Useful information for Georgia

There are many ways to come to Georgia: by airplane, by car, by train or by boat.

In Georgia there is a lot of possibility to move, as by public transport also by private transport.

TRANSFER TO / FROM THE AIRPORT

Transfer from the airport to the city center (Tbilisi, Batumi or Kutaisi) is possible with public transport (bus and / or train) as well as with private transport. We remain in your disposal in the case of utility of private transport.

TRANSPORT BETWEEN CITY

Train

The ferrous network binds the eastern part of Georgia with the western part. The main train is Tbilisi-Batumi, which runs twice a day, every day.

Tbilisi – Batumi :

Every morning : 08:00 – 13:14 or 10:25-15:39

Every evening : 17:05 – 22:19 or 18:20 – 23:28

Batumi – Tbilisi :

Every morning : 07:05 -22:19

Every evening : 18:20 – 23:28

Minibus

Minibuses connect almost every point of Georgia. It is a public transport uncomfortable but practical. Several minibus stations exist in Tbilisi and in each city.

Helicopter

In Georgia there are several airports that operate domestic flights:

Aerodrome “Natakhtari” – located 35 km north of the center of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

Mestia Airport – located 5 km east of the center of Mestia, Svaneti region, northwestern Georgia.

Ambrolaouri Airport – located 3km north of Ambrolaouri city center, Ratcha region, northwestern Georgia.

Mimino Airport – located 7 km north-east of Telavi center, Kakheti region, east of Georgia.

Tbilisi – Batumi – almost every day;

Natakhtari – Ambrolaouri – 2-3 times a week;

Nathakhtai – Mestia – 4-5 times a week;

Kutaisi – Mestia – 2 times a week.

Flight schedules change often. Do not hesitate to contact us for information and tickets.

Car

Car rental is possible in Georgia. The main highway, E60, which links Tbilisi to Batumi is under construction. The roads are rather maintained, not paying. In certain areas a good 4×4 car is mandatory.

Do not hesitate to contact us for information and for car rental.

Important! Permitted blood alcohol level: 0.3 ppm. In the event of an accident, notify the police for the establishment of the report.

Taxi

Taxi is a very easy and not very expensive transportation in Georgia. It is used rather to move in city, but it is possible also to use it for the displacement between city. It is possible to pay in cash by Taxi or credit card using several international applications of Taxi.

Distances

Tbilisi – Baku: 578 km                                   Tbilisi – Batumi: 375 km 

Tbilisi – Yerevan: 273 km                               Tbilisi – Koutaisi: 228 km  

Tbilisi – Poti: 323 km                                     Tbilissi – Borjomi: 158 km

Check online if you need to apply for a visa to travel to Georgia.

Visa Free

Pleasant innovation: Citizens of European Union and of some others countries don’t need to present any visa for entering Georgia.

If you wish to visit Georgia for a short period of time, you can book the ticket for the first plane.

So, the issue “Visa to Georgia” is settled.

Citizens of European Union member states can enter Georgia with a travel document and an identity card issued by an EU member state. The identity card must contain the person’s surname, first name, date of birth and photo.

eVisa

The citizens of other countries are invited to get the e-visa online. It takes 5 working days to receive a decision on a visa application. We are at your disposal to assist you in your efforts.

Attention! Entry into Georgia is strictly forbidden to persons holding a visa issued by the de facto authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or a stamp indicating a stay in one of the two occupied regions of Georgia. They risk immediate arrest for illegal entry into the country.

Instructions on the importation of psychotropic drugs into Georgia

The importation of psychotropic drugs is subject to strict regulation. It concerns all narcotics, including drugs containing codeine, benzodiazepine, opium, tramadol, morphine, cannabis, etc.

The law provides for entry arrangements with this type of psychotropic substances and medicines for the personal use of travelers. The traveler must have in his possession the following documents:

• Photocopy of the prescription translated into English and certified by an authorized agency according to the rule determined by the laws of the country from where a natural person is traveling. Prescription should include the following information:
  • Natural person’s Name, Surname, gender and age
  • Diagnosis
  • Brand and generic names of the narcotic drug and/or psychotropic substance
  • Dosage form
  • Quantity of tablets, ampoules and etc
  • Method of use and duration of treatment
• Certificate of physician issuing prescription, translated into English and certified according to the rule established by the laws of the country of departure
• Document signed and sealed by an authorized person (legalized) certifying authenticity of the prescription and certificate and issued by a competent authority of the country of departure. Such a document should include the following information:
  • Name of the authority
  • Juridical address
  • Contact person
  • Phone number
  • Country of destination

The list of the medicaments is very variable. So, please, check the Revenue Services of Georgia webpage for newest information.

If these types of drugs are needed during the trip, please check the information about it before coming. We are at your disposal in case of any questions.

Vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for Georgia.
For recommended vaccinations, consult the Institut Pasteur web page.

 
Emergency calls: 112
 

Warning! It is strictly forbidden to import certain medicines into Georgia. See more information at the top of the page.

Exchange rate
1 GEL (Georgian Lari) = 100 Tetri
1 EURO = 2.9 GEL (06/09/2022)
1 USD = 2.9 GEL (06/09/2022)
Check the official LARI exchange rate here.

Exchange
The exchange takes place easily in the country, in the many exchange offices of the big cities.
Attention: only bring tickets in good condition, otherwise they can be refused.
There are also many distributors in which you can directly withdraw cash.

Exchange offices are working 24/7 at airports.

Banks
Banks operate in Georgia from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00. Each bank has an agency that works 24 hours / 7 days.

Georgia is in the GMT zone + 4h.

Compared to Europe there is the difference + 2 hours or +3 hours according to the period of year, because in Georgia there is no change of schedule.

Opening time:

Official working hours in Georgia are from 10:00 to 18:00, from Monday to Friday.

The National Museum of Georgia, which unifies almost all museums in Georgia, works from 10:00 to 18:00, every day except Monday.

Holidays:

January 1st – New Year’s Day
January 2nd – Second day of the year
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas
January 19 – Baptism Day of Christ
March 3 – Mother’s Day
March 8 – International Women’s Rights Day
April 9 – National Unity Day
Variable – Orthodox Passover, Easter Monday (April 27th and 28th in 2019)
May 9 – Feast of Victory on Fascism
May 12 – Saint Andrew’s Day
May 26 – Independence Day
August 28 – Dormition
October 14 – Day of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Mtskheta)
November 23 – Feast of Saint George

Emergency calls: 112

Phone calls
To call Georgia from abroad:
1 – dial the country code + 995
2 – dial the city codes (322 for Tbilisi, for example) or the mobile operator (599 for Magti, 577 for Geocell, etc.)
3 – dial 6 numbers of your correspondent

Code of Major Cities in Georgia:

• Tbilisi : 322
• Akhaltsikhe: 365
• Batumi : 422
• Borjomi : 367
• Gori : 370
• Kobuleti: 426
• Kutaisi: 431
• Mtskheta: 373
• Photi: 493
• Rustavi: 341
• Stephantsminda: 345
• Telavi : 35

To call abroad from Georgia:

1 – dial the number for international calls (00)
2 – dial the country code (33 for France, for example)

The post office

The post office in Georgia has been renewed and developed after the development of the Internet for that post is not very popular in Georgia. One of the slogans of the post was “გახადე ურთიერთობა ხელშესახები” “Making contact tangible!”, which describes very well the role of the post in Georgia.

You could find postcards everywhere in the tourist area, stamps are also available in some tourist shops. To send letters use post boxes located in the streets or arrive directly at the post office.

Internet

In hotels and restaurants there is always the internet with the connection of good level. In the street (in parks and in tourist areas) there is free public Wi-Fi Tbilisi Loves You, which can be used in case of emergency.

The domain of the country is .ge.

The official language of Georgia is Georgian. English is widely spoken in tourist areas and in the service sector. In general, and especially in certain regions, Russian, Armenian and Azeri are also spoken.

Demographics
The total population of Georgia is 3,997,000 (2022).
Several ethnic groups coexist. The majority are Georgian (86.8%), followed by Azeris (6.2%), Armenians (4.5%), Russians (0.7%) and others (2.8%) (2014).

Religion
In addition to ethnicity, several religions are also present.
The official religion is Orthodoxy, and the majority of the population is Orthodox (83.9%), followed by Muslims (9.9%), Armenian Gregorians (3.9%) and Catholics (0.8%). The remainer of the population is made up of Jews (0.1%) and representatives of other religions (0.8%). 0.6% of the population has no religion. (According to 2002 description).

Visiting monasteries
When visiting churches and especially monasteries, which are very common in Georgia, women are asked to wear long skirts and cover their hair, while men are asked to wear long pants. In almost all cases, long skirts and scarves are lent to women at the entrance.

Gifts for guests
When you’re invited, it’s best to bring sweets or chocolates rather than wine, especially if you’re going to the party and/or the village.

Tips
This gesture of thanks is up to you.

Entry rules for foreign citizens

As of June 15, 2022, all foreign citizens entering Georgia by any means of transport (by ✈ air, 🚗 land, or ⛵ sea) are exempt from the requirement to present a vaccination certificates or a negative PCR test results.

For more information, please consult the official site.