In this article we will tell you what currency to travel to Georgia with so as not to have problems with exchanging and paying for purchases. Read before your trip.

What is the national currency here?

The local currency is the Georgian lari (GEL), and most of the commodity and monetary transactions in the country are carried out in it. Lari consists of one hundred tetri. Metal coins and paper bills are in use in the country.

The coins start with one tetri, followed by coins of 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri. In the form of coins there are lari in denominations of one and two lari. The rest of the laris are paper bills. The banknotes come in the same sequence as the coins - from one to fifty lari, there are banknotes in denominations of 100 and 200 lari.

Features of money exchange

Changing money in Georgia is not a problem. You can exchange currency directly at the airport, at banks or exchange offices. The exchange rate at the airport is often more favorable than the exchange rate at exchange offices and banks.

The network of exchange offices is developed; they can be found in large cities. They accept foreign international currencies, that is, the American dollar and the European euro, and the money of neighboring countries - Russian rubles, Armenian drams and Turkish lira. Flexible work schedule, they work until the evening or around the clock. An important feature of exchange in Georgian exchange offices is that the rate there is often higher than the bank rate.

The lari to ruble exchange rate for today can be found using this calculator.

If you are going to exchange money at an exchange office, be it dollars, euros or rubles, you should visit 3-4 places, or better yet 5-6. The difference can reach 20-30 tetri, which will be noticeable for large amounts. In the exchanger, you should pay special attention to the difference between the rates for selling and buying currency. A difference of twenty to thirty tetri is a lot, and it is better to look for an exchange office with a difference of no more than 10 tetri.

There are enough banks in Georgia, even in small towns. Opening hours from 10.00 to 18.00 local time. Exchange rates at banks are relatively fair for dollars, euros and rubles. If tourists brought other types of currencies with them on vacation, the exchange will be negative for the client.

It’s somewhat difficult to say what exactly to go on vacation with. Exchange rates are not stable and can change several times a day. You can arrive with rubles, euros, and dollars, and exchange on the spot. Many Georgian shops and restaurants support payments using bank cards.

The country allows you to use bank cards, but in general it is somewhat unprofitable. When cashing out money from a card, the currency is converted through the dollar or euro and, as a result, it turns out to be unprofitable. It is better to come with cash and exchange it on the spot; the import and export of currency is not limited by law. When bringing cash into Georgia, you do not need to declare it.

Speaking about the import and export of cash, it is worth mentioning an interesting feature of local legislation concerning the local currency - the Georgian lari. So you can take them out of the country in an amount of no more than three thousand lari, and no more than 4 banknotes of the same denomination. That is, when planning to leave, you should make sure that your cash complies with this rule, or exchange it in advance for another currency.

We have already talked about different types of currency exchange, but I would also like to mention an additional exchange opportunity inherent in the Middle East - money changers. There are such people in Georgia, you meet them in markets and bazaars. The exchange rate they offer is, as a rule, very favorable, but here the tourist will probably be deceived. If you come across a private money changer offering a favorable exchange rate, you should not give in to greed, but rather use the services of official organizations.

The single monetary unit used in internal and, to some extent, external payments in Georgia is the Georgian lari. The name of the currency comes from the Georgian word, meaning “property” or “reserve” when translated into Russian.

Characteristics of the national currency of Georgia

To date, there are two issues of money in circulation in Georgia. The first dates back to 1999, the second to 2006. Banknotes and coins of both series have the same appearance and attributes of authenticity. Also in circulation there is a special series issued for the anniversary of the national currency of Georgia, coins with a face value of 10 lari.

The issue of coins was carried out by order of the Central Bank of Georgia at the Paris Mint and partly at the mint factories of Slovakia and Bratislava.

Just like other currencies of the world, the Georgian lari is divided into a unit of smaller denomination - the tetri. One lari is equal to one hundred tetri.

History of Georgian currency

Previously, before the collapse of the USSR and the annexation of Georgia, USSR banknotes - Soviet rubles - were used in calculations, then they were temporarily replaced by Georgian coupons. However, the use of coupons in Georgia lasted only 4 years - in 1995, by decree of President Shevardnadze, lari were introduced into circulation.

The Central Bank entrusted the development of banknote design to European designers, in particular, French and Slovak masters contributed. The currency of Georgia contains images of cultural figures and national heroes, and on the reverse, the reverse side of banknotes and coins, there are images of architectural and art monuments belonging to Georgia.

Special attention was paid to the coins from the anniversary issue: a thoughtful, meticulous design, coupled with the use of a bimetallic manufacturing method, made it possible to obtain several colors: silver, copper and gold.

Denomination and appearance of the currency of Georgia

The currency of Georgia has a wide denomination; 8 banknotes of various denominations, 7 standard issue coins and 5 anniversary coins are used in circulation.

Georgian banknotes have a very convenient nominal division and contain images of important people and cultural monuments of the state:

  • 1 lari. On the front side is the artist Niko Pirosmani, on the back is a landscape of the city of Tbilisi.
  • 2 lari. On the front side is the composer Zakhary Pashiashvili, on the back is the building of the Grzinsky Opera and Ballet Theater named after the same composer.
  • 5 lari. On the front side is Academician Ivane Javakhishvili, on the back is Tbilisi State University named after him.
  • 10 lari. On the front side is public figure Akaki Tsereteli, on the back is a fragment of David Kakabadze’s painting “Imereti is my mother.”
  • 20 lari. On the front side is public figure Ilya Chavchavadze, on the back is a monument to King Vakhtang I Gorgasal against the background of an 18th-century map of Tbilisi.
  • 50 lari. On the front side there is Queen Tamara and an image of a griffin from the Samtavisi temple, on the back there is “Sagittarius” from a Georgian engraving of the 12th century.
  • 100 lari. On the front side is a portrait of the poet Shota Rustaveli, on the back is a graphic depiction of a biblical story from the monastery in Martvili.
  • 200 barks. On the front side is the national hero of Georgia Kaikhosro Cholokashvili, on the back is a view of Sukhumi from an ancient engraving.

The Georgian currency has a wide nominal differentiation, which greatly simplifies settlements and also allows citizens of the country to flexibly manage their personal finances.

Monetary policy of Georgia

Today, the management of the monetary policy of Georgia is entirely entrusted to the Central Bank of Georgia, whose activities are regulated by state laws, while, according to Article 95 of the Constitution of Georgia, the Central Bank carries out its activities independently of the executive authorities.

The national currency of Georgia is one of the central objects of regulation of the Central Bank of Georgia. The following goals and objectives facing it are highlighted:

  • Maintaining a fair market exchange rate for the national currency.
  • Maintaining the target inflation level.
  • Maintaining price stability.
  • Ensuring the effective use and accumulation of gold and foreign exchange reserves.
  • Supervision of the banking sector and other financial institutions on issues of circulation and exchange of national currency.
  • Control of the authenticity of currency in circulation.

Georgian lari to ruble and other currencies

The basis for the formation of the lari exchange rate in relation to other foreign currencies is the action of market forces - demand, supply and price. In December 2015, the Central Bank of Georgia canceled the currency peg to the dollar. According to international standards, lari has the abbreviation GEL.

The fundamental criterion determining the market parity of the lari is the price of oil, due to the fact that Georgia is one of the oil exporting states. There is a strong inverse correlation between the oil price and the lari exchange rate.

At the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, the exchange rate of the lari against a basket of major world currencies was as follows:

  • USD/GEL 0.414.
  • EUR/GEL 0.379.
  • GBP/GEL 0.285.
  • CAD/GEL 0.587.
  • AUD/GEL 0.590.
  • NZD/GEL 0.633.
  • RUR/GEL 0.032.

Recently, the lari exchange rate has weakened noticeably against the backdrop of falling oil prices; it remains under threat, therefore, in the period 2016-2017. it is possible for the Central Bank of Georgia to carry out a number of foreign exchange interventions in order to keep the currency exchange rate from falling deeply.

The monetary unit of Georgia is called the lari (introduced into circulation in 1995), which, in turn, is subdivided into one hundred Tetri. International currency code GEL.

Short story

The modern monetary unit of Georgia became official in the country during presidential rule, namely in 1995. The symbol of the national currency was introduced on 07/08/2014. The basis for the design of the symbol was the letter of the Georgian alphabet ლ (l).

There are both paper lari banknotes and metal coins in circulation throughout the country. Below in the article, bills and coins will be discussed separately.

Coins

In Georgia, the main monetary unit, the lari, is most often used in the form of paper bills, but there are coins in denominations of one and two lari. Most metal coins are still less valuable than lari. The coins in circulation are one, two, five, ten, twenty and fifty tetri.

All Tetri coins were first minted and put into circulation in 1995. They are still used for payment. Coins for circulation in Georgia are minted at the mint in Paris.

Coins in denominations from one to twenty tetri are made of stainless steel, and 50 tetri are made of an alloy of copper, nickel and aluminum. In Georgia there are also commemorative coins that are issued by the National Bank. They are made from both precious metals (gold, silver) and non-precious metals, which include cupronickel and nickel silver.

Banknotes

The monetary unit of Georgia in the form of paper bills began to be used simultaneously with coins. There are two series, old and new. The old version was released from 1995 to 2006 and is still in circulation today. On the banknotes of this series, the denomination is written in both Georgian and English. Banknotes in use are in denominations of one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred and two hundred lari. Banknotes worth 500 lari were also issued in a limited edition.

In 2016, a series of banknotes with a new design was released. The appearance of the twenty, fifty and one hundred lari bills has been changed.

Monetary unit of Georgia. Exchange rate to ruble and other currencies

It is much more expensive than the Russian ruble on the international foreign exchange market. So, the Georgian monetary unit to the ruble is estimated at approximately 23 and a half rubles, therefore, for one ruble you will get about 0.04 lari.

As for other currencies, one euro gives approximately 2.7 lari. The figure, of course, is approximate, since currency quotes are constantly changing due to the cyclicality and volatility of the foreign exchange market. One American dollar is worth about 2.5 lari, respectively, one lari is valued at approximately $0.4.

The Georgian currency is not very popular on the international market. This is due to the fact that Georgia does not have a strong economy, quite a few international trade transactions take place through it, and although tourism is developed, the country is not on the list of leaders in this industry.

Exchange operations. Conclusion

A tourist who wants to visit this Caucasian country must first find out everything related to the financial side. A Russian citizen traveling to Georgia has nothing to worry about, since in the republic they will easily exchange Russian rubles for lari. This can be done almost anywhere: at the airport, hotel, bank or exchange office.

Georgian companies involved in currency exchange and other financial transactions are happy to work with Russian currency. There are quite a lot of visitors from Russia to the country. In addition, many Georgians study and work in Russia, and send remittances to their homeland, so the flow to Georgia is quite high. But as for exchanging Russian rubles for laris in Russia itself, this will be much more problematic, since it is almost impossible to find a place where such an exchange operation can be carried out. They work with Georgian currency only in the border towns of the Caucasus, and even then not everywhere.

In addition to the Russian currency, there are no difficulties in exchanging dollars and euros in Georgia, but other banknotes can be quite problematic to exchange. The country also works with Armenian currency, Turkish lira, British pounds and some other currencies.

Georgia is a fascinating country with beautiful mountainous nature and a long history, so many people will be interested in visiting it. Russian citizens are a little luckier than residents of some other countries, because no difficulties will arise with exchanging money. Thanks to this, a visiting person does not have a number of problems associated with this.

When going to any country, you need to carefully consider all your actions in order to eliminate the possibility of any difficulties arising. Currency exchange is one of the most important issues that is worth paying attention to, because no one wants to end up in a foreign country without money, or rather with money that is not used on the territory of this state.

The Republic of Georgia is a state located in the central and western parts of Transcaucasia, washed by the Black Sea in the west. Area - 69.7 thousand km2, population - 5.5 million people, 56% of whom are Georgians, the rest - Ossetians, Abkhazians, Armenians, Russians, Azerbaijanis, etc. The capital is Tbilisi. The form of government is a multi-party republic with a unicameral parliament, the head of state is the president. The republic includes Abkhazia, Adjara and South Ossetia, 65 administrative districts, 62 cities and 52 urban-type settlements. This is official data. But, reading Russian newspapers, you learn that Georgia as a sovereign state does not exist within the borders indicated on all international maps. Tbilisi does not control Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Although the Republic of Adjara recognizes the sovereignty of Georgia, it has a very independent leader, Aslan Abashidze, who, if anything happens, can always rely on “Russian bayonets,” because there is a Russian military base in Batumi.
And recently Russia carried out passportization in Abkhazia, giving residents of this region “the right to accept Russian citizenship.” Well, Russia doesn’t want to leave independent Georgia alone...

transfer currency

Soviet rubles circulated without alternative on the territory of Georgia until April 1993.

Then parallel money was introduced into circulation - coupons. The exchange ratio of the coupon to the Soviet ruble was determined as 1:1. However, the rate fell. In August 1993, Georgia officially left the ruble zone, and the coupon received the status of the only legal temporary means of payment.
Although the release of Georgian coupons occurred later than the Ukrainian ones, they repeated all their mistakes. The first issue in 1993 included denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 coupons; The coupon did not carry any other information other than the names of the country, bank and denomination value. The year of issue was not indicated, and the country's coat of arms was missing. But still, unlike Ukrainian coupons, Georgian ones initially had a banknote number.
On the coupons of the second issue of 1993 in denominations 1, 3, 5, 10 and 50, the year and coat of arms were also absent. The drawings on the front and back sides of the first two issues of coupons are the same - they depict the old part of Tbilisi and the cave city of Vardzia. The same pattern is repeated on the coupons of the third issue in denominations of 100, 10000, 25000, 50000 and 100000, the year of issue - 1993 - is already indicated.
And only on the coupons of the fourth issue with denominations of 250, 2000, 3000 and 20000 coupons of 1993 and the fifth - 20000, 30000, 50000, 100000, 150000, 250000, 500000 and 1000000 coupons of 1994 there is already a coat of arms supported on both sides griffins.
Describing the Georgian coat of arms is not an easy task. A seven-bladed bracelet (apparently symbolizing the sun), supported by a double stand with a leg, all inside a circle on which there are either four stylized leaves or arrow directions. You have to be a Georgian and know the history of your people well in order to understand the symbolism of the national coat of arms.
On the coupons of the fourth issue, instead of old Tbilisi and the rock city of Vardzia, images of a vine and ripe bunches of grapes appeared, which, apparently, should be understood as the revival of the country and the return of the people to peaceful labor.
A denomination of one million units appeared in Georgia in 1994, and in Ukraine in 1995 (this is only two million units in the entire CIS). Other Commonwealth countries did not experience such high rates of inflation.

maintaining national currency

Laris in the Republic of Georgia were put into circulation on September 25, 1995. At the same time, one million coupons were exchanged for one lari. Lari is the historical name of the Georgian currency; this was the name of the monetary unit of Georgia in the Middle Ages. Banknotes were printed in France. They depict outstanding characters of Georgian history, and there is no shortage of outstanding personalities in this state.
On paper lari we see:
artist Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) - 1 lari;
composer E. Paliashvili (1871-1933) - 2 lari;
poet A. Tsereteli (1840-1915) - 5 lari;
historian I. Javakhishvili (1876-1940) - 10 lari;
writer I. Chavchavadze (1837-1907) - 20 lari;
Queen Tamar (60s of the 12th century - 1207) - 50 lari;
poet Shota Rustaveli (XII century) - 100 lari.
They say that a 500 lari banknote was printed with a portrait of King David the Builder (1073-1125), but it did not go into circulation.
Apparently, the circulation of banknotes printed in 1995 was not enough, since in 1999 the issue of all denominations with the same designs was repeated. It is possible that the re-issue of money was “timed” to coincide with the parliamentary elections of 1999 and the presidential elections of 2000, which required significant additional releases of the money supply.
Three years have passed. During this time, American military consultants visited Georgia, and the country announced its intention to join NATO. Apparently, this inspired the country's leadership to print the lari on the same machine on which the currency of the European Union was printed? And in 2002, Holland received an order to print the third issue of the lari. It was completed, but how! The mistake of the performers offended the entire proud Georgian people: under the portrait of the famous Georgian historian, founder of Tbilisi University Ivan Javakhishvili, the Dutch wrote the name of the Georgian writer Mikheil Javakhishvili.
The error was corrected (apparently the entire edition was reprinted), but time was lost,
and in 2002, not all denominations were put into circulation - only 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lari. I wonder what year the missing 50 and 100 lari denominations released into circulation will be dated - 2002 or 2003?

The lari exchange rate has been declining again in recent days, after almost a year of stability. In commercial banks, for 1 dollar they give 2.62-2.66 lari, and it is possible that the process will go further.

Financiers and experts do not rule out that if the downward trend continues, then by November the lari exchange rate will rise to 2.90.

Why is the lari depreciating?

Georgian national currency lari in detail

What are the reasons for the new round of devaluation, given that for more than a year the Georgian national currency has remained stable, and the government spoke optimistically about improving fundamental indicators?

Internal factors should be taken into account first.

Foreign direct investment in the 1st quarter of 2018 amounted to 279.3 million dollars, the number of foreign visitors amounted to 3.5 million people, which is 13.6% more than in the same period in 2017.

According to the data of the past two quarters, exports amounted to 1.5 billion dollars, the volume of remittances from abroad - 744.1 million dollars.

Based on these data, experts exclude the devaluation of the national currency for internal reasons.

As for external factors, this is mainly the devaluation of the lira and ruble - they were the ones that had the greatest negative impact on the national currency.

According to financier Nikoloz Shengelia, the processes taking place in neighboring countries, which are also Georgia’s largest trading partners, do not bode well.

“If everything continues at the current pace, then it is possible that in November the lari exchange rate will be 2.90. As for internal factors, nothing special is happening in this sense, although a slight decrease in foreign remittances can be noted - this does not add value by itself. stability of the national currency. This trend is likely to intensify given the fact that almost half of the transfers are from Russia, and the situation there is getting worse every day,” he said.

According to him, the only one who will benefit from the devaluation of the lari is the banking sector.

“It is known that bank profits have declined in recent months, and now they have an excellent opportunity to compensate for losses. In general, banks in recent years have always benefited greatly from the devaluation of the national currency. It is difficult to say whether this happened naturally or whether there was some kind of collusion between the banks and the government. In the current situation, nothing can be ruled out,” said the financier.

According to the executive director of the Association of Georgian Banks, Gogita Tsutskiridze, the main reasons for the devaluation are indeed the events in Turkey and Russia, but there are internal factors that are not yet in effect, but they could potentially complement the external negative impact.

“For example, such a factor as external debt, and we are talking not only about the state, but also about corporate debt - the debt of banks and companies taking out loans on the international financial market. From time to time they have to buy dollars in large quantities, and this also affects the exchange rate of the national currency,” the banker said.

He also shares the view regarding the possible negative outlook.

“Of course, if everything continues at the current pace, then the devaluation will continue within 2-3 months, although there is hope that the National Bank will be able to stabilize the situation,” he said.

At the same time, experts draw attention to the fact that the next wave of devaluation began in August, at the peak of the tourist season, when the largest number of foreigners come to the country compared to other months.

As a rule, in July-August, due to the large influx of tourists bringing dollars with them, the national currency remained stable even in the worst times. Then, in the fall, when the number of tourists sharply decreases, and along with them the influx of currency decreases, there is a very high probability of a depreciation of the lari.

If we take into account that the current currency crisis began in August, then a serious problem awaits the country in September-October, when internal factors will be added to external factors - in particular, a reduction in the number of tourists and the amount of money they import.

Lari - history | course | currency features

Georgian lari- monetary unit, national currency of Georgia. 1 lari is equal to 100 tetri. The Georgian lari was introduced into circulation during the reign of E. Shevardnadze in 1995. During this period, coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri and banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 lari were also in circulation. A new 500 lari banknote was introduced into circulation in 2010. On one side of the 200 Georgian lari bill there is a portrait of Kakutsa Cholokashvili, a famous revolutionary. Nowadays, the Georgian leadership reveres him as a national hero. Also, the Georgian lari is one of the most secure banknotes in the world, as it is printed in Germany.

National currency of Georgia

All banknotes of Georgian currency are decorated with images of Georgian historical figures who contributed to the culture and history of the country. It is worth noting that all coins issued in 1993 have inscriptions in both Georgian and English. The National Bank of Georgia also issues commemorative and investment coins of various denominations (gold coins of 500 and 1000 lari). In large cities, you can cash traveler's checks without any problems. Exchange offices are located in bank buildings and in hotels; the exchange rate of the Georgian lari here may change slightly: closer to the city center it may be slightly higher. Large retail chains accept credit cards of various payment systems. But in the private sector, “hard” currency, US dollars or Euros, is widely used.


The standard of living in Georgia is extremely low. At the same time, large lari bills are often difficult to change; the seller may simply not have change. Therefore, when exchanging currency, it is better to take more small bills. In Abkhazia, Russian rubles are in use, which are freely exchanged for any hard currency and have unlimited circulation in trade. Georgian currency is not used here. But just like in the rest of Georgia, in many places tourists are simply required to pay in dollars. The ancestor of the modern Georgian lari was the lari coupon, which existed until 1995. Initially, it was equal to the Soviet ruble and had only banknotes in denominations of one to one million coupons. It was different in that there were amounts that were unusual for monetary turnover and were multiples of three (3, 3,000, 30,000 and 150,000 coupons). After the hyperinflation of 1995, it was replaced by the modern currency of 1:100000000.

In this article we will tell you in detail not only about the currency of Georgia, but also about all sorts of tricks in exchange offices. Let's tell you how the exchange rate in , for example, differs from the exchange rate in . Let’s reveal a secret: where and how to change money when traveling around Georgia will be most profitable.

What is the currency in Georgia?

Officially, the national currency since 1995 is Lari (GEL) GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
1 lari = 0.33 euros;
1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;

. It is used to pay in shops and restaurants, in transport and for housing. The thing is that in Georgia there is a special law prohibiting the use of any other currency, besides lari. For violating it, the establishment faces a considerable fine, so everyone follows the rule. Exception can only be rooms or apartments in which you negotiate directly with the owner.

This is what the national currency of Georgia looks like - lari.

WITH credit cards You won’t be lost in Georgia either. IN major cities they are accepted without problems in almost any establishment (in small shops and markets you still need to have cash).

Popular banknotes of the country:

  • banknotes with denomination: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 GELGEORGIAN GEL RATE:
    1 lari = 0.33 euros;
    1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
    1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
    1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;
    1 lari = 0.85 Belarusian rubles.
    Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate.;
  • and coins: by 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 tetriGEORGIAN GEL RATE:
    0.5 lari = 0.17 euros;
    0.5 lari = 0.19 dollars;
    0.5 lari = 12.61 rubles;
    0.5 lari = 5.32 hryvnia;
    0.5 lari = 0.43 Belarusian rubles.
    Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate., and 1 and 2 lari GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
    2 lari = 0.66 euro;
    2 lari = 0.76 dollars;
    2 lari = 50.44 rubles;
    2 lari = 21.28 hryvnia;
    2 lari = 1.7 Belarusian rubles.
    Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate. (1 lari = 100 tetri GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
    1 lari = 0.33 euros;
    1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
    1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
    1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;
    1 lari = 0.85 Belarusian rubles.
    Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate.).

During the 3 weeks of our stay in the country, we came across banknotes in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 GELGEORGIAN GEL RATE:
5 lari = 1.66 euros;
5 lari = 1.9 dollars;
5 lari = 126.1 rubles;
5 lari = 53.2 hryvnia;
5 lari = 4.25 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate..

For your comfort: When you hover over a currency symbol, a hint pops up with an approximate course.

Inflation in Georgia: why prices are rising

There is inflation in Georgia. The local currency is becoming cheaper against the dollar and euro, and therefore prices are constantly rising. Price tags in restaurants and supermarkets increase quite smoothly and not noticeably.

But entrance fees to attractions and prices for public transport usually rise sharply and significantly. For example, since 2020, tickets to most museums have increased in price. If previously a ticket to Vardzia cost 7 lari GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
7 lari = 2.32 euros;
7 lari = 2.66 dollars;
7 lari = 176.54 rubles;
7 lari = 74.48 hryvnia;
7 lari = 5.95 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate., then now you have to pay for it already 15 lari GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
15 lari = 4.97 euros;
15 lari = 5.7 dollars;
15 lari = 378.3 rubles;
15 lari = 159.6 hryvnia;
15 lari = 12.75 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate..

Unfortunately, warnings about price changes are almost never published. At best, some incomprehensible document in Georgian will appear on one of the government websites. Therefore, no matter how hard we try to update prices, there is always a possibility that one or another ticket has become more expensive. When calculating your travel budget, do not blindly trust any information, but set aside some amount for inflation.

What currency is it customary to pay in Georgia?

In Georgia, everywhere and for everything, both locals and tourists pay exclusively one currency - GEL

If you have plans go shopping in Turkey, then keep in mind: even in border towns (Kemalpasa or Hopa) you will have to pay for purchases Turkish lira.

Do you pay for purchases with a card in Georgia?

On or in big cities You can pay for purchases with a credit card. Any supermarket and hotel have terminals with which you can make payments.

There are in the country and ATMs to withdraw cash. In this case, however, you will be charged commission withdrawn(on average approximately 2% of the amount).


One of the most popular banks in Georgia is TBC Bank.

Helpful Tips:

  1. Even if you plan to pay with a credit card everywhere, a little cash in your wallet definitely won’t hurt. Terminals are not installed in all stores (especially small ones).
  2. When planning a trip to Georgia, check with your bank not only about the possibility of withdrawing money abroad, but also about the size of the commission.
  3. If you are going to travel to small towns in Georgia (for example), then be sure to take cash with you. In small towns, terminals can be found in only a small number of establishments.

Where and how is it better to change money (buy currency) in Georgia?

No matter how strange it may sound, in Georgia, unlike Bulgaria, the money is better and more profitable change in exchange offices(Exchange). Usually There are quite a lot of them in the city (in Batumi, for example, they are located in many houses, right on the ground floor), the operation takes place quickly, without a commission and without a passport.

Note: There are also exchangers, but as a rule, the rate there is not favorable.

Features of exchangers in the country:

Pay attention to the signs near the exchange offices. Even if the sign says “no commission,” just in case, ask the employee if this is true. Very rarely do you come across unpleasant individuals who still manage to deceive.

The exchange rate at exchange offices within one city is usually not much different. The difference is usually does not exceed 0.2 GEL GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
0.2 lari = 0.07 euro;
0.2 lari = 0.08 dollars;
0.2 lari = 5.04 rubles;
0.2 lari = 2.13 hryvnia;
0.2 lari = 0.17 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate.. If you see a rate that is too favorable ( much higher, than in other exchangers), then most likely this is the price for which the currency sell, but do not change. Many inattentive tourists fall for just such a trick. In any case, it never hurts to ask the exchange office employee personally.

So, for example, in Batumi we changed the currency several times in the same place, but still each time we clarified what the final amount would be.

Some exchangers are working until 24:00, most - from 9:00 (or even from 10:00) to 20:00.

Another proven option safe but less profitable currency exchange - banks. There are many of them in Georgia, but the most popular are two: Bank of Georgia (National Bank of Georgia) and TBC Bank. Their course most often a little lower, than in exchange offices. To carry out any transaction in a bank, you will definitely need passport.

Usually working day bank employees starts at 9:00 and ends at 18:00. As a rule, Saturday and Sunday are days off. But in big cities, the work schedule may be changed (there are working Saturdays).

If necessary, in Georgia you can accept or send remittance. This operation also takes place at the bank, which means if you plan to use this service, take your passport.

Like other countries of the world, Georgia also has money changers. We categorically contact them We don't recommend it. It is unlikely that you will be able to immediately determine authenticity money given to you.

In our experience, money better and more profitable change in (although it was strange for ourselves, after all, it’s a resort town). Therefore, if you also plan to go to Tbilisi or, we recommend first exchange currency.

And one more important point: in small towns (such as Akhaltsikhe) or villages with exchange offices and banks very tight. Therefore, we recommend go there already with currency.

How profitable is it to change money?

To be honest, it is possible to exchange lari for currency, but absolutely not profitable. In this case, you will lose a lot of money on conversion fees.

What money is best to take with you to Georgia?

According to our experience, it is most profitable to take with you to Georgia dollars or Euro. You can also exchange rubles at a bank or exchange office, but at not a favorable rate. Alternatively, you can take it to Georgia credit card, having previously learned commission size when withdrawing money and suitable payment system.

Tips for tourists or everything you need to know about currency and money in Georgia

We have collected the most important things about currency, money exchange and shopping in a short list:


What amounts of money can be brought in and out of the country?

You can import into the territory of Georgia any amount foreign currency. However, if it is over $2,000, it is better to fill out a declaration. National currency can also be imported, but the amount should not exceed 25,000 GEL GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
25,000 lari = 8,275 euros;
25,000 lari = 9,500 dollars;
25,000 lari = 630,500 rubles;
25,000 lari = 266,000 hryvnia;
25,000 lari = 21,250 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate..

You are allowed to export from Georgia in foreign currency an amount equal to what you imported, if it has passed since your stay in the country. no more than a year. But national currency is allowed to be exported in an amount not exceeding 3,000 GEL GEORGIAN GEL RATE:
3000 lari = 993 euros;
3000 lari = 1140 dollars;
3000 lari = 75660 rubles;
3000 lari = 31920 hryvnia;
3000 GEL = 2550 Belarusian rubles.
Exchange rates and prices may not be accurate..