Car rental for foreigners

Rent-Trip delivers the car to any address in Tbilisi, to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) and to Kutaisi International Airport (KUT), with the address, date and time agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed.

Car rental for foreigners in Tbilisi, licence and documents

Can a foreigner get behind the wheel here

Yes — a foreign driving licence is valid in Georgia for up to 1 year from the date of entry, and no exchange is needed. The order for recognising and replacing foreign licences is set by the Law of Georgia on Road Traffic and by an order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, so a visitor driving on a home licence is on solid ground. If your licence carries neither Latin nor Cyrillic script, bring an IDP or a notarised translation: Georgia is a party to the Vienna Convention of 1968, and that is the document the convention covers. Check the entry stamp in your passport before you plan a long stay, because the twelve months run from that date, not from the day you collect the car.

• Driving licence: your national licence, valid and in date, held for the class of car you book.
• IDP or notarised translation: only when your licence has no Latin or Cyrillic script — Georgia is a party to the Vienna Convention of 1968.
• Booking confirmation: the agreed delivery address, date and time, confirmed with a manager before the booking is fixed.

Age, experience and what is agreed when booking

Minimum age and driving experience are not a rule of Georgian law — they are a rental company's own condition, and they are agreed when booking. The same applies to the young-driver surcharge, and the cards accepted: all of it is settled with a manager before the booking is fixed, and the deposit and insurance excess are set out in the rental agreement.

What the rental agreement covers and what it does not

The agreement sets out the deposit, the insurance excess and the delivery terms, and those are the figures that bind both sides — not the ones on a comparison site. Georgian rental practice offers collision damage waiver and super CDW as an option, and theft of personal belongings is not covered by standard insurance. Compulsory third-party motor insurance for Georgian-registered cars is not in force: the government put its introduction into the autumn legislative work plan, with no date named, and the compulsory insurance law for foreign-registered vehicles does not apply to a rental car, which carries local plates. Ask which cover is included in your rate and which is optional before you sign, because the difference shows up only if something happens.

73 cars in nine classes for car rental in Tbilisi for foreigners

Seventy-three cars in nine classes, every one automatic — that is what a foreign driver can choose from when hiring a car here. Below is what each class costs, which models sit behind the numbers, and how seats, fuel and transmission are spread across the fleet.

Classes and prices at a glance

Named models a foreigner can book

• Ford Fiesta: Economy hatchback, 5 seats, 85 hp, petrol, front-wheel drive — from $30 a day.
• Ford Fiesta SE and Mini Cooper 3dr One: 120 hp and 102 hp respectively, both Economy hatchbacks from $35.
• Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax: crossovers from $39, the Trax with all-wheel drive.
• Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5: all-wheel-drive crossovers from $39 and $69, 132 hp and 187 hp.
• Nissan Pathfinder: 7-seat SUV, 284 hp, all-wheel drive — from $69.
• Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI BlueTEC: diesel SUVs from $120, 265 hp and 367 hp.

Seats, fuel and transmission across the fleet

Every one of the 73 cars is automatic, so a foreign licence holder never has to think about a clutch pedal in city traffic. Seat counts run 4, 5, 7 and 8 — six cars take four, among them the Mini Cooper 3dr One, Hyundai Veloster and Mini Cabrio; the bulk of the fleet takes five; nine cars take seven, from the Nissan Pathfinder and Mazda CX-9 to the Mercedes-Benz GL models and the Marco Polo minivan; and the Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX570 take eight. Fuel splits three ways: petrol across most of the range, hybrid in the Toyota Prius, and diesel in nine models, among them the Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI BlueTEC.

Diesel sits at 4.76 lari a litre against 4.06 for petrol, roughly 17% more.

What a car rental for foreigners in Tbilisi costs per day, week and month

Daily rates across the 73 cars on this page run from $30 to $250, and every longer booking is built from that daily figure: a week is the daily rate multiplied by six, a month by twenty-one. Below is what that means in dollars for the classes a foreign driver is most likely to book.

Daily rates by class

What the cheapest and the dearest bookings look like

• Ford Fiesta at $30 a day: the entry point of the fleet — a five-seat petrol hatchback with an automatic gearbox, $180 for a week and $630 for a month.
• Toyota Prius at $35 a day: a hybrid liftback for the same five seats, $210 a week and $735 a month.
• Kia Sportage at $39 a day: an all-wheel-drive crossover, $234 weekly and $819 monthly; the Mazda CX-5 costs $69.
• Nissan Pathfinder at $69 a day: seven seats, all-wheel drive, $414 a week and $1,449 a month.
• Mercedes-Benz GL 450 4MATIC at $120 a day: seven seats and 367 hp, $720 weekly and $2,520 monthly.
• Minivans at $190 a day: seven seats in one car, $1,140 for a week and $3,990 for a month.

Why the weekly and monthly figures matter

If your dates are roughly known, fix the whole span when you book — the manager confirms the delivery address, date and time before the booking is fixed.

The deposit, the insurance excess, any delivery fee and any discount are set out in the rental agreement, not on this page.

How delivery works when you rent a car in Tbilisi as a foreigner

Delivery is the part of the booking that decides how the first hour of your trip goes. At Rent-Trip the car is brought to you, and the address, date and time are agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed.

Where we can bring the car

• Any address in the city: a hotel, a private flat, a guesthouse or an apartment block — the manager confirms the exact spot when the booking is agreed.
• Tbilisi International Airport (TBS): the airport sits 17 km south-east of the centre, 17 km by road, and handles more than 5.4 million passengers a year.
• Outside these points: arranged case by case — we do not promise it on the site, so ask the manager before you fix the dates.

What we agree with you before the booking is fixed

The delivery address, the date and the time are settled with a manager first, and only then is the booking confirmed. That order matters: a foreign driver landing at TBS at 03:00 and a family staying in a Vake flat need different hand-over arrangements, and both are agreed in the same conversation rather than assumed from a form. If your flight number changes, tell the manager — the delivery slot is agreed when booking. We do not name a desk, a counter or an office address, because there is nothing to collect: the car comes to you.

Fuel, cleanliness and the return

The car is supplied with a full tank and comes clean, and it must go back with a full tank — full-to-full. If the tank is not full on return, the missing fuel and a refuelling service fee are charged as set out in the rental agreement. No other fuel option is offered: there is no pre-paid tank and no full-to-empty arrangement, so the rule is the same whether you drive 40 km across the city or 358 km to Batumi. Fill up at the last station before you arrive.

For city and mountains choose car rental in Tbilisi for foreigners

The right car depends on where you drive, not on the badge on the bonnet. Below is how our 73 cars map onto three typical trip types in Georgia.

A city car for Tbilisi streets and short hops

For Old Tbilisi lanes, Vake and Saburtalo errands and airport runs, an Economy hatchback does the job: Ford Fiesta at $30 a day, Mini Cooper 3dr One, Honda Fit or Kia Soul at $35–$39, all automatic and front-wheel drive. Book the smallest class that fits your luggage and passenger count — upgrading later is agreed when booking, not on the street.

SUVs and 4x4 for Kazbegi, Gudauri and mountain roads

For the Georgian Military Highway to Kazbegi, Gudauri or Gudauri's ski season, take an SUV: Nissan Pathfinder at $69 a day with 7 seats, Mazda CX-9 at $90, Mercedes-Benz ML350 at $100, or Lexus RX350 and Porsche Cayenne at $120. The Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI BlueTEC run on diesel, which costs 4.76 ₾ a litre against 4.06 ₾ for petrol — roughly 17% more. Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 1 March, and chains on at least two front wheels are required in government-defined zones under special weather conditions. If your trip is Gudauri in January, confirm the winter setup with the manager when you book.

Long-distance and group cars

For Borjomi, Vardzia, Sighnaghi or a one-way run to Batumi, comfort and seats beat size. Distances from Freedom Square are real: 160 km to Borjomi, 225 km to Vardzia, 358 km to Batumi, and 274 km to Yerevan, where a car goes only with our driver. Monthly rates start at $630 for the cheapest class, which works out cheaper than four separate weekly hires ($720) if you are staying a full month. Tell us the route when you book, and we will match the class to the road rather than to the price.

Driving rules and fuel for car rental in Tbilisi for foreigners

Georgia drives on the right, speed limits are strict and low, and the roads themselves are free — the money goes on fuel and on city parking. Below are the rules that actually matter behind the wheel here, plus the fines and parking costs behind them.

Speed limits and the fines behind them

Sixty kilometres per hour inside built-up areas is the number to hold in your head, dropping to 20 km/h in residential zones, while outside town a category B car may run at 90 km/h, or 110 km/h on a motorway, and 80 km/h with a light trailer. The penalties escalate sharply: exceeding the limit by 15–40 km/h costs 50 lari, over 40 km/h costs 150 lari, and the same 50 lari applies to running a red light or leaving a parking space unpaid. A 20% discount applies if a fine is paid within ten days, and 100 points accumulated in a year ends in a licence withdrawal.

Alcohol, seat belts, phones and children

The alcohol limit is 0.3 per mille, so the driver should not drink at all. Seat belts are required for the driver and every front passenger; rear belts are not compulsory by law, though we would not put a child behind an unfastened adult. Phones are hands-free only, with both hands on the wheel, and children under three must travel in the back in a child seat or restraint matched to their height and weight, or on the lap of a passenger aged 16 or over. Children under six may not be left alone in a parked car.

Fuel: petrol, diesel and the price gap

Petrol runs about 4.06 lari per litre and diesel about 4.76 lari, which makes diesel roughly 17% dearer at the pump. That gap changes the maths on a long booking: diesel models such as the Porsche Cayenne and the Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI BlueTEC cost more per litre to fill. Every car leaves our hands clean and with a full tank, and comes back the same way — full-to-full. If the tank is short on return, the missing fuel plus a refuelling service fee are charged as set out in the rental agreement; no pre-paid tank option exists.

Parking in the capital

Street parking is zonal and paid: from 1 lari an hour once the first 15 free minutes are used up. Leave a space unpaid and the fine is 50 lari; a tow adds 150 lari plus 20 lari per day of storage. Underground car parks in the centre are the simpler answer for a foreigner: around 2–3 lari an hour at Freedom Square, roughly 7 lari a day at Rike, 1–2 lari an hour at Orbeliani Square, and about 2 lari for the first hour at Galleria Tbilisi.

Insurance, deposit and what the rental agreement covers

Every Rent-Trip booking runs on one document — the rental agreement. It sets out what is covered, what you leave as a deposit, and what happens if the car comes back damaged or with an empty tank. The figures below are the ones we can state; anything not named here is confirmed when you book.

What the agreement covers

• Third-party liability (OSAGO): as of 05.09.2026 there is no compulsory third-party motor insurance for owners of Georgian-registered cars — the government put its introduction into the autumn session legislative work plan, with no date named. Our cars carry Georgian plates, so the mandatory insurance for foreign-registered vehicles (matsne law 3949505) does not apply to them.
• Collision damage cover: full insurance of the car, driver and passengers (CDW / Super CDW) is available as an option — the options are set out in the rental agreement.
• Personal belongings: theft of personal items is not covered by the standard policy.
• Fuel: the car is supplied with a full tank and must be returned with a full tank (full-to-full). If it is not, the missing fuel and a refuelling service fee are charged as set out in the rental agreement. No other fuel option — a pre-paid tank or full-to-empty — is offered.

Deposit, excess and the numbers we do not quote

We do not publish a deposit amount, an insurance excess, delivery fees or discounts on this page. All four are set out in the rental agreement and confirmed with a manager before your booking is fixed.

If something goes wrong on the road

Fines for traffic offences in Georgia run GEL 50 for speeding by 15–40 km/h, GEL 150 above that, GEL 30 for using a phone without a hands-free kit, GEL 50 for running a red light — with a 20% discount if paid within 10 days.

Winter and mountain conditions

Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 1 March, and in zones designated by the government, under particular weather conditions, chains are required on at least the two front wheels. If your trip includes Gudauri or the Jvari Pass, confirm the cover option and the winter equipment with the manager before you leave — an incident on a mountain road is exactly the case where the difference between basic cover and CDW matters most.

Booking car rental for foreigners in Tbilisi step by step

Booking a car rental for foreigners in Tbilisi takes four steps: pick a class and a model, send the request, agree the delivery address and time with a manager, and confirm. Nothing is fixed until that conversation happens — the manager checks the car you chose against the dates and then the booking is confirmed.

How the request reaches us

• Choose your car: pick a class and a model from the 73 cars on this page, from the Ford Fiesta at $30 a day up to the Porsche Cayenne S at $250.
• Send the request: give your dates, your flight or arrival time, and the address where you want the car handed over.
• Wait for the manager: a manager comes back with availability, the agreed address, date and time, and the deposit and insurance excess as set out in the rental agreement.
• Confirm: the booking is fixed only after you and the manager have agreed those details.

What the manager agrees with you

The delivery address, the date and the time are agreed with a manager before the booking is fixed. We deliver to any address in the city, to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) and to Kutaisi International Airport (KUT); anything outside those is arranged case by case and is not promised here. The minimum age, the driving experience we ask for, and the cards we accept are agreed at the same moment — they are conditions of the hire, not of Georgian law, so confirm your own case rather than trusting a figure from another website. If your licence carries no Latin or Cyrillic script, say so in the request: Georgia is a party to the Vienna Convention 1968, and an IDP or a notarised translation settles the question before you arrive. The deposit, the insurance excess, any delivery fee and any discount are all set out in the rental agreement.

Before you confirm

• Licence: a foreign driving licence is valid in Georgia for up to 1 year from the date of entry, and no exchange is needed.
• Dates: a week is charged at the daily rate multiplied by six, a month at the daily rate multiplied by twenty-one; test both against your itinerary before you book.
• Fuel: the car comes clean with a full tank and goes back full — full-to-full is the only option we offer.
• Route: if the trip runs to the mountains, take one of the 34 cars in the SUV & 4x4 class rather than a hatchback, and mention it when the manager asks about your plans.