An Expat's First 30 Days in Tbilisi: A Practical Checklist
Every week we meet newcomers who've just landed in Tbilisi with two suitcases and a hundred open questions. After helping hundreds of expats settle in, we've refined the first month into a checklist. Here it is — the same one we walk our clients through.
Week 1: The essentials
Get a local SIM card. Magti, Silknet and Cellfi all offer cheap prepaid data. Bring your passport; the process takes ten minutes in any branch. A Georgian number matters more than you'd think — banks, delivery apps and government services all rely on SMS.
Learn the address quirk. Tbilisi addresses can be inconsistent between Latin and Georgian spellings, and buildings sometimes have both old and new numbers. When in doubt, use a pinned location instead of a written address.
Set up transport apps. Bolt dominates ride-hailing and is inexpensive. For the metro and buses, pick up a Travel Card at any metro station or pay contactless.
Cash and cards. Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Tbilisi, but keep some cash for markets, small towns and older taxis. ATMs are plentiful; withdraw GEL rather than accepting dynamic currency conversion.
Week 2: Money and paperwork
Open a bank account. Bank of Georgia and TBC are the two majors, with good English-language apps. As a foreigner you should expect compliance questions about your income sources — bring documentation showing what you do and where your money comes from. Approval isn't guaranteed, and preparation makes a real difference. (This is one of the most common things clients ask us to help with.)
Understand your tax picture early. If you'll stay more than 183 days in a rolling 12-month period, you'll generally become a Georgian tax resident. That can be excellent news — Georgia taxes individuals mostly on Georgian-sourced income — but it interacts with your home country's rules. One consultation now prevents expensive surprises later.
If you'll freelance, register sooner rather than later. Small Business Status (the famous 1% regime) takes effect from the month after you apply, so every month you wait is a month at higher rates.
Week 3: A place to live
Rent long-term the local way. Most listings live on MyHome.ge and SS.ge, plus Facebook groups. Prices are usually negotiable, especially for 6–12 month commitments. Standard practice is one month's deposit; insist on a written bilingual contract — verbal agreements are common but leave you unprotected.
Check the details. Ask about utility costs in winter (heating can surprise you), water pressure on upper floors, and whether the landlord will register utilities in your name.
Neighbourhood shorthand: Vake and Vera are polished and central; Saburtalo is practical and well-connected; Old Town is beautiful but touristy; Didi Dighomi and Gldani offer far more space per lari.
Week 4: Making it home
Healthcare. Private clinics are affordable by Western standards, and private health insurance costs a fraction of US/EU prices. Pharmacies are everywhere and pharmacists often speak English.
Meet people. Tbilisi has an active international community — coworking spaces, expat meetups, hiking groups, language exchanges. A few evenings out will do more for your settling-in than any guide.
Learn ten words of Georgian. Gamarjoba (hello), madloba (thank you), ki/ara (yes/no) — locals light up when you try, and the alphabet is beautiful once it stops looking like elegant spaghetti.
The honest truth
Most of this list is easy — but a handful of items (banking, tax registration, rental contracts) genuinely benefit from local help, because mistakes are expensive and the rules aren't always written down in English.
That's what we're here for. Message us on WhatsApp and tell us where you are in your move — we'll tell you honestly which parts you can do yourself and where we can save you time.