Useful information

Georgia

Official name of the country is GEORGIA, (საქართველო) situated between the Black and Caspian Seas. It is about the size of Ireland covers 69’000 sq. km. Georgia shares borders with Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Türkiye.

Plug in type

The standard voltage in Georgia is 220 V, while the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

Travelers from countries with a standard voltage between 220 V and 240 V, such as Australia, the UK, Europe, Africa, and most parts of Asia, can use electric appliances in Georgia without voltage converters.
However, travelers from countries such as Canada, Japan, the US, and South America, have to use a voltage converter to use electric appliances in Georgia.

EMERGENCY

112 is the Emergency Response Center that receives emergency calls from all over Georgia 24/7. It is free of charge from all fixed line and mobile networks even if the number is disconnected from both sides or there is no SIM-card in the mobile phone.

Working Hours

Government and civil administrations in Georgia start working at 9:00 and finish at 18:00. Saturday and Sunday are rest days.

Tbilisi Metro working hours are as determined: from 06:00 to 00:00 every day. Public transport operates every day from 07:00 to 23:00.Tbilisi shopping centers and supermarkets are generally open from 8:00 to 22:00 – 23:00. On Saturdays and Sundays, most shopping centers and supermarkets mosty work from 10:00 to 21:00 – 22:00.

Currency

Lari (ლარი) has been official currency in Georgia since October 2nd 1995
Its name was inspired by terms used in historical Georgian kingdoms, with Lari signifying treasure and property and tetri adopted as the fractional currency based on a historical coin from the Middle Ages. There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Lari banknotes.
1 Lari is equal 100 Tetri and 5, 10, 20 and 50 Tetri coins can be found.

Public Transport

The modern transportation system in Georgia is well-developed. The city transport includes bus, metro system and fixed-route taxi-bus. Every metro station sells a Tbilisi metro card, MetroMoney, and Travel Card. At present, the metro system of Tbilisi has two underground lines with 23 stations in total.

METRO operating hours : 06:00 – 24:00.

BUS operating hours : 07:00 – 24:00.

Tbilisi Transportation system accepts VISA, MasterCard, Apple-Pay and Google-Pay as well.

Communication

Georgian is the official language of Georgia. Abkhazian and Georgian are used in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, and in the Samegrelo-Zemo-Svaneti Region there are Megrelian and Svan languages that locals speak together with Georgian.

Considering the Soviet past, when the nations used to communicate among themselves in Russian, almost every representative of the elderly generation speaks Russian. Young people, in particular, speak English and often some other European language.

Generally, international guests communicate and get around in English. Guides, bank representatives, store workers, and restaurant workers have a good command of the English language. When calling any information hotline, you are always offered English as a service option.

You may come across many people speaking many languages in Georgia and Tbilisi, particularly. Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Jews, Armenians, Azeris, Greeks, Ukrainians, Poles, Kurds, Avars, Germans, and other nations have been coexisting for centuries in Georgia.

Which currency is better to carry?

It’s best to bring Dollars or Euros, with you to Georgia as these currencies are widely accepted and can be easily exchanged at any bank or exchange office with the best rate. Also VISA, Master Card or Apple Pay can be used almost at any place.

Is it safe ?

According to to See. place, a popular travelers website, Georgia is one the top ten safest countries in the world due to its low crime rate, after Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Malta, and Luxembourg.