What you should know for those who are going to move to Georgia

Georgia is a country with a mild climate, unique culture, generous cuisine and simple conditions for doing business. There is practically no language barrier here and there are quite a lot of expats from Russia. The standard of living in Georgia is not too different from large Russian cities, and affordable prices for rental housing, food and services make the country attractive.

All prices are current at the time of writing.

The documents

Citizens of Russia do not need a visa to enter Georgia - they only need a foreign passport. Also desirableGeorgia / Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia get medical insurance.

You can stay in the country throughout the year. Then you will have to make a “visa run” - leave the country and, if desired, return back after a few hours or days. An alternative option is to obtain a temporary or permanent residence permit from the Civil Registry Agency of Georgia.

Also, at the border, you will need to present either a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 with a two-component vaccine or a single-phase Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or a PCR test - it is valid for 72 hours. From March 1, unvaccinated people do not need to do a second PCR test.

If you plan to travel to Georgia by car with Russian license plates, it can legally stay in the country for 90 days. At the end of this period, you need to contact the customs authorities. international law not required, but insurance will be required.

Road

You can get to Georgia by plane or by car.

There are no direct flights to the country (as well as trains, by the way). Now most routes are offered with a transfer in Istanbul or Yerevan. The largest airports in Georgia are located in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi.

If you fly away in the coming days, the cheapest tickets from Moscow for one person in economy class will cost 55-68 thousand rubles. But if you plan a trip in advance, the price tag is much lower - an average of 11-13 thousand rubles.

The alternative is to fly to the Armenian Gyumri, and then cross the border by bus: drive about 50 km. The price of air tickets with a transfer in Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don or other cities starts from 5-6 thousand rubles. rubles, but the nearest option is March 21. A bus ticket from Gyumri to Tbilisi will cost about 2,000 rubles.

Another option is by plane to Baku (Azerbaijan). Tickets with a convenient transfer in Minvody can be bought for 49 thousand rubles.

You can get from Baku to Tbilisi by train, the prices are from 1.5-2 thousand rubles, the travel time is about 13 hours.

It is more difficult to get to Georgia by car - they can let you out of Russia only if you are going for treatment, study or to visit relatives. You can cross the border by car at the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgian Military Highway. According to travelers, passing the checkpoint takes 10–15 minutes on average, but if the border guards decide to conduct a full inspection with auto X-rays, it may take 2–3 hours.

Language

The official language of the country is Georgian. In the country's capital Tbilisi and large cities, such as Batumi, Poti, Rustavi, there are a lot of people who understand Russian.

Young people often speak English well, so if you also speak this language, there will be less difficulties.

Money

The national currency of the country is lari. current exchange rate: 3.35 lari - 1 US dollar.

In Georgia will not work pay with VISA and Mastercard cards issued in Russia. But upon arrival at local banks, such as the Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank, you can open an account and issue a debit card. To do this, you will have to visit the branch in person. From the documents you need only a passport. Account maintenance will cost 1-3 lari per month (less than 1 dollar).

Housing

You can find a comfortable two-room apartment in a good district of Tbilisi for about $350-500 per month, a one-room apartment or a loft for $150-250. In the old fund, the numbers may be lower.

But every day the demand is growing, so prices are also rising. In addition, it should be understood that many houses do not have central heating, so during the cold season, electricity or gas bills can be quite large.

People who have recently moved to Georgia are advised to first rent an apartment or apartments for a few days in order to have a margin of time to look for housing for a longer period.

You can search for accommodation through global services like AirBnB and Booking.com (they gone from Russia, but work in Georgia). There are also local sites, for example Myhome.ge And Place.ge.

An interesting point: in Georgian houses, elevators are usually paid, the trip will cost 5-10 tetri (15-30 cents, tetri - 1/100 lari). If you don't have coins with you, you'll have to walk. But in new buildings, it is enough to attach a plastic key card to the reader.

True, it should be understood that now not all residents of the country are ready to rent out housing to people with a Russian passport.

Food

Local products are relatively cheap, imported ones cost about the same as in Moscow. For example, here are the prices in the Carrefour chain supermarket:

• 1 kg of bananas - 4.35 lari ($1.33);
• 1 kg of imported tomatoes - 4.24 lari (1.27 dollars);
• 1 kg potatoes - 2.75 lari (0.82 dollars);
• 15 eggs - 7.55 lari ($2.25);
• baguette - 1.75 lari (0.52 dollars);
• 1 kg of chicken breast - 17 lari ($5.07);
• 1 liter of milk in a tetrapack costs 4.3 lari ($1.28).

Restaurants and cafes in Georgia are also quite inexpensive when compared with Moscow menus. For example, a piece of khinkali costs an average of 1 lari (0.33 dollars), khachapuri - 5-10 lari (1.5-3 dollars), a portion of barbecue - 10-20 lari (3-6 dollars).

The portions are large, so you can have a hearty lunch for 20-30 lari (6-9 dollars) for two. Please note that a check from a large restaurant may include an additional 10-15% for service and live music, and in local establishments tips - at the discretion of the guests.

If you want to save time and money, you can try street food. Here prices are lower: for example, a small khachapuri costs 1–2 lari (0.33–0.66 dollars), grilled chicken - 3–7 lari (0.9–2.1 dollars), khinkali – up to 3 lari (1 dollar). ) for 5-6 pieces.

Connection

Almost the entire territory of Georgia - with the exception of perhaps remote mountainous regions - is covered by a 3G connection, which works stably. Tbilisi, Batumi and other large cities also have 4G.

Upon arrival, it makes sense to buy a local SIM card - Geocell, Magti or beeline. Package with 30 GB of internet for three months will cost about 39 lari ($12), with unlimited connection - 59 lari ($18). Roaming from Russian operators works, but it will cost much more.

Work

There is no labor shortage in the Georgian labor market. Therefore, it will be difficult to get a job in local companies.

Therefore, it is worth counting on a long stay in Georgia, first of all, for people who have a financial cushion, and those who work remotely. You can also try to start your own business or provide services to expats at home - for example, doing nail and eyelash extensions, haircuts, and other household issues.

If you know foreign languages ​​well, consider the tourism industry. But this is a seasonal job, which is not likely to provide a stable income at first.

In 2021 Georgia occupiedEase of Doing Business in Georgia / TRADING ECONOMICS 7th place in the ease of doing business ranking. Open IP it's pretty easy here. The income tax is only 1%, there are no other payments, while the maximum annual income should not exceed 500 thousand lari (149 thousand dollars). If you go beyond the limit, then the fees increase to 3%.

Registration is carried out remotely or at the House of Justice. You will need a passport and a local legal address - you can get it with the consent of the property owner in Georgia. For remote registration, you need a copy of your passport and a power of attorney translated into Georgian. After registration, you need to create a personal account on the site tax service and open a local bank account.

Health

For people without Georgian citizenship, medical care in the country is paid, so it is better to take out insurance. The price of policies for a year with COVID-19 coverage in Russian companies starts from 11 400 rubles.

But many tourists note that it is better to take a policy on the spot: local companies agree on all issues faster. The cost of the policy is from $ 12 per month, the basic package includes appointments with a doctor if necessary, ambulance services, discounts for outpatient treatment, dental treatment, laboratory tests, surgeries and purchase medicines. The more expensive the policy, the more services are provided free of charge and the greater the discount on other types of services.

Without insurance, a visit to a doctor in Georgia will cost 10-20 dollars, a day's stay in a hospital - 200-300 dollars, dental services - from 30 dollars.

Due to the pandemic, masks must still be worn in almost all public places, but there are no other restrictions.

Service

Glovo, Wolt and Menu.ge food delivery services operate in large cities of Georgia. Orders can be placed on the mobile app. Some restaurants have their own delivery services.

A taxi from the airport to the center of Tbilisi will cost an average of 25 lari (7.5 dollars). You can drive through the entire Georgian capital for 10 lari (3 dollars), trips within the center usually cost 3-5 lari (1-1.5 dollars). Work "Yandex. Taxi, Bolt, Taximaxim, as well as private drivers.

The quality of services in Georgia varies. For example, haircuts, epilation and massages are done well and relatively inexpensively. But plumbing or electricians sometimes have to wait a long time, and the level of service may not be the highest.