Georgia visa woes: Indians report racial profiling, detentions at borders

Indian tourists report racial profiling, detentions and deportations at Georgia's borders even as arrivals from India surge by 40% in 2025

Georgia has become a sought-after stop for Indian travellers, thanks to its convenient e-visa policy and its position straddling Europe and Asia. From the capital Tbilisi to the Black Sea resort city of Batumi, the country offers plenty for backpackers and group tours alike.

 

But a growing number of Indians are now sharing troubling accounts online, describing racial profiling and harsh treatment at the border. Tourists have reported being pulled aside for lengthy checks, facing intrusive questions, or even being denied entry despite carrying valid visas and paperwork.

 

Group stranded at Armenia border

 

In one recent case, a woman alleged that Georgian officials subjected 56 Indian tourists to inhumane treatment while entering from Armenia.

 

 

In an Instagram post, Dhruvee Patel said the group, despite holding e-visas, was humiliated and held for hours at the Sadakhlo crossing. She alleged they were left in the cold for more than five hours without food or toilets, their passports seized for two hours, and that they were made to sit on the pavement “like cattle” while officers filmed them.

 

Patel said the group was not allowed to record the incident and that officials dismissed their visas as “wrong” without checking documents. She described the episode as “shameful and unacceptable”. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Dhruvee Patel (@pateldhruvee)

 

Other cases reported online

 

Such complaints are not isolated.

 

In January 2025, a solo traveller shared what he called a “harrowing experience” in Tbilisi. Travel influencer Jimeet Ved amplified the case on X, posting under the handle @outofofficedaku. The man claimed the immigration officer dealing with him was “almost abusive” despite his paperwork being complete, including hotel bookings, itinerary, proof of funds, and return tickets. He alleged the officer ignored his documents, accused him of “hiding something”, and shouted at him to “shut up”. He was deported to Baku and stranded at the airport as his Azerbaijan visa was single entry. The traveller said he lost more than ₹2.6 lakh in bookings and other costs. 

Just another day for Indian passport holder trying to visit #Georgia for tourism.@Zourabichvili_S https://t.co/mDScqVBcKT pic.twitter.com/F281gatguW

— Backpacking Daku (@outofofficedaku) January 26, 2025

 

Older cases also exist. In 2017, Khushbu Kaushal, a professional from Mumbai, said she was deported despite carrying all required documents. “This was the beginning of the most humiliating night of my life,” she wrote in a post after being shouted at and left without food or water during her detention.

 

Complaints of racial profiling

 

Community posts and social media accounts often describe such episodes as racial profiling. A Reddit user claimed, “Mostly Middle Eastern/East Asians are denied entry in Georgia. I wonder if Georgians also deny entry to Germans or Spaniards for example. Because many Georgians actually suffer racism in those countries. Ironic.”

 

Officials have previously defended strict border checks as a measure against illegal immigration, citing instances of Indians overstaying visas or using Georgia as a backdoor to Europe. Yet the suspicion, many travellers argue, unfairly sweeps up genuine tourists.

 

Not every Indian visitor has faced difficulties.

 

Travel blogger Trisha Agrawal, who runs trywanderingmore.com, recently led a group tour to Georgia. Speaking to Business Standard, she said: “While I’ve heard of these issues I personally know no one who’s actually been declined entry into Georgia.”

 

“We faced no issues at immigration. Some of us had e-visas and others were travelling on a US visa, same as me. One of us was asked to show if he had cash, which he did, and that was it,” she added.

 

She said Georgian people “can be very curt, serious and straightforward or very nice and hospitable. No in betweens”.

 

Business Standard’s queries to Georgia Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tbilisi went unanswered at the time of publishing this report.

 

Official data from 2024 showed that Georgia welcomed 124,000 Indian visitors. In the first six months of 2025 alone, arrivals from India rose by 40 per cent compared with the same period last year.