Some Russians flying from Moscow to Batumi for the New Year were denied entry to Georgia. The reason is their birthplace. One of the subscribers told the editors of TourDom.ru about what happened.
In Georgia, her friends planned to spend the New Year with their son and daughter-in-law, who were from Germany. However, the meeting did not take place: “They were not allowed into the country, nor were the four other passengers on the same flight. It turned out that they were all born in regions annexed to Russia – in Crimea or Lugansk.”
A journalist from TourDom.ru got acquainted with the information available to tourists on the website of the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The list of restrictions published in the “legal guarantees for the security of Russian citizens” clearly states that travel to Abkhazia and South Ossetia from outside the territory of Georgia is prohibited. According to current domestic law, if there are such signs, foreigners face legal liability for “illegal border crossing”: a fine of up to 5 thousand lari (about 144 thousand rubles – Ed.) or imprisonment of up to 5 years.
At the same time, there is no information about the entry ban on Russians born in Crimea or new Russian territories – DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There has also been no official explanation from the Georgian government on this issue.
However, information about such incidents still regularly appears on social networks and mass media. The basis of refusal can be not only the place of birth, but also the place of issuance of the passport if it was issued in territories whose annexation to Russia is not recognized by Georgia. For example, a Georgian officer asked Sevastopol residents for Ukrainian passports. “We explained that we had Russian documents issued in the Kherson region. 'This is Ukraine,' the employee said and gave us notice of a lifetime entry ban. He said we were a threat to Georgia.”
Experienced travelers advise in such cases to apply for a foreign passport in the Krasnodar Territory. “This process will take time, but the problem will be solved in 10 years.”
However, sometimes this trick doesn't work. One tourist said: “I was born and registered in Crimea. I specially prepared a new document in the Sverdlovsk region. As a result, I was rejected because of my place of birth and I will return to Yerevan.”
Previously, in July 2024, TurDom reported that some children born in the Republic of Crimea were not allowed to enter Georgia. Their parents were forced to leave the bus with them.
