Population
~1.2 million (Tbilisi city); ~3.7 million (Georgia)
What people learn after moving
Four things newcomers say matter most about life in Tbilisi
Languages
Georgian (official, own alphabet); Russian widely understood; English among the young
Currency
Georgian Lari (GEL); approx GEL 2.70 = US$1 (2026)
Time zone
Georgia Time (GMT+4), no daylight saving
Cost of living in Tbilisi
Typical newcomer prices
GELFurnished 1-bed, central (Vera/Vake)US$500-900 / mo (often quoted in USD)
Furnished 1-bed, Saburtalo / left bankUS$400-700 / mo
Dinner for two with wine (mid-range)GEL 60-120 (US$22-44)
Khinkali / khachapuri casual mealGEL 15-30 (US$5.50-11)
Metro / bus ride (90-min transfers)GEL 1 (US$0.37)
Check your eligibility
Can you move to Georgia?
Pick your passport to see entry rules and the long-stay routes we have researched.
Pick your passport to see whether you can enter Georgia — and what it takes to stay.
Your move, in order
Getting set up in Georgia
1
Legal & IDMedium confidence
Visas & Residency
Georgia lets citizens of ~95 countries (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia) stay 365 days visa-free with no application — the most generous regime in the world. For longer-term roots there are work, IT, and investment residence permits. Two big 2025-2026 changes reshape the picture: a Special Labour Activity Permit (from March 1, 2026) and a tightened, higher-bar real-estate residency route.
2
DrivingHigh confidence
Getting Around & Driving
Tbilisi drives on the RIGHT. Bolt dominates ride-hailing and is dirt cheap; the metro and buses cost GEL 1 a ride with free 90-minute transfers. A foreign licence is valid for one year from entry, and Georgia lets most foreigners exchange it for a Georgian one with NO driving test. Petrol is around GEL 3.55/litre.
3
BankingHigh confidence
Opening a Bank Account
You can open a multi-currency account (GEL/USD/EUR) on a visa-free stay, in person, often same-day — but post-2022 compliance is far stricter than Georgia's old reputation suggests. TBC is the nomad favourite for its app and English service; Bank of Georgia is the other giant; Credo is rising. There are no currency controls and no minimum deposit at TBC.
4
HealthHigh confidence
Healthcare & Insurance
Foreigners are NOT covered by Georgia's public Universal Healthcare — you use private clinics and private insurance, both of which are cheap by Western standards. From Jan 1, 2026 travel medical insurance (min GEL 30,000 cover) is mandatory just to enter. English-speaking private care is good and affordable: a GP visit is GEL 50-70, a specialist GEL 60-100.
5
TelecomHigh confidence
Mobile & Internet (SIM)
Three operators — Magti (best coverage and 5G), Silknet, and Cellfie (cheapest) — sell SIMs for GEL 5-10 with passport registration (mandatory). Mobile data is very cheap: unlimited runs about GEL 32-35/month. eSIMs are available from all three, and home fibre (often included in furnished rentals) runs GEL 35-80/month.
6
TaxHigh confidence
Taxes & the 1% Regime
Georgia's famous 1% tax is real but conditional: it applies only to Individual Entrepreneurs with Small Business Status, on turnover up to GEL 500,000/year — and consulting, legal, medical and other licensed services are EXCLUDED (taxed at 20%). Personal income tax is a flat 20%, dividends 5%, and Georgia uses territorial taxation — but work physically performed in Georgia is Georgian-source. Get a local accountant before assuming you qualify.
Each guide has verified costs, timelines, required documents, and the non-obvious gotchas — sourced from official government pages. Last verified 2026-06-29.
Language
Essential Georgian phrases
გამარჯობა (Gamarjoba)Greetings
gah-mar-JO-bah
Hello — literally 'victory'; the universal greeting. Locals light up when a foreigner uses it.
გმადლობთ (Gmadlobt)Greetings
g-MAD-lobt
Thank you (formal). 'Madloba' (MAD-lo-ba) is the casual version. Worth learning — English is far from universal.
გაუმარჯოს (Gaumarjos)Social
gah-oo-MAR-jos
Cheers! — the toast at every supra (feast). Expect to hear it many times in an evening; raise your glass and drink.
სუფრა (Supra)Social
SOO-prah
The traditional Georgian feast — a ritual of endless food, wine and structured toasting led by a 'tamada' (toastmaster). The heart of Georgian social life; being invited is an honour.
კი / ხო (Ki / Kho)Daily life
kee / kho
Yes ('diakh' is the formal version). 'Ara' (AH-rah) = no. Georgians often gesture as well — a head nod and 'ki' confirm.
რა ღირს? (Ra ghirs?)Daily life
rah ghirs
How much does it cost? Essential at the bazaar (bazroba) and markets, where bargaining is normal.
სად არის...? (Sad aris...?)Daily life
sahd AH-ris
Where is...? e.g. 'Sad aris metro?' (Where is the metro?). Pair with pointing and you'll get there.
ღვინო (Ghvino)Food
GHVEE-no
Wine — Georgia is the 8,000-year-old birthplace of wine, fermented in clay qvevri. Ordering the house amber/orange wine is a rite of passage.
ხინკალი (Khinkali)Food
kheen-KAH-lee
Soup dumplings — grab by the twisted top knot, bite a hole, slurp the broth, then eat. Never eat the doughy top knot; locals count them on the plate.
ბოდიში (Bodishi)Social
BO-dee-shee
Sorry / excuse me — useful for squeezing through the metro or apologising. 'Ukatsravad' is the more formal 'excuse me'.
ვერ მესმის (Ver mesmis)Daily life
ver MES-mis
I don't understand. Add 'inglisuri?' (English?) to ask if someone speaks English — younger Georgians often do; older generations speak Russian.
დახმარება! (Dakhmareba!)Emergency
dakh-mah-RE-bah
Help! The single emergency number for police, fire and ambulance is 112 (operators speak English).
Reading a list isn’t learning it. Globe Quest turns these into a trainer — hear each phrase spoken, drill them with spaced repetition, and get scored as you say them out loud.
Culture
What to know before you go
The 365-day visa-free stay is the real magic — but the rules are tightening
CriticalCitizens of ~95 countries (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and more) can stay a full 365 days visa-free, then 'border-run' to reset. It's the most generous regime on earth and the reason nomads love Georgia. But enforcement is hardening: an illegal-presence database launched late 2025, overstay fines run GEL 1,000+, and a new Special Labour Activity Permit (from March 1, 2026) is reshaping how freelancers should formalise. Treat the year as a gift, not a loophole — regularise via Individual Entrepreneur status if you're staying.
The 1% tax is real — but only via Individual Entrepreneur + Small Business Status, and not for everyone
CriticalGeorgia's famous 1% tax is not automatic. You register as an Individual Entrepreneur (IE) at the Public Service Hall, then apply for Small Business Status, which taxes turnover at 1% up to GEL 500,000/year. Crucially: consulting, legal, medical and other licensed/professional services are EXCLUDED and taxed at the standard 20%. And the 'tax-free foreign income' framing is misleading — if you physically work in Georgia, that income is Georgian-source. Get a local accountant before assuming you qualify.
Tbilisi is astonishingly cheap — and the food-and-wine culture is world-class
ImportantA khinkali dinner with wine runs GEL 30-50 (US$11-18) for two; a bottle of excellent natural wine is GEL 20-40 in a shop. Monthly living costs outside rent sit around US$500-800. The trade-off the city's quirks: cash is still king in many places, winters are genuinely cold, and air quality in the valley can be poor in winter.
Banking got harder after 2022 — bring a paper trail
ImportantYou can still open an account on a visa-free stay, but post-2022 compliance tightened sharply. Bring your passport, proof of source of funds (pay slips, contracts, tax returns), and ideally a Georgian phone number for OTP. TBC and Bank of Georgia are the big two; registering as an IE strengthens your 'why Georgia' economic-substance story and smooths approval.
From January 1, 2026, travel/medical insurance is mandatory to enter
ImportantGeorgia now requires all foreign visitors to hold travel medical insurance with minimum GEL 30,000 (~US$11,000) coverage on entry (Reg. No. 602). Carry proof. SafetyWing, local insurers (GPI, ARDI, Aldagi) and most nomad policies meet the bar. Foreigners are NOT covered by Georgia's public healthcare, so private insurance is essential anyway.
Winters are cold and the old town is beautiful but freezing — heating is a real decision
Good to knowTbilisi sits in a valley and winter drops near or below 0°C, with snow some years. Gorgeous old-town flats are often poorly insulated with gas space-heaters that are expensive and uneven to run. When renting, the heating system matters as much as the view. Summers, by contrast, are hot and dry (35°C+); air-con is worth confirming too.
Work
Top industries & employers
Tourism & Hospitality
Adjara Group (Rooms/Stamba/Fabrika), Radisson, Biltmore, Marriott
Tourism is a pillar of the economy; Tbilisi's boutique-hotel and wine-tourism scene is booming, with strong F&B, guiding and management opportunities.
IT & Tech / Remote Work
EPAM, Exadel, Pulsar AI, Theneo, plus thousands of remote freelancers
Georgia courts tech actively — a 2025 IT residence permit and the Virtual Zone (0% corporate tax on exported IT) make it a magnet for developers and remote-first companies.
Banking & Finance
TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia, Credo Bank, Liberty Bank
Two dominant banks (TBC, Bank of Georgia) are among the region's most digitally advanced and are London-listed; fintech and crypto-adjacent services are growing.
Wine & Agriculture
Schuchmann, Tbilvino, Teliani Valley, hundreds of family wineries
The 8,000-year-old qvevri winemaking tradition (UNESCO-listed) drives exports and a fast-growing natural-wine tourism niche centred on Kakheti, two hours east.
Logistics & Transit
Anaklia/Poti port operators, BP (BTC pipeline), freight forwarders
Georgia's position on the Middle Corridor between Europe and Central Asia/China makes transit, energy and logistics strategically central.
BPO & Shared Services
Evolution, Majorel, EVEX-adjacent service centres
Low costs and a multilingual (English/Russian) workforce draw call-centre and shared-service operations, a common entry point for foreign residents.
Explore
Where to go in Tbilisi
Old Town & the Sulfur Baths (Abanotubani)
Landmark · Old Town
The atmospheric historic core — carved balconies, the brick-domed sulfur bathhouses, and the leaning Narikala fortress above on the cable car.
Local tip: Book a private room at Chreli Abano (the tiled 'Orbeliani' bath) for an hour; go on a weekday morning to avoid the tour crowds. The cable car from Rike Park is GEL 2.50 with a Metromoney card.
Fabrika
Nightlife · Chugureti (left bank)
A Soviet sewing factory reborn as a hostel, coworking hub, courtyard bar and creative-class magnet — the social heart of nomad Tbilisi.
Local tip: The courtyard is free to hang in; great for laptop work by day and meeting other nomads by night. The surrounding streets hide some of the city's best new-wave cafés and wine bars.
Dezerter Bazaar
Hidden gemFood · Station Square
Tbilisi's wild, sprawling farmers' market — mountains of spices, churchkhela, cheeses, pickles and the cheapest produce in the city.
Local tip: Go hungry and with cash and small change. Buy churchkhela (walnut-and-grape-must 'Georgian Snickers') and a wheel of sulguni cheese; haggling is expected.
Mtatsminda Park & Funicular
Nature · Mtatsminda
A hilltop amusement park with the best panorama of the city, reached by a historic funicular railway up the mountain.
Local tip: Ride the funicular up at sunset, eat at the mid-station restaurant, and walk the ridge. The Metromoney card works on the funicular.
Rustaveli Avenue
Culture · Mtatsminda / Centre
The grand central boulevard — opera house, National Gallery, Parliament, theatres and the Dry Bridge flea market just below.
Local tip: Saturday/Sunday at the Dry Bridge Market for Soviet memorabilia, silver and antiques. The National Gallery's Pirosmani room is a must.
Kakheti wine country (day trip)
Hidden gemNature · 2 hrs east
Georgia's wine heartland — Sighnaghi's walled hilltop town, family qvevri cellars and the Alazani valley under the Caucasus.
Local tip: Hire a driver for the day (GEL 150-250 split among friends) rather than a bus tour; ask to visit a small family marani (cellar) for the real qvevri experience.
Safety
Emergency numbers in Tbilisi
112
All emergencies (Police / Fire / Ambulance)
0322 500 020
AMC Tbilisi (English-speaking clinic)
0 800 800 909
Tourist hotline (Nat’l Tourism Administration, EN/RU/FR)
+995 32 240 10 10
Public Service Hall hotline (IDs, residency, documents)
Still deciding?
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