Georgian Plates for an Imported Car: Steps, Fees, Deadlines

Translated from official Georgian sources, checked 20 October 2026. Confirm locally.

Once your car lands in Georgia, it has to go through a customs clearance zone, travel on a temporary transit plate, and be registered with the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This page covers those steps, the documents and the fixed fees. It isn't legal advice, and the rules change. Excise is in Georgia car excise by year, and freight and the full landed cost are in Landed cost in Tbilisi. For the wider Georgia rules, see Importing a US auction car into Georgia.

Step 1: get the car to a customs clearance zone

The Revenue Service runs customs clearance economic zones in Tbilisi, Tbilisi 2 (Martkopi), Airport, Poti (open 24/7) and Batumi (Adlia) (Revenue Service, checked 20 Oct 2026).
An unregistered vehicle brought into Georgia must reach the clearance place or another customs control zone within 60 calendar days, plus any time in a customs warehouse (Revenue Service, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).
Late declaration: the Revenue Service calculator says that after the 60-day declaration timeframe expires, it can be extended by up to 30 days, at 5 GEL per day (5–150 GEL) (rs.ge calculator, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).

Step 2: customs declaration and release

The customs declaration can be filled in by the Revenue Service for 50 GEL per declaration (Revenue Service e-service, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally). The official calculator lists all the clearance and registration fees with amounts (table below). How to fill it in: Georgia car customs calculator, field by field.
Green or blue corridor: the car is released to you. Red or yellow: after the customs procedures for that corridor are done. The declaration is complete only when it carries an "A" assessment number (same source).
Excise and import duty are paid at this stage. See Georgia car excise by year.

Step 3: the transit (TR) plate

An unregistered car on Georgian roads uses an internal transit plate. It's assigned when the car crosses the state border, is valid inside Georgia only, lasts no more than 90 days and costs 50 GEL. If it's lost, the replacement costs 30 GEL (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).

Step 4: viewing and, where needed, expert examination

Viewing: an Agency officer compares the car's details, especially the 17-character VIN, with its documents and issues a viewing act (20 GEL) (Service Agency; fee from registration page, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).
Expert examination: an Agency specialist checks the car and its documents (trasological and commodity check) to set the data needed for declaration or registration (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026).
If the VIN or the documents don't match, the car and documents are checked and registration can be suspended (MIA Order No. 150, original 2007 text, checked 20 Oct 2026).
Clear the paperwork before you bid: the title, bill of sale and VIN on a US salvage auction car must match the car.

Step 5: register and get plates at the Service Agency

Deadline: a car brought in from abroad for registration must be registered within 60 days (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).
Documents for first registration (same source):
1. Application (filled in on site)
2. Identity document
3. Document proving ownership
4. Viewing act
5. Receipt for the fees
6. Internal transit plate
Fees: plates 80 GEL, registration certificate 100 GEL, viewing act 20 GEL (estimate — confirm locally).
Where: Service Agency registration units in 11 cities. In Tbilisi: 270 D. Agmashenebeli Alley, Mon–Fri 09:30–17:00 (arrive by 16:20 to register) and Sat 10:00–16:00 (by 15:20) (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026).
Public Service Hall: we found no official page saying first registration of an imported car is done there. A 2017 Agency notice lists only some vehicle services, such as restoring a registration certificate, for Public Service Hall branches (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026). Check before you go.
Euro 5: from 1 January 2024, a car that doesn't meet Euro 5 may no longer be registered. The rule doesn't apply to export, re-export or transit (MEPA, checked 20 Oct 2026). On Georgia lots with a model year before 2013, the FlipRadar extension shows a "Euro 5 may be required to register" warning. It's a rough signal based on model year only, not a check of the car's emissions standard, so confirm the Euro rating from the car's documents (see the Georgia market profile).
Right-hand drive: the Tax Code sets triple excise for right-hand-drive cars (Art. 188, checked 20 Oct 2026). We found no official text on whether they can be registered, so ask the Service Agency.

Step 6: technical inspection

The Service Agency's list for first registration doesn't include a technical-inspection certificate (Service Agency, checked 20 Oct 2026). Periodic roadworthiness testing under Government Resolution No. 37 applies to vehicles in use and registered in Georgia (matsne, checked 20 Oct 2026). Ask an accredited inspection centre when your car's first test is due. An inspection operator's FAQ lists 60 GEL for an initial M1/N1 inspection, 20 GEL for a re-inspection and 48 GEL for an electric M1, and says cars not yet cleared or on transit plates are exempt (pti.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally; not a government page).

Worked example: the fixed fees, customs to plates

Fees only: excise, import duty, freight, port, storage, broker and repair aren't included. GEL. estimate — confirm locally.

Worked example: the fixed fees, customs to plates.

Fee	GEL	Where it's confirmed
Vehicle clearance	150	Official: rs.ge calculator
Customs declaration filling	50	Official: rs.ge calculator; Revenue Service e-service
Expert examination act	30	Official: rs.ge calculator
Internal transit (TR) plate	50	Official: rs.ge calculator; Service Agency
Viewing act (vehicle inspection act)	20	Official: rs.ge calculator; Service Agency
State plates	80	Official: rs.ge calculator; Service Agency
Registration certificate	100	Official: rs.ge calculator; Service Agency
Total	≈ 480	All seven amounts on the rs.ge calculator, checked 20 Oct 2026
Late declaration (if any)	5 per day, up to 30 days	Official: rs.ge calculator

Timeline (official deadlines)

When	What	Source
At the border	TR plate assigned, valid up to 90 days	Service Agency
Within 60 calendar days of entry	Car delivered to the clearance place / customs control zone	Revenue Service
After the 60-day declaration timeframe	Up to 30 extension days at 5 GEL/day	Revenue Service calculator
Within 60 days of import	Registration at the Service Agency	Service Agency
Viewing act	Valid 10 days (original 2007 text of Order No. 150)	matsne

All estimate — confirm locally. Older texts and some guides give 30 or 60 days for the transit plate and 30 days for registration, so check the deadlines on the day.

Put it into the free calculator

The live max bid calculator is a free USD worksheet with no account: max bid = resale − repair − buyer fee − transport − title and registration − target profit. It has no customs fields and doesn't know Georgia. Add the ≈480 GEL of fees to excise and import duty from rs.ge (see the calculator, field by field). Convert the total to USD and put it into Title and registration. Freight and port go into Transport (see Landed cost in Tbilisi).

Open the max bid calculator →

Want this inside the browser? The FlipRadar Chrome extension version with Market Profiles adds lari amounts, landed cost at your port, a walk-away line, and warnings at the 6-year excise line and for cars that may not meet Euro 5. It's in private beta and not in the Chrome Web Store. The private beta is free. To try it, email hello@theflipradar.com and ask for the private-beta extension.

FlipRadar is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any auction company, the Revenue Service or the Service Agency. FlipRadar isn't a broker or customs agent.

More guides: Georgia car customs calculator · all guides.

FAQ

How long do I have to register an imported car in Georgia?

The Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs says a vehicle brought into Georgia from abroad for registration must be registered within 60 days (sa.gov.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Estimate — confirm locally.

What documents does the Service Agency ask for at first registration?

An application filled in on site, an identity document, a document proving ownership, a viewing act, the receipt for the fees, and the internal transit plate (sa.gov.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026).

What is the internal transit plate and what does it cost?

A temporary TR plate for an unregistered vehicle on Georgian roads. It's assigned when the car crosses the border, is valid inside Georgia only, lasts no more than 90 days and costs 50 GEL (sa.gov.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Estimate — confirm locally.

How much are the fees to clear and register a car in Georgia?

About 480 GEL. The Revenue Service's official car calculator lists vehicle clearance 150 GEL, customs declaration 50, expert examination act 30, internal transit number 50, registration certificate 100, registration plates 80 and vehicle inspection (viewing) act 20 (rs.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Excise and import duty are extra. Estimate — confirm locally.

What if I miss the 60-day declaration deadline?

The Revenue Service calculator says that after the 60-day declaration timeframe expires, it can be extended by up to 30 more days, and the calculator adds 5 GEL for each extension day (rs.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). That's 5 to 150 GEL for 1 to 30 days. Estimate — confirm locally.

Can I register my car at a Public Service Hall?

We found no official page saying first registration of an imported car is done at a Public Service Hall. The Service Agency registers vehicles at its own registration units. A 2017 Agency notice lists only some vehicle services, such as restoring a registration certificate, for Public Service Hall branches. Check before you go.

Does a car need Euro 5 to be registered in Georgia?

Yes for first registration of passenger cars from 1 January 2024. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture says a vehicle that doesn't meet Euro 5 may no longer be registered; the rule doesn't apply to export, re-export or transit (mepa.gov.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Confirm locally.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered in Georgia?

We found no official text on whether right-hand-drive cars can be registered. The Tax Code sets triple excise for right-hand-drive cars (Art. 188, checked 20 Oct 2026). Ask the Service Agency before you bid.

How much is technical inspection in Georgia?

PTI.ge, an inspection operator's FAQ that cites Government Resolution No. 37, lists 60 GEL for an initial inspection of a passenger car or light commercial vehicle (M1/N1), 20 GEL for a re-inspection and 48 GEL for an electric passenger car (M1). It says cars not yet cleared through customs, or on transit plates, are exempt (pti.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). This isn't a government page. Estimate — confirm locally.

Sources

Service Agency (MIA), vehicle registration: https://sa.gov.ge/p/vehicle/registration (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Service Agency, transit plate: https://www.sa.gov.ge/p/car-plate/transit (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Service Agency, viewing and expert examination: https://www.sa.gov.ge/p/auto-check (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Service Agency, structural units: https://www.sa.gov.ge/p/erteulebi (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Service Agency news, Public Service Hall cooperation (2017): https://www.sa.gov.ge/news/details?id=69 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, clearance zones: https://voice.rs.ge/Default.aspx?id=4494 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, transit and delivery terms: https://voice.rs.ge/Default.aspx?id=4384 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, declaration filling e-service: https://eservices.rs.ge/ServiceRequestNew.aspx?p=726 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, car calculator: https://www.rs.ge/CarClearance-en (checked 20 Oct 2026; amounts and used-days rule from the rendered page and its script https://www.rs.ge/Modules/RsGe.Module/scripts/CarClearance.js?v5)
MIA Order No. 150 (2007), matsne: https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/68950 (checked 20 Oct 2026; original text)
Government Resolution No. 37 (2014), matsne: https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2189748 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
MEPA, Euro 5: https://mepa.gov.ge/En/News/Details/21297 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Tax Code Art. 188, legali.ge: https://legali.ge/law/1043717/muxli-188/ (checked 20 Oct 2026)
doberi.ge: https://doberi.ge/en/auto/customs (checked 20 Oct 2026) · proauto.ge: https://proauto.ge/en/customs-calculator (checked 20 Oct 2026) (cross-checks)
PTI.ge inspection FAQ (operator, cites Resolution No. 37): https://pti.ge/en/faq (checked 20 Oct 2026)

Registering an imported car in Georgia: from customs to plates