Visabestimmungen Presse

Rules of Accreditation of Foreign Journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chapter I. General Provisions
1.The present Rules shall determine accreditation procedure for representatives of the foreign mass media (hereinafter journalists) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.2.Accreditation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall be carried out by the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

3.Legal status and professional activity of journalists accredited at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia shall be regulated by the international treaties of Georgia, the Laws of Georgia "On Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression , "On Legal Status of Foreigners , "On Temporary Entry to, Stay on and Departure from the Territory of Georgia and the present Rules.

Chapter II. Rule of Issuing Accreditation

1.Representatives of the foreign mass media: journalists of electronic and printed periodicals, radio, television, video, photo and documentary programmes, producers and editors, technical staff may receive accreditation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.

2.Accreditation may be granted to journalists on a long term, temporary and special basis:
a) Long term accreditation shall be granted for a period of 1 year;
b) Temporary accreditation shall be granted for a period of up to 3 months;
c) Special accreditation shall be granted to cover a concrete event.3.Applicants for accreditation shall submit the following documents:a) Written request of the head of a foreign mass media source on the accreditation of a journalist. The request shall include a journalist"s full name and surname; number of his/her passport; citizenship; occupied position; goal and period of a visit to Georgia; a journalist"s address in Georgia and abroad.
b) Special accreditation form filled in and signed by journalists, which will be elaborated by the Department of the Press and Information (available at the web-site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia);
c) 2 (two) photos of 3cm x 4cm size;
d) Copy of a journalist's card;e) Copy of the page of a journalist"s passport, which indicates the number, date and place of issue and period of validity of passport;
f) A journalist"s biography.
4.Documents provided for by Paragraph 3 of the present Chapter shall be presented at the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia or the Diplomatic Mission of Georgia abroad.
5.If the presented documents are not complete, the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia shall notify in written the representatives of mass media of it and shall offer to present complete documents within 5 days. The notification may be sent to the e-mail indicated in the accreditation form.
6.The Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, if necessary, shall be authorized to require additional information and/or to interview journalists.
7.Denial to grant accreditation to journalists, suspension and/or revocation of the granted accreditation shall be possible:
a) If the presented documents include false data;
b) If the accreditation card is given to the other person;
c) If the representatives violate the law of Georgia.
8.The decision to grant long term accreditation shall be taken by the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia within 30 working days upon receiving all relevant documents.
9.The decision to grant temporary accreditation shall be taken by the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia within 14 working days upon receiving all relevant documents.
10.The decision to grant special accreditation shall be taken by the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia within 7 working days upon receiving all relevant documents.
11.On consideration of the presented documents and making a positive decision, journalists shall be issues a relevant accreditation card signed by the Director of the Department of the Press and Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
12.Thirty (30) days earlier before the expiration of a period of accreditation, the representatives shall apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for re-accreditation.
13.Use of the overdue accreditation card shall be prohibited.
14.Copy of the issued accreditation (together with the enclosed documentation) shall be registered in accordance with established procedure and kept at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
15.In case of loss of an accreditation card, journalists shall be obliged to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia of it (within 10 working days). Question of issuing of a duplicate shall be considered within two weeks.
Chapter III. Form and Technical Description of an Accreditation Card
1.The Department of the Press and Information shall issue an accreditation card to accredited journalists.2.An accreditation card shall be of double-sided and coloured with the logo of the Ministry of Foreign Ministry.
3.The accreditation card shall include the following data:a) a journalist"s name and surname;
b) number of an accreditation card;
c) name of mass media, represented by a journalist;
d) period of validity of the accreditation card.
4.The photo of a journalist is pasted on an accreditation card.
5.An accreditation card shall be signed by the Director of the Department of the Press and Information.
Chapter IV. Final Provisions
1.Annulment of these Rules, introduction of changes and amendments shall be carried out by order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
2.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, within its competence, shall assist the accredited journalists to fulfill their professional duties in compliance with the law of Georgia.
3.Journalists accredited at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia shall enjoy the right of free movement on the territory of Georgia except the zones for which special permissions are necessary.