Customs regulations when entering or leaving Georgia

 Are you going to Georgia on vacation or on a business trip? Then this article could be useful for you because it will describe rules of import and export of currency, technics, products, etc.

+995 32 800 111 - Customs hotline or call 077

⚠️ Useful numbers in Georgia are here

The first thing to note: Georgia has a visa-free regime for 121 countries.

The declaration can be filled out in one of three languages: Georgian, English or Russian.

Tour of Georgia "Classic №1"

Tour of Georgia "Classic №2"

Tour organization in Georgia upon your requests

What can you import duty-free into Georgia:

• Personal items with a total weight of no more than 100 kg
• Electronic devices, one of each name: telephone, laptop, camera, etc.
• Sports equipment: bike, tent, fishing equipment, etc.
• Products worth not more than 500 GEL and weighing 30 kg.
• Cigarettes and alcohol: 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 50 cigarillos, also 250 g of tobacco, four liters of alcoholic beverages.
• Jewelry or jewelry for personal use, customs tax is not levied, you must declare in order to avoid questions at check-out.
• Parcels worth up to 300 GEL, except for alcohol, perfumes, and tobacco products
• Import and export of cash (except for numismatic purposes),as well as checks, securities in the amount of not more than thirty thousand lari (30,000 GEL) are not subject to customs tax.

How much money can I bring into Georgia?

30,000 lari cash and securities can be brought into Georgia. The import of foreign currency into Georgia is not limited, but above all it is necessary to declare and confirm the origin. If you transport bypassing customs control, then a fine or seizure. "Tariffs" are as follows:

• 0 - 30000  free of chagge
• 30000 - 50000 GEL 3000 fine or confiscation
• 50000 - 100000 GEL 5000 fine or confiscation
• 100,000 and above - 10% fine or confiscation

How much money can you take out of Georgia?

You can take out the equivalent of 30,000 lari in foreign currency. If it is in Georgian currency, then no more than those thousand (3000 lari). In this case, there should not be more than 4 banknotes of the same denomination. Restrictions and rules are otherwise the same as for importation.

What must be declared:

• The following are subject to mandatory customs declaration:
• Cash money more than GEL 30,000;
• Jewelry, jewelry;
• Antiques and art objects;
• Goods intended for commercial activities;
• Plants and animals (their parts or products obtained from them);
• Radio-electronic means of communication of high frequencies;
• Birds, plants and animals (Import of animals to Georgia article).

Prohibited to import into Georgia:

• Weapons and explosives;
• Drugs and psychotropic substances;
• Pornographic products;
• Literature that undermines the state structure of Georgia;
• Meat, meat products and dairy products without a vet. certificate.
• Those who are prescribed prescription drugs should check the legality of their import into the territory of Georgia. Lists of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, precursors, which are limited for circulation in Georgia, have been published at http://georgia.mid.ru/obsaa-informacia.

Entering Georgia by car

A citizen of another state can enter Georgia by car registered in another country and stay in Georgia for up to 90 days.

At the entrance to his passport, a corresponding sticker is attached with a wax seal, which is valid for 90 days. Prior to this period, the vehicle must leave the territory of Georgia or go through the appropriate customs procedures.

According to the law, from March 1, 2018, the driver (owner) of a vehicle registered in a foreign state, upon entering Georgia, is obliged to insure his vehicle for the entire period of his stay in Georgia. Insurance policies can be bought at the branches of the Compulsory Insurance Center, near the relevant customs checkpoints at the borders (Krasny Most, Kazbegi, Sarpi, Sadakhlo). Also with the help of an insurance agent, insurance broker or by electronic technical payment.

More information can be found here: http://www.tpl.ge

What should you have with you when entering Georgia by car?

1. International passport, 
2. Technical passport 
3. Vehicle registration certificate;
4. Driver's license (data must be duplicated in Latin letters),
5. Insurance. Mandatory to purchase in Georgia
6. When entering Georgia by car without an owner. TS, you need a notarized power of attorney with the right to travel abroad.

Customs tax in Georgia

If suddenly you have to pay customs duties in Georgia, then the rates are as follows: from 5 to 12% of the customs value of the goods. The rate for a specific product is taken into account. Fixed rates are set for alcohol only. Value Added Tax (VAT) is 18%.

Import tax. Customs duty for goods transported across the border with customs value:

- for goods with a customs value of up to 3000 lari per declaration - 5 euros in equivalent in Georgian lari;

- for goods with a customs value of 3000 lari or more per declaration - 60 euros in equivalent in Georgian lari.

Canyon Martvili and thermal springs

Rafting in Racha-Lechkhumi region

Horse riding in the suburbs of Tbilisi

Tax free in Georgia

A number of large stores have the permission to issue special receipts for VAT refunds, which is 18%. You can get a return of 15% because 3% is charged for servicing the bank. VAT refund takes place at the airports of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi before crossing the economic border of Georgia

It should be noted that most of the tax-free shops are located in Tbilisi. You can return VAT on export of goods no later than 3 months from the date of purchase.

VAT is not refundable if the following goods are purchased:

- cars and other vehicles;

- gold bars weighing more than 125 g;

- gems;

- goods that require an export permit or license.

How to correctly issue tax free:

Make a purchase for more than 200 GEL in shops where Tax Free is supported (if you haven't noticed the sign, ask the seller).

Show your passport to the seller to fill out a tax-free check

Receive a tax-free check filled out by the seller. Cashier's check and tax-free check are different papers, keep both.

To do this, present the sealed goods, completed tax-free check, cashier's receipt and passport to the authorized person of the Georgian Revenue Service at the airport.

From the author:

Customs control in Georgia is more loyal when leaving than when entering. You will be greeted with a smile, at passport control, if you are lucky, they will give you a bottle of wine, but they will do everything according to the established procedure.

From 2021, only bottled wine can be exported and there is a restriction on products. On-site inspection is not particularly fond of, and in 2023, none of our guests have yet been asked to leave wine, chacha, cheese or other products. But, of course, this is not a recommendation and the measure is also useful.