Decree 602 buying guide · honest comparison
Cover vs international travel insurers for Georgia
Quick answerCover and international insurers solve different problems. Cover is purpose-built for Georgia's Decree 602 border check: 30,000 GEL in Lari, English + Georgian bilingual PDF, underwritten by a Georgian insurer the Ministry of Internal Affairs already recognises. International policies (Allianz, SafetyWing, GeoBlue, IMG, World Nomads, AXA) are comprehensive travel insurance covering multi-country trips, cancellation, lost luggage, and delays. Many travellers buy both: an international policy for the trip, a Cover policy for unambiguous border compliance.
When Cover is the right choice
- Your trip is to Georgia only, or Georgia plus a same-day air transit through another country.
- You want the border-check question closed: 30,000 GEL in Lari, on a bilingual PDF, from a Georgian insurer.
- You already have other coverage (a credit-card travel benefit, a comprehensive policy from home) and just need the document that satisfies Decree 602 at the airport or land border.
- You're budget-conscious and need entry compliance at the lowest legal price.
When an international policy is the right choice
- Your trip spans multiple countries (Schengen + Georgia, or Caucasus circuit through Armenia and Azerbaijan as well).
- You need trip cancellation cover - missed flights, hotel non-refundables, illness before departure.
- You need lost luggage, baggage delay, or missed-connection cover.
- You're doing adventure or high-risk activities that need a paid sports add-on.
- You have a pre-existing medical condition you want declared and covered (Decree 602 compulsory policies exclude these by regulation).
For these cases, the major international travel insurers serve travellers well. A policy that explicitly covers Georgia, with at least the 30,000 GEL equivalent, valid for your full stay, and issued in English or Georgian, satisfies Decree 602.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Cover (Unison, Decree 602) | International travel insurer |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage geography | Georgia only | Worldwide (most policies) |
| Coverage scope | Medical and accident only | Comprehensive: medical, trip cancellation, lost luggage, delays |
| Coverage limit denomination | 30,000 GEL (Decree 602 minimum, in Lari) | Often USD or EUR; border officers may need to convert |
| Policy PDF languages | English + Georgian (bilingual, side-by-side) | Usually English only |
| Underwriter | JSC Unison Insurance Company (Georgian insurer, ISSSG-regulated) | Foreign insurer (may not be locally known by MIA officers) |
| Border officer recognition | Decree 602-compliant policy from a Georgian insurer | Accepted if it clearly meets the four Decree 602 criteria |
| Price (typical 7-day trip) | Single-digit USD/EUR total | Tens of USD/EUR depending on age and scope |
| Trip cancellation | Not covered | Usually covered |
| Lost luggage | Not covered | Usually covered |
| Pre-existing conditions | Excluded (Decree 602 rule) | Sometimes included with declaration |
| Adventure sports | Standard medical evacuation included; competitive sports excluded | Usually a paid add-on |
| Claim handling | Unison 24/7 hotline +995 32 2 991 991, Georgian hospitals | Insurer's global assistance network |
The pair-up strategy
A common pattern for travellers who already hold an international policy: keep that policy for the trip itself - cancellation, lost bags, multi-country medical - and add a Cover policy purely to close the border-compliance question. The Cover premium for a short trip is small relative to the price of an international policy, so the marginal cost of removing border ambiguity is low.
Border officers do not check that you only have one policy. They check that you have at least one Decree 602-compliant policy. Two policies on file does not create a problem.
How border officers actually verify
Officers at every Georgian land and air border check four things on the certificate you show:
- The traveller's name matches the passport.
- The validity dates span the planned stay (entry day through departure day).
- The medical-coverage limit is at least 30,000 GEL or equivalent in another currency.
- The document is in English or Georgian (or has an English / Georgian translation attached).
A Cover-issued PDF presents all four in a fixed layout, in both English and Georgian, with the policy number, Unison's details, and the 30,000 GEL figure printed clearly. An international-insurer certificate works too if it covers the same ground unambiguously.
Authoritative sources
- Decree No. 602 of the Government of Georgia (the law itself, Georgian): matsne.gov.ge
- Insurance State Supervision Service of Georgia (the regulator): insurance.gov.ge
- JSC Unison Insurance Company (Cover's underwriter): unison.ge
- Plain-English summary of the Cover/Unison policy: cover.ge/en/policy-terms