Georgia Travel Insurance for UK Travelers
Since 1 January 2026 Georgia requires every visitor, including UK passport holders, to carry valid health insurance at the border. Your GHIC card does not cover Georgia. Cover issues a Decree 602-compliant policy in two minutes, accepts UK Visa and Mastercard, and emails a bilingual English/Georgian PDF that works on your phone at Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and every land crossing.
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Entering Georgia from the UK in 2026
UK passport holders enjoy one of the most generous entry regimes Georgia offers. The only new requirement for 2026 is proof of valid health insurance at the border.
- Visa-free for up to 365 days
- British passport holders enter Georgia visa-free and can stay for up to one year (365 days) per visit. Passport must be valid for the duration of the trip; the UK FCDO recommends 6 months remaining as standard practice for onward connections.
- Flights from the UK to Georgia
- Wizz Air operates direct flights from London Luton (LTN) to Kutaisi (KUT). One-stop year-round options run from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), Manchester, Edinburgh, and Birmingham via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines, Pegasus), Doha (Qatar Airways), Dubai (Emirates, flydubai), and Warsaw (LOT). Tbilisi airport (TBS) is around 20 minutes from the city.
- Documents at the border
- UK passport, proof of Decree 602 insurance, and sometimes short questions about purpose of visit and length of stay. The insurance PDF opens directly on your phone; no print copy needed. Border officers may ask for return tickets or accommodation details on longer stays.
- Insurance checked at airline check-in
- Some Turkish and Gulf carriers now ask for insurance proof at check-in at Heathrow, Gatwick, or your connecting hub. Save the PDF to your phone before flying; it works offline once downloaded once.
What the policy must include under Decree 602
- At least 30,000 Georgian lari (about 8,500 GBP / 11,000 USD) of coverage per traveler
- Valid for the entire stay in Georgia, from entry date through exit date with no gaps
- Digital or printed PDF, both accepted
- In English or Georgian, the only two languages Decree 602 accepts. Cover issues every policy bilingually in English and Georgian. The document you show at the border is the English/Georgian PDF.
These are the requirements checked by the Insurance State Supervision Service of Georgia (ISSSG). Source: Government of Georgia Decree No. 602 (full text)
Your GHIC card does not cover Georgia
The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which replaced the EHIC for UK residents post-Brexit, is a common source of confusion for British travelers. It is essential to understand what it covers before relying on it for a Georgia trip.
GHIC covers EU/EEA + Switzerland only
Your UK GHIC card entitles you to medically-necessary state healthcare in EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland under reciprocal arrangements. Georgia is not in any of these groups - there is no bilateral healthcare agreement between the UK and Georgia.
Annual multi-trip policies often have territorial gaps
Many UK annual travel insurance policies from Post Office, Aviva, AXA, Direct Line, Insure & Go, Avanti, and similar default to Europe or Worldwide-Excluding-USA. Check the schedule of cover: 'Worldwide' on the front page sometimes excludes specific regions, and Georgia sits in an ambiguous boundary between Europe and Worldwide on some policies.
Even valid UK travel insurance may not be accepted at the border
Even if your UK policy genuinely covers Georgia, border officers check for a policy issued in English, stating exact trip dates, with at least 30,000 GEL of cover. Many UK consumer policies state cover in GBP without the specific 30,000 GEL figure, and officers occasionally reject what they cannot quickly verify. A separate Cover policy avoids that risk entirely and can co-exist with your UK annual policy.
Short version: GHIC is for EU/EEA healthcare. Georgia is not in either. A Decree 602 policy is mandatory regardless of what other insurance you carry.
Paying from the UK
UK Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards work without restrictions. The charge is in GBP, EUR, or USD depending on the currency switcher; if GBP, your bank typically applies no forex markup.
UK Visa or Mastercard
Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards issued by HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Halifax, Santander, Monzo, Starling, Revolut, and other UK banks work directly. UK consumer protections (Section 75, chargeback) apply on credit-card payments.
Apple Pay or Google Pay
If your card is linked to Apple Pay or Google Pay, checkout is a single tap. Both are widely supported by UK banks and our payment processor.
Pay in GBP, EUR, or USD
Choose your currency via the switcher at the top of the page. GBP is supported, so there is no exchange rate or forex markup on your statement. Revolut, Wise, Monzo, and Starling typically handle FX at interbank rate if you pay in a different currency.
At the border
- Open the PDF before arrival; it stays cached on your device and works offline
- Show it alongside your UK passport when an officer asks
- Officers may ask short questions about purpose of visit, accommodation, and length of stay; simple answers in one or two sentences are enough
- If insurance is not asked for, that is normal because checks are random. But carrying valid cover is mandatory; without it you may be denied entry or fined
Wine, mountains, and winter skiing
UK travelers come to Georgia for wine country (Kakheti), capital city breaks (Tbilisi), serious hiking (Svaneti, Tusheti, Kazbegi), and Black Sea beaches (Batumi). Winter draws skiers to Gudauri and Bakuriani at a fraction of European Alps prices. Cover policies start at 2-day trips and run up to 365 days, so one policy spans a week-long wine tour or a multi-month Caucasus traverse.
Long stays, remote work, and second homes
More UK travelers are staying longer in Georgia, including remote workers spending months in Tbilisi, retirees on multi-season trips, and digital nomads moving between Tbilisi and Batumi. Cover policies run up to 365 days on a single PDF. The long-term page shows the flat daily rate, extension options, and what happens if you later apply for a residence permit.
See long-term policy details →Frequently asked questions
Does my GHIC card or UK annual travel insurance cover Georgia?
GHIC: no. The Global Health Insurance Card only covers EU/EEA states and Switzerland; Georgia has no bilateral healthcare agreement with the UK. For UK private travel insurance (Post Office, Aviva, AXA, Direct Line, Insure & Go, Avanti, Staysure, etc.), it depends on three things: (1) coverage of at least 30,000 GEL (about 8,500 GBP), (2) the policy is written in English (UK policies almost always are), and (3) the exact trip dates are stated on the policy. Many UK annual policies meet items 1 and 2 but Georgian border officers occasionally reject policies they cannot quickly verify. A separate Cover policy is the simplest way to avoid an entry issue, and the two policies can co-exist.
Is Georgia considered Europe or Worldwide on my UK travel insurance?
It depends on the insurer. Some UK policies (Post Office, Insure & Go) include Georgia in 'Europe' on their standard map; others (Aviva, AXA) classify it as Worldwide-Excluding-USA. Check your policy schedule, not just the marketing page. Even with valid cover, the Decree 602 specifics (30,000 GEL minimum, English/Georgian, exact dates) still apply at the border. The cheapest way to remove ambiguity is to buy a Cover policy specifically for the Georgia leg.
Does my Cover policy cover Brexit-related travel disruption?
No. Cover is a medical/accident policy that satisfies Georgia's Decree 602 entry requirement - it covers emergency medical treatment and accidents inside Georgia during your stated trip dates. It does not cover trip cancellation, lost luggage, delayed connections, missed departures, or repatriation-for-administrative reasons. For those, keep your UK annual travel insurance running in parallel; many UK travelers carry both.
What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
Pre-existing conditions are excluded from Decree 602 policies. This is standard across all compulsory tourist insurance in Georgia, not specific to Cover. The policy covers sudden illness or accidents that occur during your trip in Georgia. If you have a known condition under ongoing treatment, arrange a separate UK travel insurance policy with pre-existing-condition coverage before flying - this can co-exist with your Decree 602 Cover policy.
Cover or Unison - who handles claims?
Cover is the agent that sells the policy; Cover does not pay claims. All medical claims and reimbursements are handled by JSC Unison Insurance Company, a Georgian-licensed insurer. In an emergency, call Unison's 24/7 hotline (support in English, Russian, and Georgian); all paperwork and post-treatment reimbursement is processed directly with Unison.
What if I'm traveling with children or my whole family?
Every traveler needs an individual policy under Decree 602, including infants from day one. The buyer (18+ under Georgian law) controls the order and receives one confirmation email with a separate PDF for each traveler. Groups of 5 or more travelers receive an automatic group discount in the quote total - no coupon code needed. Children get the same 30,000 GEL coverage limit as adults at a slightly lower daily rate.