The first question that interests a tourist who has decided to look at Georgia with his own eyes is how to cross the border without hindrance?
Georgia has now become the most visited country in the South Caucasus, and it’s easy to see why: its rich culture and surprisingly diverse landscapes make it an ideal destination for any traveler. To attract as many tourists as possible, Georgia is very loyal to visiting guests. First of all, this applies to the issuance of visas.
Each country has its own rules of entry, and getting to know them is the first step for your relaxing holiday. We have prepared for you a number of tips on how to cross the border correctly and what you can take with you on your trip, which will help you get rid of annoying misunderstandings at the very beginning of your trip.
This is a reality for residents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as well as 90 other CIS countries and Western Europe. Tourists from these countries only need to have a valid passport for entry and exit.
They can freely live this time in the country, can organize their business here, buy an apartment or house. If you need to stay in the country longer than the law allows, you just need to leave, immediately return, giving the countdown to the next year.
Full list of States with the right of free entry and stay in Georgia for one year:
A person who does not have the privilege of free entry to Georgia will also be able to cross the border without problems if they have a visa or residence permit from the following countries. However, the time spent in Georgia is limited to 90 days.
So, your country is not in the lists above. You need to apply for a Georgian visa. You need to register it through the portal of the Consulate. All you need to do is find and fill out an application on the site, get confirmation by e-mail, pay the consular fees and then transfer the electronic version sent to you to paper.
It is worth noting that in some cases, you may need to provide (send to the portal via e-mail) a number of accompanying documents that specify the purpose of the trip. The e-visa will be processed and issued within 5 business days. If the trip may take more than 90 days, you will still need to visit the Georgian Consulate in person.
At the border, the driver of the car will be required to have the usual set of documents in such cases: a license (by the way, they may not be of international standard, it is enough if your last name is written in Cyrillic) and a technical passport for the car. If you borrowed a vehicle from a friend, do not forget to issue a power of attorney for the car and notarize it before leaving. This will confirm your right to travel to another country in someone else’s car.
If there is a child in your car, be sure to buy a special child seat, in Georgia its use is mandatory!
The car insurance survey should be considered separately. In Georgia, only the local version of CTP is valid. It can be purchased immediately at the entrance or via the website www.tpl.ge. Previously it was possible to enter without the purchased insurance. No one was fined for this. Now a new law has been adopted requiring drivers to insure their cars. But without insurance, you can already face a fine of 100-200 gel. Travel is always unpredictable, and for your own peace of mind it is better to have a guarantee against a possible accident on an unfamiliar road.
If you come to the country by train or plane, you can rent a car in any city of Georgia. The rental price usually includes insurance against accidents and theft, unlimited mileage, round-the-clock assistance. Cars in fleets undergo annual technical inspections.
What happens if you have a note in your passport about a trip to Ossetia and Abkhazia from the territory of Russia? It is important to remember that in this case you may be stopped at the border. These two countries are considered occupied. In this case, the border guards have the right to prevent you from entering Georgia and to fine you from 400 to 2000 lari for violating Georgian legislation.
Many travelers to Georgia believe that due to the confusing status, it is impossible to visit Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, the trip there is relatively easy if you enter from the Georgian side and get a special permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. You will have to register it in advance, specifying the purpose of your trip.
The rules for visiting Abkhazia and South Ossetia can be found on the foreign Ministry’s website
If you are not a citizen of Georgia, you need to purchase medical insurance. Unexpected health problems caused by an injury or illness during your stay are one of the most unpleasant problems you may encounter while traveling to another country. Travel insurance will cover possible out-of-pocket expenses that may arise as a result of an accident, illness or illness during your stay in Georgia.
In addition, you must have health insurance with you to avoid problems when checking documents at the border and filling out an entry immigration card.
Often travelers bring with them medicines prescribed by a doctor or just familiar to them, because they are not sure that they will be able to buy similar ones in local pharmacies. Be very careful about the medications that you take with you on the road. In Georgia, the composition of all medicines that are in your Luggage is strictly checked when crossing the border. There is a large list of substances that can not be transported to the country, even as part of combined drugs. Among them codeine, nicodicodine, norcodeine, pholcodeine, Ethylmorphine, ephedrine, norephedrine, pseudoephedrine and others. Of course, any narcotic or psychotropic drugs are prohibited.
If a medicine containing a substance prohibited in Georgia has been officially prescribed to you by a doctor, bring the original prescription and, ideally, the original packaging. Before you travel, read the rules for importing medicines to Georgia on the website of the Ministry of health
Attention: in pharmacies in Georgia, all antibiotics without exception are sold only by prescription.
Customs rules are not too strict. However, some points need to be known in advance by every tourist. You can carry any amount of foreign currency. However, we recommend that you declare more than $ 2,000. This will allow you to prove the purchase of expensive Souvenirs or goods in Georgia, as well as the legality of the exported balance of money.
The amount of the local currency you have at the entrance must not exceed 25 000 GEL. If this amount is higher, you will need to have documents about the origin of these funds. But it is forbidden to export more than 3,000 GEL from the country. Jewelry, a good camera, expensive electronics must be declared.
You can not import goods and personal items with a total weight of more than 100 kg. Restrictions are also imposed on cigarettes – no more than 2 blocks.
Drugs cannot be transported across the border of Georgia. As well as weapons and explosives, pornographic and insulting materials to the state.
If you are used to traveling with your Pets, you need to have an international veterinary passport with you, where there will be marks about your pet’s vaccinations.
When you leave Georgia, you can take any amount of strong drinks with you. The main thing to remember is that you can only import a certain number of liters of alcohol into your country without paying a duty:
in Ukraine, it is allowed to have 5 liters of beer, 2 liters of wine and 1 liter of strong alcohol;
in Russia and Belarus equally 3 liters of any alcohol, exceeding up to 5 liters is possible for paying an additional amount.
All the necessary information is available on the official website of the foreign Ministry of your country. Therefore, it is better to consult in advance before traveling. If you take these rules into account when planning a trip to Georgia, Your stay in this country will be pleasant and leave only positive impressions.
