🇬🇪Georgia

How your entry route is decided

Georgia lets citizens of about 98 countries stay for a full year without a visa. That includes the whole EU, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

1. Visa-free for 365 days in any 12-month period. There is no extension mechanism - the way people reset the clock is to leave across any land or air border and come back, which starts a new 365 days.
2. EU, Swiss, Liechtenstein, Turkish and Ukrainian citizens may enter on a national identity card, no passport needed.
3. Chinese citizens enter visa-free for 30 days, for tourism only.
4. Indian citizens need an e-Visa from the official portal. Others in the same position apply the same way, and the portal is the only legitimate channel.
5. Cambodian citizens need a visa. Taiwan passports are not on the visa-free list and entry is arranged only case by case - check with a Georgian mission well before booking.

Passport rule: valid at least 3 months beyond the end of your intended stay.

The rule that is new and catches people out

Since 1 January 2026, under Decree No. 602 and the Law on Tourism, every foreign tourist must hold valid health and accident insurance to enter Georgia.

• Minimum cover is 30,000 GEL per traveller, for medical and accident treatment.
• It must cover the entire stay, including the day you arrive and the day you leave.
• A Georgian or a foreign insurer is fine, electronic copies are accepted, and the policy may be in English or Georgian.
• Exempt: holders of Georgian residence permits, people entering for official employment, and diplomatic staff and their families.
• A "tourist" here means anyone staying at least one night and less than a year - so this applies to essentially every visitor.

Other formalities

• Cash declaration: bringing in or taking out more than 30,000 GEL or the equivalent in foreign currency, cheques or securities must be declared at customs. Failing to declare between 30,000 and 50,000 GEL is a 3,000 GEL fine or confiscation; over 100,000 GEL it is 10% of the total.
• At the desk, the Border Police scan the passport, may ask for your insurance, hotel booking, onward ticket and proof of funds, and stamp you in. It usually takes one to three minutes.
• Overstaying costs 180 GEL for up to three months and 360 GEL beyond that, payable on departure. An unpaid fine blocks re-entry, and the record damages any later residence application.

• The allowances are generous by regional standards - several litres of alcohol and a carton of cigarettes per adult - and the airport checks are light.
• Abkhazia and South Ossetia may not be entered from Russia. Doing so is illegal entry into Georgia and carries a fine or prosecution when you next appear at a Georgian checkpoint.
• Cash above the declarable threshold must be reported, and the Turkish and Armenian land borders are where this is checked.
• Wine may be brought out in quantity, which is unusual and deliberate - but the allowance of the country you fly into is what limits you.
• Antiquities and religious objects need an export permit from the Ministry of Culture. Old icons sold in the Tbilisi flea market are exactly the category that gets stopped.

Your insurance is now an entry document. Since 1 January 2026 every tourist must hold health and accident cover of at least 30,000 GEL valid for the whole stay. Have the certificate on your phone alongside your booking.

• No vaccinations are required. Keep tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, and MMR current.
• No malaria and no dengue anywhere in Georgia.
• Tap water is safe in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and the mountain areas, and it is genuinely good. In Batumi, most visitors stick to bottled water because of variable coastal plumbing.
• Food and ice in licensed urban restaurants are reliable.

Hospitals and pharmacies

• Private hospitals in Tbilisi and Batumi have English-speaking staff and modern facilities: MediClubGeorgia, American Hospital Tbilisi and Evexi are the ones foreign visitors are usually directed to. Regional public hospitals have older infrastructure and limited English.
• Pharmacy chains are everywhere: PSP, Aversi, Pharmadepot and GPC all sell paracetamol and ibuprofen over the counter.

Bringing your own medication

Georgia restricts more than you would expect. Medicines containing codeine, tramadol, pseudoephedrine or any psychotropic agent are tightly controlled. Bringing them in without a certified doctor's prescription translated into English or Georgian can lead to detention at customs and criminal prosecution. Pack the paperwork with the pills, not in the hold.

Georgia is one of the cheapest places in the region to sleep well, and there is no bed tax on top.

• No municipal tourist or bed taxes are levied anywhere in Georgia, so the quoted price is the price.
• A physical passport or national ID card is required at check-in for identity registration.
• Booking.com dominates for hotels and guesthouses, Airbnb for city apartments. MyHome.ge and Flats.ge are the local portals for longer stays.

Where to stay for a first visit

• Tbilisi: Old Tbilisi (Kala), Sololaki and Mtatsminda put you inside the historic centre and within walking distance of most of what you came for. Vera and Chugureti around Marjanishvili are the eating and nightlife side. Vake is the calm, upmarket residential option.
• Batumi: Old Batumi and the strip along Batumi Boulevard by the sea.
• Kutaisi: the historic centre around the Colchis Fountain and the White Bridge.

Guesthouses in the mountains are frequently cash-only and may not appear on booking sites at all. In Kazbegi, Svaneti and Tusheti, bring lari and expect to arrange the room in person.

Buy MagtiCom unless you are staying strictly in Tbilisi.

• MagtiCom is the market leader, with over 90% population coverage, the best reception in the high mountains - Kazbegi, Svaneti, Tusheti - and LTE inside the Tbilisi Metro tunnels. Its eSIM profile costs 10 GEL.
• Silknet (formerly Geocell) is solid in the cities and along the main highways, with 5G in central Tbilisi. eSIM profile 5 GEL plus a 4 GEL new-number fee.
• Cellfie (formerly Beeline) is the budget option with 5G in the big cities and Batumi, but weak coverage in the mountains.

Where to buy

• At the airport: MagtiCom, Silknet and Cellfie all run kiosks in the arrivals halls at Tbilisi International Airport and Kutaisi International Airport, selling pre-packaged tourist SIMs.
• In town: official operator stores in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi.
• Passport registration is mandatory for any local SIM or eSIM, in a shop or online.

International eSIMs

Saily covers Georgia from USD 4.79 for 1 GB over 7 days, and is the fastest option if you land late. One trade-off reported repeatedly by travellers: international profiles roam on secondary host networks and degrade noticeably in the mountains compared with a direct MagtiCom eSIM. If the trip involves Kazbegi or Svaneti, buy local.

Sockets in Georgia are Type C and F at 220 V, 50 Hz - two round pins in the European pattern.

• A Europlug fits every socket, and Schuko plugs fit the earthed ones.
• British, American and Australian plugs need an adapter.
• Older Tbilisi housing and guesthouses in the mountains have unearthed sockets, sometimes wired to a supply that dips noticeably when a water heater starts.
• 220 V behaves as 230 V does for anything built for Europe; American 120 V-only appliances need a converter.
• Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan match, so one adapter covers a Caucasus trip.
• A Europlug is enough for chargers; only appliances with a metal case really need the earthed Type F outlet.

• Power: Type C and F sockets, 220V, 50Hz - the same as continental Europe.
• Time: UTC+4 all year. Georgia does not observe daylight saving, so the offset from Europe shifts by an hour twice a year.
• Language: Georgian, with its own alphabet, which you will not be able to read. Russian is widely understood by older people, English by younger people and in tourism. Street signs in cities are usually transliterated.
• Tap water is safe and good in Tbilisi and the mountains.
• Public holidays: Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, New Year, Easter by the Orthodox calendar, Independence Day on 26 May and Mtskhetoba in October. Government offices and many businesses close.

Things worth knowing socially

• The supra is not just dinner. A Georgian feast runs on toasts led by a tamada, and each toast is drunk in full. Guests are pressed to keep up. It is entirely acceptable to say you are not drinking - say it early and clearly rather than trying to keep pace.
• Hospitality is intense and sincere. Being invited home by someone you just met is normal and usually exactly what it appears to be.
• Churches: women should cover their heads and wear a skirt (wraps are provided at the door), men should not wear shorts.
• Photographing the occupied-territory boundary lines or military installations is a bad idea.
• Toilets in public buildings and markets often cost a small amount in cash.

Money and paying for things

Georgia uses the Georgian lari (GEL).

• Cards work in the cities. Visa and Mastercard are taken in hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and shops across Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi.
• Cash is still mandatory for marshrutka minibuses, street markets, rural vendors, public toilets and small mountain guesthouses. Carry lari before leaving a city.
• Use bank ATMs: Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank. Avoid standalone machines in tourist areas, which mark up heavily.
• Foreign cards pay a local ATM fee of 3 to 10 GEL per withdrawal on top of your own bank's charge, and per-transaction limits are typically 1,000 to 2,000 GEL. Take out more per visit and fewer visits.
• Decline dynamic currency conversion. Choose "bill in GEL" or "proceed without conversion"; accepting the terminal's rate costs 8% to 15%.
• Exchange in town, not at the airport. City exchange offices run narrow spreads; the booths at Tbilisi and Kutaisi airports are much wider. Withdrawing lari from an airport bank ATM beats exchanging cash there.

Tipping

Check the bill first. Restaurants in Tbilisi and Batumi commonly add a 10% to 15% service charge automatically. Where they have, nothing more is expected. Where they have not, 5% to 10% in cash is a normal gesture.

What things cost

Bolt is the default for everything short, and it is cheap enough that most visitors barely use the buses.

• Uber does not operate in Georgia. Bolt is dominant in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi; Yandex Go is the secondary option. A typical city-centre ride is 6 to 12 GEL, at roughly 1.50 to 2 GEL per km.
• Tbilisi transit costs 1 GEL a ride, including 90 minutes of unlimited transfers across metro and municipal buses. Pay by contactless Visa or Mastercard, or with a rechargeable Metromoney card (2 GEL for the card). Passes: 3 GEL a day, 20 GEL a week, 40 GEL a month, sold at metro stations.
• Batumi buses are 0.30 GEL by card. Regional marshrutka minibuses are 0.80 GEL, paid in cash as you get off.
• Marshrutkas are cash-only everywhere, and they are how you reach most small towns and trailheads. Keep small notes.
• Between Tbilisi and Batumi, take the Stadler double-decker. Five hours, 34 GEL in second class, 74 GEL first, 124 GEL business. Book on gr.com.ge or through TKT.ge or Biletebi.ge, which let you pick a seat on the upper deck and take foreign cards. Your passport number is required to book.
• Mountain roads close. The Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda over the Jvari Pass blocks with snow in winter and mudslides in spring. Check before setting out.

• Bolt - https://bolt.eu/en-ge/ - The ride-hailing app in Georgia. Install it before you land; it is how you leave the airport.
• Yandex Go - https://go.yandex/ - Secondary ride-hailing, useful when Bolt surges.
• TKT.ge - https://tkt.ge/ - Train tickets, buses and events, with seat selection and foreign card support.
• Georgian Railway - https://gr.com.ge/en - Official intercity rail booking.
• Tbilisi Transport Company - http://ttc.com.ge/ - Metro and bus information and passes.
• Google Maps - Reliable for Tbilisi metro and bus routing, and better than anything local.
• Saily - International eSIM, installed by QR code before you fly, if you would rather not queue at a kiosk.

Free roads, spectacular mountain routes, and driving standards that are the main risk.

• Overtaking on blind bends is normal and the accident rate is high. Defensive driving here means assuming an oncoming car in your lane on every corner.
• The Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi is paved and dramatic; the road to Ushguli in Svaneti and the Tusheti track are not, and the Tusheti road is one of the most dangerous in the world.
• The alcohol limit is 0.3 g/l and police checkpoints are common on the main routes.
• Roads are free - there is no vignette or toll network.
• Winter closes the high passes, and the Jvari Pass on the way to Kazbegi shuts at short notice between November and April.

Georgia is a safe country with a very low violent crime rate, and city centres in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi are comfortable to walk at night. Patrol Police are visible and responsive.

The two scams that matter

• The bar scam. Concentrated on Shardeni Street and around Perovskaya in Tbilisi, and aimed at solo male travellers. A promoter invites you into a bar, drinks appear, and security then presents a bill of several hundred or several thousand GEL and blocks the door. Do not follow a street promoter into a venue you did not choose, and if it happens, call 112 rather than paying.
• The airport tout. Drivers inside the terminal claiming to be your Bolt or offering a flat rate, charging 100 GEL and up for a 25 GEL ride.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Do not attempt to enter the Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia or South Ossetia from the Russian side. Under the Law on Occupied Territories that is a criminal offence in Georgia, punishable by prosecution and a permanent entry ban. This is not a bureaucratic technicality.

Roads and nature

• Driving here is genuinely aggressive: hard overtaking, high speeds, sudden lane changes, and livestock on rural roads. If you are not confident, hire a driver rather than a car.
• Mountain roads: the Georgian Military Highway over the Jvari Pass toward Stepantsminda closes for snow in winter and mudslides in spring.
• Seasonal hazards: spring flooding and landslides in mountain valleys from April to June, avalanche risk in the alpine areas from December to March, and minor earthquakes - Georgia is a seismic zone.

Law and social climate

• Drug law is zero-tolerance and severe, cannabis included. Possession brings heavy fines and prison sentences. This is one of the strictest regimes in the region.
• Solo and female travellers report low levels of street harassment and generally safe conditions.
• LGBTQ+ travellers: same-sex activity is legal, but social attitudes are conservative and public displays of affection outside a few Tbilisi venues can draw hostility.

Emergency numbers

• 112 - the single national number for police, ambulance and fire and rescue. Free from any phone. Ask for an English-speaking operator and you will be transferred.

There is no separate tourist police. The Patrol Police handle everything, and they are generally responsive and used to foreign visitors.

If your passport is lost or stolen

1. Report it at the nearest Patrol Police station and obtain the written incident report.
2. Take that report to your embassy in Tbilisi for an emergency travel document.

Embassies in Tbilisi

• United States - 29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi 0131 - +995 32 227 7000 - consular hours Monday to Friday 08:30 to 17:30
• United Kingdom - GMT Plaza, 4 Freedom Square, Tbilisi 0105 - +995 32 274 747
• Czech Republic - 37 Chavchavadze Avenue, block VI, Tbilisi 0162 - +995 32 291 6740

Remember your insurance certificate. Since January 2026 cover of at least 30,000 GEL is compulsory, and a private hospital will ask for it before treating anything non-urgent.