A recent CRRC-Georgia survey shows that 78% of Georgians believe that suspending visa-free travel to the EU would harm citizens, with consensus across age, gender, and location. Young people, women, and residents of Tbilisi are particularly concerned, though overall agreement is strong nationwide.
Regarding responsibility, 51% of respondents would hold the ruling Georgian Dream party and its leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, accountable if the visa-free regime were revoked. Young adults aged 18-34 and Tbilisi residents are more likely to assign blame to the government compared to older citizens and residents of other regions. Education level does not appear to significantly affect perceptions of responsibility.
Since the introduction of visa-free travel on March 28, 2017, 22% of Georgians have traveled to an EU country without a visa at least once. Among young adults (18-34), this figure rises to 33%, while 23% of middle-aged citizens and 12% of elderly citizens have used the visa-free option. Men (26%) have traveled visa-free more than women (18%), and Tbilisi residents and those with higher education are more likely to have traveled than rural residents or those with lower education levels.
The survey was conducted by CRRC-Georgia via telephone (CATI method) from August 8-12, 2025, interviewing 1,333 respondents. The results represent the Georgian-speaking adult population with a margin of error of 1.56%. The study was commissioned by the Civil Society Foundation with support from the European Union.
