Moving from the United States to Georgia
A long sea haul from North America to the eastern shore of the Black Sea. The shipping runs six to nine weeks, Georgia lets Americans stay a full year with no visa, and the customs bill is the surprise, since the duty free relief is written for returning Georgians, not for you.
On the logistics, this is a long voyage from North America to the Caucasus. Your goods leave a US port such as New York, Savannah, or Houston and sail roughly six to nine weeks to Poti or Batumi, Georgia's two Black Sea ports, almost always transshipped through a larger Mediterranean hub. A full home travels in a sole use twenty or forty foot container, while a shared container suits a studio or a partial load that can wait for consolidation.
Settling in Georgia is unusually easy on the immigration side and unusually pointed on the customs side. Americans can live, work, and study in the country for 365 days with no visa, which removes the permit pressure that defines most corridors. The thing to plan for instead is money at the border, because the transfer of residence customs relief is reserved for returning Georgian citizens. As a foreigner you should expect to pay value added tax, around 18 percent, on the assessed value of your shipment.
What it costs to move from the United States to Georgia.
What it really costs to move a household from the United States to Georgia in 2026, shown as indicative ranges in US dollars by home size and shipping method. This is a long sea haul, so freight is the largest line and volume is the lever you control. Remember that import VAT is charged separately at the Georgian border.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars, before full packing, premium insurance, and Georgian import VAT of roughly 18 percent on the assessed value. A shared container splits the box and the cost, while a sole use container carries only your goods. These are not binding figures, so get a survey.
Four levers move the number. Volume is decisive over this distance, so a serious declutter before the survey often pays for itself. Shared versus sole use trades cost against time, with groupage cheaper but slower as your goods wait for a consolidated box. Routing through a Mediterranean hub is normal and adds time at the margins. And then there is the Georgian VAT, the factor that makes this corridor different, since the value added tax assessed at Poti or Batumi can add meaningfully to the landed cost and is not part of the mover's freight quote.
A realistic schedule, working back from departure.
Work back from the sailing. With a transit of two months or more, start this corridor early, around three months before you want to be settled in Tbilisi, Batumi, or Kutaisi.
Plan the entry and the budget
Because Americans get 365 days visa free, your first job is not a permit but a plan. Confirm where you will land, set aside a budget line for the roughly 18 percent import VAT at the Georgian border, and decide whether you will apply for a temporary residence permit later. The shipping clock can start straight away.
Get quotes and declutter
Have movers run a video or in home survey and compare shared and sole use container quotes on a like for like basis. Decide what is worth shipping this far, since the freight on a long haul plus Georgian VAT rewards a lean inventory.
Prepare the customs file
Build a clear, valued inventory and gather your passport copy, bill of lading, and a notarized power of attorney for the clearing agent. A foreign consignee usually needs a Georgian tax identification number or, failing that, a Georgian address and passport details on file.
Pack, load, and sail
The crew packs and loads your container for the voyage to Poti or Batumi, transshipped through the Mediterranean. Keep your passport, inventory, and ownership documents together for the customs entry that follows.
Clear, settle, and register
Customs assesses your goods and the import VAT, then releases them for delivery. You have 90 days from your entry to clear declared goods. Get a tax identification number from the Revenue Service, open a local bank account, and if you plan to stay beyond a year, apply for a temporary residence permit at a Public Service Hall.
Clearing your goods into Georgia.
Georgia treats your move as a genuine import, because the United States is well outside its customs territory. The important point, and the one that catches Americans out, is that the duty free transfer of residence relief is written for Georgian citizens returning after at least six months abroad, who may bring goods up to a value of 15,000 lari free of import tax. As a foreign national moving in, you do not usually qualify for that relief and should expect value added tax of about 18 percent to be charged on the assessed value of your shipment.
The Revenue Service administers customs, and a foreign consignee is generally asked for a Georgian tax identification number, or alternatively a Georgian address and international passport details, alongside the bill of lading, a copy of your passport, a general and a detailed packing list, and a notarized power of attorney for the clearing agent. A clean, honestly valued inventory matters here more than on most corridors, because the value drives the tax.
You have 90 days from the date of your entry into Georgia to bring in and clear declared goods through customs, so timing the sailing to your arrival keeps the process smooth. Restricted categories apply as everywhere, including firearms, certain medicines, and protected species items. A vehicle can be imported but is taxed and must be registered, and Georgia drives on the right like the United States, which helps. Keep your inventory and ownership documents together for the agent.
How people moving from the United States actually move to Georgia.
This is the rare corridor where immigration is the easy part. Americans can simply arrive and stay for a year, so most movers begin visa free and decide on a residence permit only if they want to stay longer or work formally.
United States citizens may enter and remain in Georgia for 365 consecutive days with no visa, free to live, work, study, or run a business. A single exit and re entry resets the clock for another full year.
- Type
- Visa free
- Length
- 365 days
- Allows
- Live and work
- Cost
- None
For staying beyond the visa free year, a temporary residence permit can be granted on grounds such as employment, study, business, or family, applied for at a Public Service Hall in Georgia.
- Type
- Residence
- Grounds
- Work or study
- Where
- Public Service Hall
- Term
- Up to 6 years
Owning qualifying Georgian real estate above a set value, or making a qualifying investment, can support a residence permit, a route some American movers use to anchor a longer stay.
- Type
- Residence
- Basis
- Property or investment
- Suits
- Settlers
- Needs
- Asset proof
Many Americans simply work remotely during the visa free year. Georgia has actively courted remote workers, and the year long stay covers most digital nomads without a separate permit.
- Type
- Remote work
- Basis
- Visa free year
- Suits
- Nomads
- Tax
- Confirm status
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from the United States to Georgia?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a two to three bedroom move runs roughly 6,500 to 9,500 US dollars as a shared container and up to 13,000 dollars for a sole use container, before packing, insurance, and Georgian import VAT. On this distance volume is the biggest lever. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does shipping from the United States to Georgia take?
Expect six to nine weeks door to door. Goods sail from a US port to Poti or Batumi on the Black Sea, transshipped through a Mediterranean hub, then clear customs before delivery to Tbilisi or beyond. Plan to live without your shipped belongings for around two months.
Do I pay duty or VAT on my furniture moving to Georgia?
Usually yes. The duty free transfer of residence relief in Georgia is reserved for returning Georgian citizens who lived abroad at least six months. As a foreign national you should expect value added tax of about 18 percent on the assessed value of your shipment. This is not legal advice, so verify your position before you ship.
How long can Americans stay in Georgia without a visa?
United States citizens can stay in Georgia for 365 consecutive days with no visa, and may live, work, or study during that time. Leaving and re entering resets the period for another full year. Many movers never need a residence permit at all.
What residence permit do I need to move from the United States to Georgia?
None for the first year, thanks to the 365 day visa free stay. To stay longer you can apply for a temporary residence permit on grounds such as work, study, business, property, or family at a Public Service Hall. This is not immigration advice, so confirm the current rules with the official Georgian source.
Can I bring my car from the United States to Georgia?
Yes, and both countries drive on the right, which helps. The car is taxed on import and must be registered in Georgia, so budget for that on top of the freight. Between the tax and the long voyage, some movers sell in the United States and buy on arrival. Keep proof of ownership.