,000 GEL total per traveler.
2. Scope: medical treatment and accident cover for the duration of your stay.
3. Duration: valid from the day you cross the border to the day you leave — no gaps.

Cover sells the Health and Accident of Incoming Tourists Compulsory Insurance policy issued by JSC "Unison Insurance Company" (Tax ID 404393152), a licensed Georgian insurer recognized at every border checkpoint. We sell it as Unison's appointed agent.

Here's exactly what's included, per traveler, within the 30,000 GEL ceiling:

The policy covers Georgia only (excluding occupied territories) and is valid from 24:00 on the first day of cover through 24:00 on the last day. Period of cover ranges from a minimum of one day to a maximum of one year.

How much does tourist insurance for Georgia cost?

Cover's Decree 602 policy is priced per traveler per day. The exact price depends on the length of your stay, your age, and group size, but it lands in roughly the same range as a single restaurant meal in Tbilisi for a one-week trip. You can see the live price for your dates without entering any personal information — just open the quote form on our homepage, pick your travel dates, and the total appears immediately.

A few price mechanics worth knowing:

• Online prices are lower than at-border prices. Border kiosks charge a premium, and you'll be in a separate queue.
• Group discounts apply. Families and tour groups buying through the group quote form pay less per person than individual policies.
• Students get a dedicated rate for longer stays — see the student plan.
• The premium is one-time and non-refundable once issued. If your trip is canceled before departure, the policy can't be refunded, so wait until your dates are firm before buying.

Currency is shown in USD by default; switch to GEL or EUR using the currency selector in the header.

What happens at the Georgian border

Border officers at the three international airports (Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi) and at land crossings check insurance compliance for every entering passenger. What they want to see is a PDF or printout of your travel insurance policy showing your name, the insurer, the coverage amount (≥30,000 GEL), and the cover period that includes today's date.

Cover issues two documents automatically at checkout: the full policy PDF, plus a one-page bilingual border card. Both are written in English and Georgian, so the officer can read them without translation.

If you arrive without a policy, you'll be pulled aside and asked to buy one before you can clear the checkpoint. At larger crossings there's an on-site agent; at smaller ones you'll be asked to purchase online from the border. Either way, you're paying more than you would have from home and adding 30+ minutes to your arrival.

A few practical tips:

• Save the PDF and border card offline. Don't rely on airport Wi-Fi to download them after landing.
• Print a paper copy if you prefer a backup that doesn't depend on your phone battery.
• Email it to your travel companion too. If your phone dies, they can show theirs and yours.

If you've lost your card or PDF, you can resend both to your email using the address you bought with — no account login required.

How to buy travel insurance for Georgia online

The fastest path is the quote form on our homepage:

1. Enter your travel dates and number of travelers.
2. See the live price.
3. Add traveler names and passport numbers.
4. Pay by card (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay).
5. Receive the PDF policy and border card by email within 60 seconds.

The whole flow takes about two minutes. The policy is active immediately and valid from your selected start date.

If your needs are non-standard, use the dedicated paths:

• Group of 5 or more travelers: Group quote — one form for the whole party, group rate applied.
• Long-stay students or remote workers: Student/long-stay quote — optimized for stays measured in months.
• Already have a policy and need more days: Extend your existing policy instead of buying a second one — keeps you compliant with no gap.
• Not sure if you need one at all: Exemption check — runs through the diplomat, treaty, and transit exemptions.

What the policy doesn't cover

Decree 602 mandates a baseline. It doesn't cover everything. The Unison policy explicitly excludes:

• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Professional sports injuries (recreational sport is covered)
• Self-inflicted injuries, alcohol or drug intoxication, or events during illegal acts
• War, civil unrest, terrorism
• Epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, or radiation exposure
• Treatment received outside Georgia or outside the policy period
• Events that occur within 6 hours of policy purchase (the policy doesn't activate retroactively)
• Misrepresentation by the insured on the application

For high-risk activities, ski trips, or expensive equipment, consider supplementing the mandatory policy with a private travel-insurance plan from your home country. The Unison policy keeps you legally compliant at the border; supplementary cover protects everything beyond the baseline.

If you need to make a claim, notify the 24/7 hotline (+995 32 2 991 991) within 24 hours of the incident and submit supporting documents (policy, passport with entry stamp, medical and financial records, ICD-10 diagnosis, payment receipts) within 10 calendar days. Missing those deadlines is one of the listed exclusions.

Special cases

Long-stay travelers. Georgia allows up to one year of visa-free stay for citizens of 98 countries — the longest visa-free regime in the region. If your trip stretches past your original return date, extend your policy online rather than letting it lapse and stitching together a second one. Decree 602 treats gaps in cover as non-compliance.

Drivers entering with a foreign-plated car. Decree 602 only covers you, not your vehicle. Vehicle third-party liability (TPL) is a separate Georgian mandate — see our car insurance page for what's required and where to buy at the border.

Tour groups, families, and corporate travelers. Buy a single policy for the whole party through the group quote form. One form, one payment, one PDF per traveler in your inbox.

Travelers connecting through Tbilisi or Kutaisi without leaving the airport. If you stay inside the international transit zone and don't clear passport control, you don't need a policy. The moment you clear immigration — even for a short layover in the city — Decree 602 applies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy travel insurance after I arrive in Georgia?

Technically yes, but it defeats the purpose. Decree 602 requires proof of insurance at the border, not after you enter. If you arrive without a policy, you'll be asked to buy one before being cleared through. On-site agents at larger checkpoints sell policies, but at a higher rate than what you'd pay online. The cleanest path is to buy before you fly.

Is printed insurance required at the border, or is digital fine?

Both are accepted. A PDF on your phone is fine, and so is a paper printout if you prefer a backup that doesn't depend on your battery. Cover issues both the full policy PDF and a one-page bilingual border card at checkout — print either one, save it to your phone, or do both.

What if my trip gets extended unexpectedly?

Use the policy extension page to add days to your existing policy. This keeps your border card active and avoids a coverage gap, which Decree 602 treats as non-compliance.

Does my home travel insurance count, or do I need a Georgian policy?

It depends. To satisfy Decree 602, the policy must cover medical and accident treatment in Georgia up to at least 30,000 GEL for the full duration of your stay. Many international policies meet that bar — but the proof you show at the border has to clearly state the coverage amount, period, and territory. If your home policy is in a language other than English or Georgian and doesn't list these details on a single page, border officers may not accept it. Buying a Cover policy is faster than arguing about it.

Are children covered separately?

Each traveler — adult or child — needs their own policy under Decree 602. The 30,000 GEL minimum applies per person, not per family. The group quote form handles families in a single transaction.

What if I have a pre-existing condition?

Pre-existing conditions are excluded from the Unison policy (this is standard for compulsory border insurance globally). The policy still satisfies Decree 602 — you don't need to disclose conditions to be compliant. But if you need treatment for a pre-existing condition during your stay, the cost won't be reimbursed under this policy. Supplementary travel insurance from your home country is the usual workaround.

Can I get a refund if my trip is canceled?

The premium is one-time and non-refundable once the policy is issued. Wait until your dates are firm before buying — but don't wait so long that you arrive at the border without one.

Is the policy valid in Abkhazia or South Ossetia?

No. The Unison policy covers the territory of Georgia excluding the occupied territories. Most travelers won't encounter this, since those regions are not accessible from Georgia under Georgian law.

Who do I call in an emergency?

The 24/7 assistance hotline is +995 32 2 991 991 (Unison Insurance Company). Save it to your phone before you cross the border. They'll direct you to the nearest covered facility and handle the paperwork with the hospital.

What if I lose my PDF or border card?

Use the self-service recovery page to resend both to the email you used at purchase. No login required — just enter your email.

Quick summary

• Travel insurance is mandatory for almost every visitor entering Georgia under Decree No. 602, in force since 1 January 2026.
• Minimum coverage: 30,000 GEL, for every day of your stay.
• What you'll show at the border: the policy PDF or the one-page bilingual border card — both work, on phone or paper.
• Exemptions are narrow. Diplomats, certain treaty nationals, and airport-transit passengers don't need a policy.
• Buy online, not at the border. Online is faster and cheaper.
• Need to extend, recover, or check for exemption? Use the extension form, the card recovery page, or the exemption check — all self-service.

Ready to get covered? Get your Decree 602 policy — it takes about two minutes, and the bilingual PDF and border card arrive by email before you board.