Moving from France to Georgia
A Mediterranean and Black Sea shipping move to the Caucasus. Here is the honest brief on container costs, the import VAT foreigners actually pay in Georgia, the generous 365 day visa free stay, and a timeline you can plan around.
A move from France to Georgia is a sea haul that France is well placed for. A container can leave from Marseille, sail east across the Mediterranean and through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, and land at Poti or sometimes Batumi. Departures from northern ports such as Le Havre also work but route a little longer. Expect a realistic four to seven weeks door to door once consolidation, the Bosphorus transit, and clearance are counted, with Tbilisi a few hours inland from the coast.
The point that surprises people is the tax treatment. Georgia is outside the European Union and its customs union, and it does not offer broad duty and tax relief to incoming foreigners. The duty free transfer of residence allowance is reserved for returning Georgian citizens and former residents, within a value limit. As a French national relocating, you should plan to pay import value added tax, charged at eighteen percent, on the assessed value of your household goods.
Prices below are in euros and indicative for 2026, and they exclude that Georgian import tax, which is paid locally at clearance. Georgia uses the lari and is famously affordable once you arrive, which softens the import cost. Plan the domestic leg from Poti up to Tbilisi into your budget.
What it costs to move from France to Georgia.
What it really costs to ship a household from France to the Black Sea in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and container use. These figures are the shipping cost and exclude Georgian import VAT paid at clearance.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euros for the shipping only, door to door by sea, before full packing, insurance, storage, and Georgian import VAT. Volume, the season, the departure port, and inland delivery from Poti move the figure. Summer is the peak.
Four levers move the number. Volume is the biggest, because a shared container bills by the space you fill, so declutter hard before you commit. Shared versus sole use trades cost against timing, since groupage is cheaper but waits to fill while a sole use box sails sooner. Departure port matters, as a Marseille sailing is a natural Mediterranean route to the Black Sea. And remember the separate import VAT at eighteen percent on the Georgian side, which is not in these ranges.
A realistic schedule for a Black Sea move.
With weeks at sea and the Bosphorus transit, this timeline is driven by sailing schedules and clearance more than by anything you control at home.
Plan and get surveys
Have movers run a video or in home survey for an accurate volume and a binding price, then compare shared container and sole use quotes like for like. Ask which Black Sea service and clearing agent they use at Poti.
Book and prepare
Lock in your mover and a sailing, ideally from Marseille. Prepare a valued inventory and the documents Georgian customs will assess, and budget for import value added tax at eighteen percent on arrival.
Declutter and pack
Run a hard declutter, since you pay for container space and for tax on what you import, then have the crew pack and produce a clear inventory.
Sail and transit
The container sails from France across the Mediterranean and through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea to Poti, typically four to seven weeks door to door including the transit.
Clear and settle
Clear customs at Poti, pay the assessed import VAT, then settle in Tbilisi and obtain your taxpayer identification number from the Revenue Service to set up daily life.
Customs and import for Georgia, the honest version.
Georgia sits outside the European Union and its customs union, so moving your household goods there is a full international import. Crucially, Georgia does not extend a broad duty free allowance to incoming foreigners. The transfer of residence relief that exists is reserved for returning Georgian citizens and former residents, up to a value limit set in lari. As a foreign national relocating, you should expect to pay import value added tax at eighteen percent on the assessed value of your shipment.
Clearance happens at the port of entry, usually Poti, through a licensed customs broker your mover arranges. You will need a detailed inventory, your passport and visa status, and the import declaration. Plan to complete clearance promptly, generally within around ninety days of arrival, and keep valuations realistic, since the tax is charged on assessed value. Restricted categories such as firearms, certain medicines, and some plant and animal products need separate checks before you ship.
Bringing a vehicle is a separate calculation, since cars are assessed for import duty, excise, and value added tax in Georgia and the figures depend on the vehicle, so price it carefully before deciding. Many people moving to Georgia choose to buy locally instead. Confirm the current vehicle treatment and any restricted item rules before you commit a car to the container.
How people from France actually move to Georgia.
Georgia is unusually open. Many nationalities, including French citizens, can stay visa free for a full year, which shapes how most movers arrive and then formalise their status.
Citizens of many countries, including France, may enter Georgia and stay for up to 365 days without a visa. Many movers arrive on this basis, settle in, and then arrange a longer term status while there.
- Type
- Visa free
- Stay
- Up to 365 days
- Work
- Local rules apply
- Then
- Residence or renew
To work, run a business, or handle tax in Georgia you obtain a taxpayer identification number from the Revenue Service. Georgia also has attractive small business tax regimes that draw many remote workers.
- Step
- Register
- Issuer
- Revenue Service
- Get
- Taxpayer number
- Then
- Tax and banking
For a stay beyond the visa free year you apply for a residence permit, for work, study, investment, or family, through the Public Service Development Agency at a Public Service Hall.
- Type
- Residence
- Issuer
- Public Service Hall
- Routes
- Work, study, family
- Card
- Residence permit
Family can join you, and many use the same visa free entry initially. For a longer stay, family members apply for residence on the basis of the relationship through the Public Service Development Agency.
- Type
- Family
- Entry
- Visa free
- Longer
- Residence permit
- Work
- Per permit
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from France to Georgia?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom move runs roughly 3,800 to 6,800 euros in a shared container and 8,500 to 13,500 euros for sole use of a 40ft container, before packing, insurance, storage, and Georgian import VAT. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does it take to move from France to Georgia?
Plan on about four to seven weeks door to door. A container leaves from Marseille or a northern port, sails across the Mediterranean and through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea to Poti, then there is an inland leg up to Tbilisi and clearance.
Do I pay customs duty moving from France to Georgia?
As a foreigner, expect to pay import value added tax at eighteen percent on the assessed value of your household goods. Georgia's duty free transfer of residence allowance applies only to returning Georgian citizens and former residents within a value limit, not to incoming foreign nationals.
Do I need a visa to move from France to Georgia?
No, to enter. French citizens can stay in Georgia for up to 365 days without a visa. Many movers arrive on that basis and then apply for a residence permit through the Public Service Development Agency if they intend to stay beyond the visa free year.
Can I bring my car from France to Georgia?
You can, but vehicles are assessed for import duty, excise, and value added tax in Georgia, and the figures depend on the car, so price it before deciding. Many movers buy locally instead. Confirm the current vehicle treatment before committing a car to the container.
What should I do first when I arrive in Georgia?
Settle in Tbilisi and obtain your taxpayer identification number from the Revenue Service, which you need for work, business, banking, and tax. If you plan to stay beyond the visa free year, start your residence permit application early at a Public Service Hall.