Georgia Tightens Control Over Trucks from High-Risk Countries

The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia informs carriers about new procedures that have come into force in Georgia.

According to a decision by the Interagency Coordinating Council led by the Prime Minister of Georgia, control over trucks with drivers who are citizens of other countries has been strengthened at the customs checkpoints of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance. This measure applies to drivers who have been in countries with high COVID-19 transmission risk (People's Republic of China, South Korea, Italy, Islamic Republic of Iran, Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark) in the last 14 days.

For a foreign driver who has been in a high-risk country before arriving at the Georgian border, the following procedures will apply:

• The vehicle conducting transit transportation through Georgia, whose driver is not a citizen of Georgia, is subject to mandatory escort from one checkpoint to another throughout the entire transit transportation.

Regarding the import of goods into Georgia (non-transit), the following procedures are applied:

• Trucks that have been in countries with high COVID-19 transmission risk in the last 14 days (recognized as high-risk zones by the World Health Organization) and are importing goods into Georgia will follow these protocols upon entering Georgia:
• 1. The driver of the truck will be replaced by a person not from the high-risk countries (including areas of coronavirus transmission). This procedure must meet the following conditions:
• A) The relevant disinfection of the truck will be carried out under the supervision of an authorized representative of the customs authority.
• B) The truck driver (the person who drove the vehicle before reaching the Georgian customs border) must be returned (a citizen of another state) or, depending on clinical condition, subjected to quarantine / transfer to a medical institution.
• C) Alternatively, the trailer of the truck may be replaced with one that has not been in a high-risk zone. At the same time, appropriate disinfection of the truck's trailer will be carried out under the supervision of an authorized person from the customs authority, and the other truck will be sent back (the truck used before moving the cargo into the Georgian customs area).
• 2. If the driver cannot be replaced by another driver, the vehicle will be moved to the nearest customs control area, and the goods will be loaded onto another vehicle.

As for drivers arriving from other countries (for instance, from Armenia), who have not been in countries considered high-risk in the last 14 days, they will go through sanitary and quarantine control procedures at the customs control point (detailed medical history compilation, examination according to international health regulations, including temperature screening, etc.).

Based on the results of the inspections conducted by the epidemiologist, if the driver has a high temperature and/or other suspicious symptoms, the driver will be sent back (except for Georgian citizens), and the procedures mentioned above may be applied concerning the cargo. In cases where Georgian citizens exhibit symptoms, the driver must be transferred to the relevant medical facility for further examination.

Drivers whose health condition is satisfactory will pass through without hindrance.