In short
Since 1 January 2026, foreign visitors must show health and accident insurance when entering Georgia. It must cover at least GEL 30,000 for the whole stay and be in English or Georgian, on paper or on screen. German statutory insurance generally pays nothing in Georgia, and the state programme there is meant for citizens. For a long stay an ordinary travel policy is often not enough, because many end after a few weeks.
The rules in detailCheck three things on your certificate: Georgia within the territory covered, the sum insured and the dates of your stay.
Which cover fitsThe rules
The entry requirement, the gap in home cover and Georgia's state system. As of November 2026.
Under Georgia's Law on Tourism, foreign visitors have needed health and accident insurance for their whole stay since 1 January 2026. The minimum cover is GEL 30,000, which the German Foreign Office puts at about EUR 10,000. The insurer may be Georgian or foreign. The policy must state the parties, the territory, the period, the risks covered and the sums insured.
You show the proof on entry, in English or Georgian, printed or electronic. Exemptions include holders of diplomatic and service passports, accredited mission staff and drivers in international freight and passenger transport. The authorities do not publish how often the border checks. Keep the proof to hand every time you enter.
Germany and Georgia have no social security agreement covering health insurance; Georgia is missing from the list of agreement countries. Members of a German statutory fund are therefore generally not entitled to benefits in Georgia, and under section 60(4) of Book V of the German Social Code statutory insurance does not pay for repatriation to Germany. The DVKA lists the countries that do have an agreement. The UK has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Georgia either.
The Universal Healthcare Programme run by Georgia's health ministry is aimed at Georgian citizens. Foreign visitors are not covered. Whether foreigners with a residence permit receive benefits is set by the programme itself; check moh.gov.ge before relying on it. The UK government's travel advice says you or your insurer pay for all treatment as it is provided.
Which cover fits
We name no providers and no premiums. The four kinds of policy differ mainly in how long they run and where your home is. The last point is about coming back.
For viewing trips and holidays. It is cheap but covers each trip for a limited number of weeks only. Check that the certificate shows GEL 30,000 or a higher sum in euros or pounds, and that repatriation is included.
For stays of several months up to a few years while your home stays in Germany or the UK. Look at the maximum term, exclusions for pre-existing conditions and whether visits home are covered.
For people who move their home to Georgia. It replaces cover at home and is meant to run indefinitely. Ask which clinics in Tbilisi and Batumi bill the insurer directly.
Georgian insurers sell policies to residents, including foreigners with a residence permit. Many cover a network of clinics in the country, but not treatment at home or repatriation. Ask before you sign.
Before leaving Germany for a long period, ask your statutory fund or private insurer how you can rejoin later. German private insurers offer a so-called Anwartschaft policy that keeps your right to return to full cover.
Frequently asked questions
The requirement, cover, home insurance, long stays and residence permits.
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, foreign visitors need health and accident insurance for their whole stay when they enter. The legal basis is Georgia's Law on Tourism.
At least GEL 30,000, roughly EUR 10,000 by the German Foreign Office's conversion. Make sure the certificate states the sum insured, Georgia as part of the territory covered and the dates of your stay.
No. There is no social security agreement on health insurance with Georgia, so the fund generally pays nothing there. You need private travel or international cover.
A policy covering the whole year, such as long-stay travel insurance or international health insurance. Many ordinary travel policies end after a few weeks.
The rule sits in the Law on Tourism and is aimed at foreign tourists. Neither the German Foreign Office nor the exemption list of Georgia's foreign ministry says whether it applies to holders of a Georgian residence permit. If in doubt, ask a Georgian consulate. You should be insured in any case, because the state programme is designed for citizens.
Last reviewed on November 2, 2026. Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (mfa.gov.ge): insurance requirement for tourists from 1 January 2026, Law of Georgia on Tourism and the government ordinance on mandatory insurance (matsne.gov.ge), German Foreign Office: Georgia travel and safety advice, as of 1 November 2026, Ministry of Health of Georgia (moh.gov.ge): Universal Healthcare Programme, German Liaison Agency for Health Insurance Abroad (dvka.de): agreement countries, AOK (aok.de): states with a social security agreement, German Social Code, Book V, section 60(4) (repatriation from abroad), UK government (gov.uk): Georgia travel advice, health. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
The overview of moving to Georgia, retiring there and planning a viewing trip.
If you travel to view flats, you need the insurance from your first flight.