What are the consequences of overstaying in Georgia?
Three at once, not one after another: a fine, an entry ban, and a record in the Ministry of Internal Affairs database.
The fine. Article 191 of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia. The amount depends on how long the overstay lasted: up to 3 months — GEL 1,000; up to 1 year — GEL 2,000; over 1 year — GEL 3,000. Separately, breaching transit rules — GEL 500.
The entry ban. This is not a separate decision taken at someone's discretion — the ban is written into the same Article 191 as part of the penalty and follows the fine: 6 months, 2 years and 3 years respectively.
The record. Under Article 63¹ of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, the Ministry of Internal Affairs maintains a database of aliens who are or have been staying in Georgia unlawfully. Data processed during expulsion proceedings is kept there; that information is not public.
There is also a delayed effect: until the fine is paid, you will not be granted a visa and will be refused entry — see the Note to Article 191 of the Code and Article 47(4) of the Law on Aliens. This applies regardless of whether the ban period has already expired.
Overstaying is not deportation
The two are often confused. The fine under Article 191 is imposed by agencies of internal affairs (Article 209 of the Code) — without a court. Expulsion is a separate procedure under Articles 50–57 of the Law on Aliens, with a decision by an authorised body, a period for voluntary departure, and a court appeal within 10 days (Article 56).
One can turn into the other: under Article 51(1)(b) an alien may be expelled if there are no longer legal grounds for further stay. And as of 1 September 2026 a new ground was added to Article 51 — point (i): performing work activity without the right to work.
The cost of the mistake differs sharply. The entry ban following expulsion is two to five years (Article 63(1)), with the period set by the body that made the decision. A person who leaves voluntarily under Article 54 is not covered by the general ban (Article 63(2)). The rule carries two caveats. First, it does not apply where the expulsion rests on grounds (c)-(h) of Article 51(1), and since 1 September 2026 that list has been extended to (c)-(i). Second, under Article 63(2¹), where the expulsion was based on grounds (a) or (b), a ban may still be imposed by a decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The risk is not yours alone
Article 191(5): a natural person or a legal entity registered in Georgia that invited an alien, provided services to them, or used their services in breach of the established rules for obtaining the right to live, work and study — a warning or a fine of GEL 2,000. This reaches landlords, employers and inviting parties.
In practice: an overstay is almost always recorded on exit — at passport control in an airport or at a land border crossing. The common belief that "they let you out and forget" does not hold: the ban under Article 191 is attached to your data, not to a stamp in your passport.
⚠ Figures of GEL 180 and 360 "with no entry ban" are still widely quoted online. They come from an outdated English version of the Code. The amounts in force are higher.