The head of the European Commission has allowed for the abolition of the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens.

The suspension of visa-free entry to EU countries will extend to the entire population of Georgia if the country's political leadership continues its "democratic rollback" and human rights violations, stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," in December 2025, the European Commission admitted that Georgia could face a complete suspension of its visa-free travel with the European Union due to the "systemic and targeted nature of the democratic rollback." At the end of January, a procedure to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens holding diplomatic, service, and official passports was launched under a new mechanism.

Opposition politicians Zurab Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, Levan Khabeishvili, Giorgi Vashadze, Irakli Okruashvili, and Givi Targamadze, in their letter of September 22, 2025, called on the European Commission to "overcome the resistance" of one EU Member State regarding sanctions against Georgian Dream.

"We are aware that one EU Member State is systematically obstructing the European Commission's efforts to impose significant sanctions against [Bidzina] Ivanishvili and his Kremlin-linked network. We hope that this resistance will be overcome over time," an excerpt from the letter reads. JAMnews.

In response to their letter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen effectively confirmed the obstacles to strengthening sanctions. According to her, EU countries are discussing possible future measures against Georgian officials and have not reached consensus on sanctions. "All EU sanctions-related decisions are taken unanimously by Member States," the letter, published on February 26 by the Georgian publication Euroscope, emphasizes.

In December 2025, the European Commission recorded that Georgia had "further retreated" from the key criteria for visa-free travel and that the "rollback of democracy" in the country is "systemic and deliberate," von der Leyen noted. The suspension of visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic, service, and official passports was the first step in the agreement's review process. The second stage could be the abolition of the visa-free regime for the entire population of the country, "if Georgian officials continue to violate human rights," the letter states.

On July 9, 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Georgia, which, in particular, emphasizes that Salome Zurabishvili is the legitimate president of Georgia. The document states that the process of Georgia's European integration is "effectively suspended" as a result of ongoing democratic regression in Georgia and the falsification of the parliamentary elections in October 2024. The suspension of the visa-free regime with Georgia in response to the regression of democracy and repression against participants in pro-European protests was discussed on July 15 at a meeting of the Council of EU Foreign Ministers. The participants of the meeting notified Tbilisi of the conditions for continuing the visa-free regime.