For Indian passport holders struggling with Schengen visa delays this summer, Georgia is a comparatively easier holiday destination. You need an e-visa to enter this country situated at the confluence of Europe and Asia.
It is not quite Europe. It has one foot on that continent and one firmly in Asia. The pre-Soviet country of Georgia is at once a revelation and a mystery for travellers seeking to peek beyond the usual choices of mainland Europe or Southeast Asia.
For one, getting a visa to Georgia is ostensibly easy, but we will get to that in a bit. Then there’s the ease of flying. A direct flight from Delhi to Tbilisi takes only five hours, and before you know it, you have landed in Georgia.
So, when we planned a family trip to this little country a few months ago, the pros outnumbered the cons. I had a valid Schengen and Japan visa; both of which allow Indian passport holders to enter Georgia visa-free. For people who don’t, Georgia needs an e-visa that you can get on their immigration portal.
The visa conundrum
Now, while the process looks pretty simple on the face of it, here’s the deal: you need to be really patient – and I mean really – while applying for an e-visa on their portal. The payment gateway is terrible. You get errors every time you click on the final step.
The trick is simple: choose an ungodly hour to sit with the e-visa application. The portal isn’t quite equipped to deal with a lot of traffic at once; so, logging on late at night is advised.
Once you manage to do this part, the rest is comparatively easy. The problem is in the result of the visa. All your documents can be in order, but you might still get a rejection (the battle was personal, yk). The rejection rate of Georgian visas is quite high: 72%.
If you are indeed planning a vacation to this Caucasian country, keep ample time in hand. You get a revert on your application within 5 working days. If your application is rejected, you can start a fresh one within 10 days from the result. If not, thank your luck and board that flight.
A low-cost flight
Indigo flies Delhi-Tbilisi-Delhi direct thrice a week. True to its low-cost-carrier promise, there’s no complimentary food or entertainment on the plane (thank you, Airbus A321). However, you sure can get your instant poha by paying a bomb on the flight. You do get drinking water in paper cups though.