🚚 Moving Belongings to Georgia: Cargo, Parcels and Relocation Without Overpaying

Moving to Georgia almost always comes down to one question: what do you do with your things? You can carry them in your luggage, send them as a parcel or hire a carrier. Hundreds of companies work in Tbilisi, and you can find a suitable one in the catalog of cargo transport in Tbilisi. First, though, it is worth working out which method suits you, what it costs and where a customs payment can catch you out. Below is everything in order: limits, prices per kilogram, delivery times from Russia, Europe, the US and Turkey, and the rules for those who move with furniture.

📦 How Much Can You Bring into Georgia Duty-Free: the 300 GEL and 30 kg Limit

The main rule is simple. If an individual receives a parcel worth up to 300 GEL and weighing up to 30 kg, no taxes are due. This is set out in the rules of the Revenue Service of Georgia. The exception is food and e-cigarette liquids, to which the limit does not apply.

If the parcel is more expensive or heavier, 18% VAT is charged. It is calculated not only on the price of the goods but together with delivery. A customs clearance fee is added to the tax. The block below shows how this works in practice.

To clear a parcel above the limit you will need the store invoice and proof of payment, for example a bank statement. Sometimes the inspector asks for a copy of the recipient’s passport. Forwarders, meaning companies that ship parcels from their warehouses abroad, usually handle everything themselves: you upload the receipt to your personal account and they file the declaration.

🚚 How to Ship Belongings to Georgia: Five Methods with Prices and Times

The choice depends on three things: where you are shipping from, how much the cargo weighs and how urgent it is. For small parcels from the US and Europe, forwarders are the most convenient. From Russia, people usually ship by road as consolidated cargo. And if you are moving with furniture, it is simpler to order turnkey relocation.

🇷🇺 How to Ship Belongings from Russia to Georgia: Cargo, CDEK and Turnkey Relocation

From Russia, belongings travel by road through the Upper Lars checkpoint, the only operating road crossing between the two countries. Most often this is consolidated cargo: the carrier collects boxes from different customers into one truck, so the price per kilogram comes out low. Such companies have offices in Moscow, Tbilisi and Batumi, and the cargo is usually delivered to your door or to a pickup point.

For smaller parcels and purchases from Russian online stores there is CDEK. The company has pickup points in Tbilisi and Batumi and the shipment can be tracked, but delivery times are sometimes long, especially before holidays. A selection of points in Batumi is in the section courier delivery in Batumi.

If you have a lot of belongings, turnkey relocation is more convenient. The carrier packs everything itself, files the export declaration in Russia and clears customs in Georgia. The minimum volume is usually 1 m³ or 100 kg. Before shipping you will be asked for a detailed inventory of your belongings and a copy of the recipient’s passport, and customs clearance in Georgia requires a tax number. You can get one right at the customs terminal with a passport and a Georgian address.

Keep in mind: the rules for taking goods out of Russia are fairly strict. Carriers do not accept food, medicines, alcohol and tobacco, cash, furs, jewelry, antiques older than 100 years, construction materials and goods for resale. You can send no more than 30 kg of toys.

✈️ Parcels from the US, Europe, China and Turkey: How Forwarders Work

For shopping abroad, Georgia has a whole system of forwarders. Among the large companies are USA2Georgia, Inex, Camex and Onex. The scheme is the same for all: you register on the website, get a warehouse address in the US, the UK, China or Turkey and enter it when ordering from an online store. The company collects parcels at the warehouse and flies them to Georgia, usually one or two flights a week.

The parcel must be declared in your personal account: state the contents and price, and upload the receipt. If the purchase costs less than 300 GEL, this is a formality. If it costs more, the forwarder calculates the tax and issues an invoice. You can pick the parcel up at the company’s office, some forwarders have pickup points in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and Rustavi, and for an extra fee they will bring it to your home. A list of delivery services in the city is in the catalog of courier services in Tbilisi.

Two parcels from the same store that arrive on one flight may be added together by customs and treated as one. So if you are ordering several expensive items, spread the orders across different days.

🏠 Moving to Georgia with Furniture and Appliances: Customs and VAT

Many people get a surprise here: foreigners have no separate customs exemption for household goods. Furniture, household appliances and personal belongings must be declared, and 18% VAT is charged on their value. That is why it is often better to sell an old sofa or wardrobe at home and buy a new one here, and to bring only what is expensive, sentimental or hard to find in Georgia.

An exemption exists only for citizens of Georgia who have lived abroad for more than six months. They can bring in personal belongings worth up to 15,000 GEL once, without taxes. The cargo must arrive within three months of their return, and cars, food and excise goods are not covered.

For a large move, prepare a detailed inventory in advance with the approximate value of every item. Without it customs may open the boxes and recount everything itself, which costs both time and money. You can find logistics companies that handle international moves in the catalog of logistics companies.

📤 How to Send a Parcel from Georgia: Post, Couriers and Cargo Back

The return trip works the same way. Consolidated cargo from Georgia to Russia costs from about 15 GEL per kg and takes 7–11 days, while to Belarus and Kazakhstan it is more expensive and slower. For documents and small gifts, Georgian Post is a good fit: a parcel up to 2 kg costs about 15–40 GEL and spends two to four weeks in transit. Post offices in the capital are collected in the catalog of post offices in Tbilisi.

If speed matters, express couriers remain. Shipping to Europe or the US costs from 80 GEL and up, but the parcel arrives in a few days.

⚠️ What You Cannot Send to Georgia and How to Avoid a Fine

You cannot bring weapons, explosives, airsoft pistols and pepper spray into Georgia. Vapes, some medicines and large lithium batteries are accepted with restrictions, and carriers usually do not take perishable food at all.

The most common mistake is failing to declare an expensive item or understating its price. Customs may recalculate the tax using its own valuation, and for undeclared items in large shipments fines start at several hundred dollars. Keep all receipts and order confirmations until the parcel is in your hands.

Have you shipped belongings to Georgia by cargo, through CDEK or a forwarder? Tell us in the comments how much you paid per kilogram and how long the parcel took: we update prices based on your messages.

Last updated: October 2026. Customs limits and rates follow the rules of the Revenue Service of Georgia, while carrier prices are approximate and may change from season to season. Before shipping, confirm the exact cost and times with the company you choose.