Rules for overlanding in Georgia

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 9 September 2026.

Which licence you need

All vehicles — A licence issued abroad is valid in Georgia for one year from the date its holder entered the country, after which it has to be swapped for a Georgian licence. An International Driving Permit is recommended. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Insurance — Insurance for foreign-registered cars has been compulsory since 1 March 2018. You can take out a policy locally with the national or international insurers operating in the country, or buy one at the border crossings, including for short periods.
Road surface — Given the state of the road surface, especially outside built-up areas, and the general standard of driving, maximum care is advised at the wheel.
Shared minibuses — Public road transport runs on yellow minibuses of up to 20 seats, the marshrutka, generally the only public link between Georgian towns. Poor vehicle maintenance, road conditions and driving habits mean extreme caution, and the ministry suggests preferring taxis, private vehicles or the train where there is one.
Never offer a bribe — Bribing a public official is an offence that Georgia punishes severely and in practice.

What catches travellers out

Banned medicines — Under Georgian narcotics law, possessing certain substances found in medicines sold freely in Italy is strictly prohibited even with a prescription, among them codeine, dihydrocodeine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methadone, tramadol and pregabalin. Offenders face arrest and heavy fines. Check the full list before leaving, and for any medicine you carry bring the prescription in English or translated into Georgian, apostilled or notarised, with the medicine in its original labelled packaging.
Insurance to enter — Since 1 January 2026 you need valid health and accident insurance to enter Georgia, for at least 30,000 GEL, issued by a Georgian or foreign company. It can be shown on paper or on screen, must be written in English or Georgian and must cover the whole stay, arrival and departure dates included.
Same document both ways — Enter and leave Georgia on the same travel document. There have been refusals at the border where someone entered on an identity card and left on a passport or the reverse, and cases where identity cards were not accepted at all, so the ministry advises using a passport.
Long stays, remote work — Italian citizens can enter without a visa for up to one year, 365 days; check what applies to the passport you hold. Since 1 March 2026 employed and self-employed work, business activity and remote work included, is only allowed to foreigners holding a Georgian work permit.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 9 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Georgia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 9 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.