Free Money that Georgia Refuses

Op-Ed

Originally from Rotterdam, Netherlands, I have come to love Georgia, it’s wonderfully hospitable people and its rich culture. Last year, in October 2019, I decided to stay here permanently. Georgia’s visa policy makes this very easy, granting citizens of many countries (including mine) an automatic one-year tourist visa. Allowing such a long tourist visa is one of the smartest policies of any country.

All my work can be done over the internet with business partners overseas; I’m a “digital nomad”. With my monthly rent, I am financially supporting my Georgian landlord and her family, and of course spend all my money every day on Georgian businesses.

God Bless Georgia for keeping me safe. During the pandemic, I am safer here than almost anywhere else in the world, and I have no current need or desire to return to my country.

Now the problem: my one-year tourist visa expires in October 2020. Under normal circumstances, I would just do a “border run” to Armenia or Turkey and get a new one-year visa upon coming back. But obviously, with borders closed, that’s no longer possible.

The downside of their visa policy is that Georgia is the only country I know of that does not allow tourist visa renewals. I can understand, since a one-year tourist visa was once thought generous enough. But that is now ancient history. We are now in a COVID world, and their visa policy urgently needs to be updated.

The Georgian government did announce in March 2020 that it would grant limited consideration to foreigners who were “on the territory of Georgia by March 14, 2020 and could not leave the country before the expiration of his/her legal stay in Georgia. These foreigners are authorized to stay on the territory of Georgia until July 31, 2020”. But that does not apply to me and many others since my visa expires in October 2020 and I am not yet obligated to leave (but will be soon).

The government tells me my only option (aside from leaving) is applying for a “residence permit,” but while that is possible for me in principle, in practice it is too much of an expense and hassle.

Now, with great fanfare (including using foreign public relations firms to promote), Georgia has announced a “Digital Nomad Visa” to entice foreigners to come and stay long-term. This is a smart policy and will certainly help Georgia’s economy once word gets out. But they forget the digital nomads already here and that Georgia is essentially asking them to leave!

I suggest the Georgian government mandate an automatic additional one-year visa extension to foreigners who are already here on a one-year tourist visa. Doing so costs the government NO money, NO quarantine, and NO hassle. It’s a cliché to say, but would truly be a win-win. This would prevent people like me from leaving and help Georgia’s economy.

It’s “free money” on the table that Georgia is currently refusing.

By Peter Roberts

Image source: cogscoworking.com