Travel to Georgia

Georgia: travel information

How to get to Georgia

Air connections

The Georgian airline Airzena Georgian Airlines (A9) offers direct connections from Frankfurt am Main to Tbilisi twice a week. For more information:

Airzena Georgian Airlines Herzogstrasse 24 60528 Frankfurt/ M. Tel: +49 (0) 69 – 68 09 19 36 Email: airzena@aol.com www.airzena.com

The following airlines also fly to Georgia:

  • Aeroflot www.aeroflot.deTel: +49 (0) 30-2269810 from Berlin via Moscow to Tbilisi
  • Austrian Airlines www.aua.comfrom Frankfurt via Vienna to Tbilisi
  • Czech Airlines CSA www.czechairlines.deTel: +49 (0) 69 -9200350, from Frankfurt to Tbilisi
  • Germania www.gexx.deTel: +49 (0) 1805 -737100, from Cologne/Bonn to Tbilisi

Travel in the country

There are many different ways to travel to Georgia.

Air connections There are domestic flights from Tbilisi to Kutasi, Butami and Senaki.

Bus Buses are

now running again between the larger cities of Georgia. One shouldn’t expect comfort, however. Tbilisi has a small subway network; Buses and trolleybuses complement the local transport system.

Railway

The main railway lines run along the Black Sea coast. There are connections to Azerbaijan, Armenia (with connections to eastern Turkey), Turkey, Iran and Moscow. Since the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is closed to international travel, the rail connections between Georgia and Russia are limited to freight traffic. The rail network covers around 1,600 km. Long journeys are not recommended. Theft precautions are appropriate. Reservations are required for all trains. There are two classes that differ mainly in the comfort of the seats. Children under five years of age travel free, children between the ages of five and nine pay half.

Roads

The poor road conditions and the driving style that deviates from Western European traffic means an increased risk of accidents on the road.

Rental cars

In Georgia you can find all common rental car companies.

Ferry connections

The most important ports are Batumi, Poti and Sukhumi. From Batumi and Poti there are international ferry connections to other ports on the Black Sea (Odessa, Sochi, Trabzon and Istanbul) and to the Mediterranean (Genoa and Piraeus).

International License Plate

According to Abbreviationfinder, the international license plate of Georgia is:

GE

Local currency, customs regulations, shopping

The national currency of Georgia is the

Lari = 100 Tetri

Import and export of foreign currency

  • Local currencyThe export and import of the local currency is prohibited.
  • Foreigncurrencies Foreign currencies must be declared upon entry; exports are permitted up to an amount of 500 US dollars.

Import and export of goods

The luggage must be completely re-exported. The export of antiques and works of art is only permitted with a permit. Precious metals and furs may not be exported.

The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited. In addition, the import and export of plants and animals that are protected under the Washington Species Protection Act is prohibited. Violation can result in severe penalties.

With the exception of the customary international import bans, there are no import restrictions, not even for larger sums of money. A list of duty rates can be obtained from the Georgian Customs Office. The export of carpets and commercially available antiques requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture, which is usually available in a short time.

The export of carpets and commercial antiques requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture, which can usually be obtained in a short time with the help of the seller. Particularly valuable antiques and other important cultural goods are subject to an export ban. Before entering into a transaction, every buyer should find out about possible export restrictions.

Country-

specific goods, souvenirs In galleries and special shops for tourists you can buy beautiful ceramic works, embroidery and jewelry. Georgian wine or brandy is also a typical commodity in the country. Articles that are for sale in tourist shops generally already have an export permit.

Entry with a car

When entering Georgia with your own car, special customs regulations have recently come into force. These allow a maximum of 20 days – for transit travelers only 10 days – for the vehicle to remain in the country. If these deadlines cannot be met, the vehicle must be re-registered or an application must be made to extend the deadline. If the specified deadlines are exceeded, severe fines are imminent.

Formalities, visas

German citizens do not need a visa to enter Georgia for a stay of up to 360 days, regardless of the purpose of their stay. However, a passport is required, which must be valid from the time of entry to the time of departure. If you want to stay longer than 360 days, you need a visa issued by the Georgian Embassy in Berlin.

Infectious Diseases

There are no mandatory vaccinations. The submission of medical certificates (e.g. HIV negative certificate) is also not required. Before traveling to Georgia, if necessary, you should have your vaccination against diphtheria, polio and tetanus refreshed. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations are recommended as further vaccinations. For trekking trips or long-term stays, vaccination against rabies should also be considered and there is a risk of tick-borne borreliosis in forests and bush areas.

Constantly required medication and the usual first-aid kit (painkillers, diarrhea, cold remedies, ointments against insect bites, etc.) should be brought with you.

In summer there is an increased risk of diarrhea due to the higher temperatures and the dishes prepared with more oil than in Germany.

Furthermore, there is a considerably increased risk of tuberculosis infection (the infection rate is about ten times higher than in Germany). No other special disease risks are known. There are no recommendations regarding food to be avoided. The tap water should not be used as drinking water.

There is a lower risk of contracting malaria tertiana in the south-east of the country. Contact with stray animals also carries a certain risk of contracting rabies.

Vaccinations against the following diseases should exist, as in some cases in Germany:

  • cholera
  • diphtheria
  • Early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE)
  • Yellow fever
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Meningococcal meningitis
  • Pneumococci
  • Polyo (polio)
  • Tetanus (tetanus)
  • rabies
  • typhus

Georgia: Diplomatic missions

Visit Countryaah for a full list of Georgia embassies and consulates in each country around the world.

Representations in Germany

The Georgian Embassy is at the end of Rauchstrasse and Drakestrasse opposite the property where the Mendelssohn-Bartholy family’s house was until 1938. The “Society for Foreign Policy” has had its headquarters here since 1999.

The embassy building was built between 1939 and 1940 by the Potsdam architects v. Estorff and Winkler built as the embassy building of Norway on behalf of the then Reichsbaudirektion. From 1945 the Norwegian military mission resided here. It is worth mentioning that Willy Brandt worked in the building for a while. The Norwegian embassy office was located here from 1997 to 1999. Then the Embassy of Georgia moved in here.

Embassy in Berlin

Rauchstrasse 11

10787 Berlin

Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 48 49 07 0

Email: info@botschaftvongeorgien.de

Honorary Consulate in Munich

Ottostraße 1

80333 Munich

Tel: 0049 – (0) 89 – 51 70 29 84

E-Mail: georgischer-honorarkonsul@claus.hipp.de

German representations in Georgia

Embassy in Tbilisi

Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel

Telawi Str. 20

0103 Tbilisi

Tel: 00995 – 32 – 44 73 00

Email: info@tiflis.diplo.de

Web: www.tiflis.diplo.de

Austrian representations in Georgia

Embassy in Tbilisi

Griboedov Str. 31/Rustaveli Ave. 42 5th floor

0108 Tbilisi

Tel.: +995/32 243 44 02

www.bmeia.gv.at/oeb-tiflis/

Representations of Georgia in Austria

Embassy in Vienna

Doblhoffgasse 5/5

1010 Vienna

Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 403 98 48

E-Mail: vienna.emb@mfa.gov.ge

Honorary Consulate in Graz

Körblergasse 20

8010 Graz

Tel: 0043 – (0) 316 – 582 483 – 44

E-Mail: georgien@honorarkonsulat.org

Representations of Georgia in Switzerland

Embassy in Geneva

Rue Richard Wagner 1

1202 Geneva

Tel: 0041 – (0) 22 – 919 10 10

Email: geomission.geneva@bluewin.ch

Swiss representations in Georgia

Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi

Krtsanisi 11

0114 Tbilisi

Tel: 00995 – 32 – 75 30 01/-02

E-Mail: tif.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

Web: www.eda.admin.ch/tbilisi

The Swiss Embassy in Georgia is still responsible for Armenia.

Formalities, visas

German citizens do not need a visa to enter Georgia for a stay of up to 360 days, regardless of the purpose of their stay. However, a passport is required, which must be valid from the time of entry to the time of departure.

If you want to stay longer than 360 days, you need a visa issued by the Georgian Embassy in Berlin.

Travel to Georgia