Healthcare and health insurance in Georgia for foreigners

What the law gives foreigners

The Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (the Aliens Law) sets the basic rights of foreigners. Two articles deal with health and social rights:

• Article 30: foreigners in Georgia are entitled to healthcare under the legislation of Georgia.
• Article 31(1): foreigners who live in Georgia permanently have the same social security rights as Georgian citizens.

Article 30 points to other laws. It does not by itself give a foreigner free treatment. Article 31(1) applies to permanent residents, which is a separate status from a temporary residence permit. See permanent residence in Georgia for who qualifies.

The state programme and foreigners

Georgia's Universal Healthcare Programme is the state scheme that pays for a set of medical services. It is aimed at citizens. Foreigners do not get automatic access to it.

The Public Defender, Georgia's ombudsman, has found discrimination on grounds of nationality in access to a state health programme. Permanent residents have the strongest claim to equal treatment, which matches Article 31(1). The Health Ministry has publicly denied a claim that long-term expatriates cannot access universal healthcare.

Private insurance

Most expats in Georgia rely on private health insurance. You can buy a policy from a Georgian insurer or a foreign one. We have not compared insurers or prices, so this page does not name any.

When you choose a policy, check:

• Whether it covers treatment inside Georgia.
• Whether it is in Georgian or English, which matters for the entry rule below.
• The total cover in GEL, or its value in GEL if the policy is in another currency.
• The dates. A policy that ends partway through a stay may not meet the entry rule.

The tourist insurance rule since 1 January 2026

Government Ordinance No 602 of 26 December 2025 sets the rule. It was made under Article 50(1)(f) of the Law on Tourism and took effect on 1 January 2026. We read it in Georgian on matsne.gov.ge, the official legal database.

• A tourist entering Georgia must hold medical and accident insurance covering at least GEL 30,000.
• The policy must cover the whole stay, up to a maximum of one year.
• The insurer can be Georgian or foreign.
• The policy can be on paper or electronic, in Georgian or English.
• The Patrol Police may check it at the border.

The ordinance exempts holders of diplomatic or special visas, holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports, accredited mission staff and their families, people entering under international treaties, and international truck and bus drivers.

Entry can be refused without insurance. Article 11(1)(d) of the Aliens Law already lists the lack of health and accident insurance as a ground for refusing entry. Some sources report fines of GEL 300 to GEL 1,000. We have not confirmed those amounts.

Does the rule apply to residence permit holders?

Ordinance 602 does not mention residence permit holders. Some guides, including a law firm summary, say they are exempt. The question probably turns on whether a permit holder counts as a "tourist" when entering. The ordinance itself does not answer it.

Until this is clarified, the low-risk choice is to hold a policy that meets the rule each time you enter. If you enter without a permit, for example for a visa-free stay, expect to be treated as a tourist. See the visa-free stay rules.

Insurance and the residence permit application

Health insurance is not listed as a document for a residence permit in the texts we read. It is a condition of entry and of visas (Aliens Law Article 11(1)(d) and Ordinance 602). We have not confirmed whether the Public Service Development Agency (PSDA), the body that issues permits, asks for it in practice. Check the current list on residence permit documents.

Separately, PSDA can ask for a health certificate when a dangerous disease is spreading abroad (Ordinance 520, Article 4(1)).

Where this fits

Add insurance to your budget when you budget with the cost of living in Tbilisi. For banking, currency and safety, go back to living in Georgia.