The Country of Georgia Is Reopening to Vaccinated Travelers

The country of Georgia, which sits at the border between Asia and Europe, is joining the growing list of countries reopening to vaccinated travelers.

This month, Georgia — renowned for its medieval monasteries, breathtaking mountains, and rich wine culture — started welcoming visitors from any nation as long as they could prove they had received a full course (or two doses) of any COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

Those who have been vaccinated will not be required to complete any testing prior to arrival, the U.S. Embassy in Georgia noted.

In welcoming fully vaccinated travelers, Georgia joins a growing list of nations doing the same, including the Seychelles and Romania. Others, like Iceland, Israel, and Denmark, are developing vaccine passports for their own citizens.

While vaccinated visitors will get a pass upon entry, Georgia will still allow visitors from several countries, including the U.S. Those who have not been vaccinated must arrive with a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure, travel by air directly from an approved country, and undergo a second PCR test three days after their arrival.

Travelers must also complete a special application form before crossing the state border.

The decision to make travel easier for vaccinated visitors is being applauded by the country's tourism businesses, including one which told Lonely Planet the nation had been in the middle of a boom before the pandemic hit.

"We've never had so many bookings at this time of year before," the owner of Budget Georgia told the outlet about early March 2020, "but from 17 March everything was changed. New booking requests stopped within two days. This was very quick, 100 to 0."

The effort also comes months after Georgia introduced the idea of long term visas so foreign workers could turn it into the ultimate WFH experience.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.