In a written parliamentary question published on 15 September, National Assembly member Cendrine Chazé pressed the Foreign Ministry on whether France would back an EU proposal to broaden the current suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian officials to cover all Georgian citizens. The Commission invoked the suspension mechanism in March 2026 over democratic-backsliding concerns, but that measure targets only holders of diplomatic, service or official passports and expires in March 2027. Chazé highlights the tension between sanctioning Georgia’s ruling elite and supporting a largely pro-European public that would be caught in a blanket suspension. The government has yet to reply, but the question signals that France may face domestic political scrutiny as the Council debates a potential extension later this year. For global-mobility teams, the stakes are high: some 7,300 Georgian nationals received French work permits in 2025, many in construction and agriculture. A universal suspension would force these workers into full Schengen-visa processing, lengthening lead times and raising compliance costs. If France sides with a broader suspension, companies should prepare for embassy appointment bottlenecks and consider intra-company transfers via EU Blue Card routes, which carry different caps. An eventual decision is expected by January 2027; businesses employing Georgian talent should monitor the Foreign Ministry’s written response, which will be published in the Assembly’s official journal.
