Study Abroad in Georgia: Insurance, Visa, Costs 2026

Study abroad in Georgia: no EHIC cover, visa-free up to 360 days, mandatory 30,000 GEL insurance, costs with sourced facts and open points, October 2026.

Study abroad in Georgia: The European Health Insurance Card does not apply there. Since 1 January 2026, you must prove travel health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL coverage for the whole stay, and you need no visa for up to 360 days. For study you apply for a residence permit after entry. Tuition fees at your host university are not sourced.

Georgia is not an EU member state and not part of the European Economic Area. Your health insurance and your visa therefore follow different rules than inside the EU.

Study abroad in Georgia at a glance

Item	Information (status October 2026)	Source
Health insurance	European Health Insurance Card does not apply, travel health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL cover for the whole stay is mandatory	European Commission, Federal Foreign Office
Visa	Visa-free up to 360 days, for study a residence permit after entry at the Public Service Hall	Federal Foreign Office, Public Service Development Agency
Tuition fees	Not sourced for the current year, a national average from 2020/21 is outdated	Migration Commission of Georgia
Living costs	Not sourced for the current year, figures for 2020/21 are outdated	Migration Commission of Georgia
Auslands-BAföG (federal training assistance abroad)	Possible, responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau	German Student Services Organisation (DSW), status January 2026

All information is general and not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative in each case. The German version is authoritative.

How are you insured in Georgia?

European Health Insurance Card and social security agreement

According to the FAQ of the European Commission, the European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Georgia is not named there, so the EU rules on treatment under the conditions of the host country do not apply.

We have not found a social security agreement with Georgia that covers health insurance, so we do not name one. The website of the German Liaison Office for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA) could not be reached for our check. Ask your health insurance fund to confirm its arrangement for Georgia in writing. The basics of private cover are explained in the guide PKV für Studierende im Nicht-EU-Ausland (in German).

Mandatory travel health insurance in Georgia

The Federal Foreign Office names a requirement that applies since 1 January 2026: travel health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL, about 10,000 euros, cover for the whole stay must be proven. The confirmation must be in English or Georgian, printed or electronic. Check whether your policy reaches this sum explicitly before you travel.

Health care and advance payment in Georgia

According to the Federal Foreign Office, costs in private facilities can be higher than in Germany. Treatment is often provided only against advance payment, also in emergencies. No vaccinations are required for entry. The office names the standard STIKO vaccinations, especially against measles, and hepatitis A. For stays over four weeks or special exposure, hepatitis B and rabies are added.

Private travel health insurance and repatriation

The travel health insurance that Georgia requires does not automatically cover repatriation and treatment that can wait. Check whether your policy includes a repatriation insurance. Background information is in the guide Travel health insurance for Erasmus, USA and work and travel (in German).

Do you need a visa for Georgia?

With a German passport you need no visa for up to 360 days. The Federal Foreign Office confirms this period. The passport is accepted, as are the provisional passport and the children’s passport. The identity card is also accepted, but for arrival via third countries or by land or sea the office advises a passport. The provisional identity card is not listed. Documents must be valid at least until the planned departure.

For study you need a residence permit. The Public Service Development Agency names education at an authorised higher education institution in Georgia as its purpose. You apply after entry at the Public Service Hall. The agency requires the application 40 calendar days before your lawful stay expires. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a late application is a finable administrative offence, and expulsion is possible.

For the study residence permit, the agency names these documents:

Completed application form and a copy of your travel document
Proof of lawful stay in Georgia
Certificate from the Georgian educational institution on your studies and the expected duration
Proof of legal income in Georgia, or a bank balance whose monthly amount is at least twice the subsistence minimum
Colour photo, 3 x 4 cm, in electronic form
Proof of payment of the fee

The agency lists fees of 300 GEL for processing in 30 calendar days, 450 GEL for 20 days and 600 GEL for 10 days. The page does not name health insurance as a requirement for the residence permit, but the insurance requirement on entry still applies.

According to the Federal Foreign Office, travel to Abkhazia and South Ossetia and to the immediate vicinity of the conflict regions is strongly advised against. There is no general travel warning, so this is a partial travel warning (status of the page 24 October 2026). Protests regularly take place in Tbilisi and other large cities and can lead to violent clashes with security forces.

What does a study abroad semester in Georgia cost?

Tuition fees

Which fees apply at the host university depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. The Migration Commission of Georgia gives in a country profile for the academic year 2020/21 an average tuition fee of 7,604 GEL for programmes taught in foreign languages. This figure is more than three years old and is only an average, so your fee may differ. Ask the host university for the current amount before you accept.

Living costs

We do not state a current sourced monthly amount. The same country profile gives average monthly spending for 2020/21 of 257 US dollars for rent and 139 US dollars for food. These values are several years old, can differ considerably today, and we do not calculate with them. Ask your host university for its current budget for exchange students.

Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG

Georgia appears in the Erasmus+ programme guide as a third country of the Neighbourhood East that is not associated with the programme. The guide states that Georgian authorities are not eligible under any action. Funding through Erasmus+ is therefore not possible. More on this in the guide Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).

According to the flyer of the German Student Services Organisation (status January 2026), Auslands-BAföG is possible for Georgia. The responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau, telephone 0371/5628-450. Outside the EU and Switzerland, funding covers at most two semesters, and at least one year of study in Germany is required beforehand. A study abroad period lasts at least six months. All details are in the guide Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amounts and supplements (in German).

How to prepare before you leave

Ask your health insurance fund to confirm in writing how you are insured in Georgia before you sign the learning agreement.
Take out travel health insurance that proves at least 30,000 GEL cover for the whole stay, and check the repatriation cover.
Have the confirmation issued in English or Georgian, printed or electronic.
Check that your passport is valid at least until your planned departure date.
Ask your host university for the certificate on your studies and the expected duration of the study period.
Clarify your vaccination status with your doctor. The Federal Foreign Office names the standard STIKO vaccinations and hepatitis A.
Plan your residence permit application at the Public Service Hall in good time, at the latest 40 calendar days before your stay expires.
Submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau about six months before your start, if you want funding.

Frequently asked questions

Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Georgia?

No. The European Commission’s FAQ names only the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Georgia requires its own travel health insurance with at least 30,000 GEL cover.

Do I need a visa for Georgia?

Not for up to 360 days. For study you apply for a residence permit at the Public Service Hall after entry.

Do I have to pay tuition fees in Georgia?

That depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not state a current amount, because no current official figure is sourced.

Who is responsible for Auslands-BAföG for Georgia?

According to the DSW flyer (status January 2026), the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau is responsible, telephone 0371/5628-450.

Is there a travel warning for Georgia?

There is no general travel warning. The Federal Foreign Office strongly advises against travel to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

What happens if I apply for the residence permit too late?

According to the Federal Foreign Office, that is a finable administrative offence, and expulsion is possible. Apply in time.

Sources

Federal Foreign Office, Georgia: travel and security advice (status of the page 24 October 2026), auswaertiges-amt.de
Public Service Development Agency of Georgia, residence permits (no date), sda.gov.ge
Migration Commission of Georgia, brief migration profile on foreign students (data 2020/21, document from 2022), migration.commission.ge
European Commission, FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card (no date), European Commission
European Commission, Erasmus+ programme guide: eligible countries (no date), erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu
German Student Services Organisation, flyer Auslands-BAföG (status January 2026), studierendenwerke.de

Sources retrieved on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.