If you’ve relocated to Georgia and have been considering buying a car, you may not be sure where to start. We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on how to buy a car in Georgia (country).
Disclaimer: the purpose of this article is to provide general information about the car-buying options available in Georgia. This article does not seek to promote any one particular option. Hence, please be aware that any action you take is at your own risk.
Where Can I Buy a Car in Georgia?
Websites
As in many countries, the most popular option is to search for a car online from the comfort of your home. In Georgia, there are multiple options for online vehicle shopping. We’ll go over the features of each below.
MyAuto.Ge
If you’re looking for a specific make or model of car and would like to be able to filter the results in English, then MyAuto.ge is one of the top-recommended options for online car shopping in Georgia.
The verified and highly reviewed website has been around for more than a decade and features both used and new cars for sale and rent. They also have a section for auto parts, for those car enthusiasts who prefer to fix or replace elements on their vehicles themselves. The site has extremely detailed search options, and also features direct links to TBC bank, for those in need of an auto loan.
Manqanebi.Ge
A similar website (but with a slightly less stylish interface) for online car shopping in Georgia is Manqanebi.Ge. Unfortunately, the English translation of their website is not very thorough, which may not be as comfortable for the majority of expats when shopping.
A common online shopping option in Georgia is Facebook. You can search for cars for sale on Facebook Marketplace, or in some of the different buy/sell Tbilisi Facebook groups which are created for that specific reason, and managed by admins.
Importing a Vehicle
If you’d like to buy a vehicle from a foreign country, such as the United States, Germany, Japan, etc., there are also options to find and transport the new or used car of your choice to Georgia. We’ll go over these options in more detail below.
Auto Import Georgia
One of the most popular vehicle importation companies in Georgia is Auto Import Georgia. Although the majority of the company’s import options are from the Korean market, it is also possible to import some cars from the US or various European countries.
Additionally, Auto Import Georgia provides services both to private individuals and companies, and they offer guaranteed transportation, which means vehicle insurance from the place of purchase to the port of Georgia and, if desired, to an additional final delivery location. They also provide financing options.
(When navigating their website, just make sure to select the “Language” option at the bottom of their page to translate their menu!)
Automoby.Ge
Automoby is another option for buying and importing a car conveniently online. They currently boast an inventory of up to 1,000,000 used and new cars on their website, including vehicles from the USA, Korea, Canada, Japan, China and Europe. Their website also provides customers with information regarding the shipping and customs clearance process.
Caucasus Auto Import
Caucasus Auto Import has 18 years of experience importing vehicles from the United States to Europe and Asia. They currently have branches in Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. One of the advantages of this import company is that, since there are no additional intermediaries between their customers and foreign markets, they can provide their customers with much lower final prices compared to the minimum market value. They also offer remote vehicle inspections.
Peace Global Logistics
With years of international experience in shipping cars from the USA, Peace Global Logistics (PGL) entered the Georgian market almost 3 years ago. It offers easy and reliable vehicle imports both for dealerships and individual buyers. Some of the major US auctions they can assist with are Copart, IAA, and Manheim.
Dealerships
If you are not a fan of online shopping and would prefer to visit a name-brand automotive retailer in Georgia in person, there are also many dealerships available in Georgia.
Toyota has official centers in both Tbilisi and Batumi and offers both new and used car buying options.
For those looking to purchase a luxury vehicle, you can find the Mercedes-Benz Center, the Land Rover Showroom & Service Center, the BMW Center, and the Porsche Center in Tbilisi.
Finally, the Rustavi Auto Park outside of Tbilisi offers a massive outdoor complex with thousands of cars for sale.
In summary, whether you’re looking to buy a car online, import a vehicle to Georgia, or purchase your new car through a dealership, all of these options are available to you in Georgia. However, before you sign the agreement and hand over your hard-earned cash, you’ll want to make sure the vehicle you’re purchasing is safe and everything is in order. So how can you do this? We’ll go over the options in more detail below.
How Can I Make Sure the Car I am Buying is Safe?
Buying a car in a country where you aren’t fluent in the language or familiar with the local processes can be overwhelming. How can you make sure that you are not only getting good value for your money, but most importantly, that the car is going to be safe to drive, and won’t break down 1 month after purchasing?
If you’re buying a used car, you will definitely want to get a thorough diagnostic inspection prior to purchasing. Ideally, this should be done during the daylight, so that you can observe any spots where the car has been repainted (possibly indicating a previous accident). You should open and close all of the doors, as well as the trunk and hood, and have a professional check over the engine.
You should also ask the seller if you can take the car for a short test drive so that you can check how the brakes, gearshift, lights, and other features are working.
Next, ask for the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the car, which will allow you to search for the car’s previous history. You can use a verified site like CARFAX to find information about the car’s history, including the vehicle’s accident report history, repairs, and previous number of owners.
Doing a thorough check on the car’s history is especially important when used car shopping in Georgia since many of the available cars in the market have been previously “totaled” vehicles.
Legal & Other Local Considerations
Once you’ve selected your car and are satisfied with the results of the vehicle inspection, it’s time to take care of the necessary legal paperwork.
Local Purchase
We always recommend signing a proper sale and purchase agreement for purchasing any type of property, including a car. Before signing the agreement, make sure to explicitly agree with the seller regarding the terms of the agreement, as well as the pricing and payment method.
Following the execution of the agreement, both the seller and the buyer just need to visit any branch of the Service Agency (except the Tbilisi branch, which does not assist with this service). You will need a tech-certificate of the car and the car itself to transfer the ownership from the seller to the buyer. If you are not a citizen or a resident of Georgia, then you will also need a notarized translation of your passport.
The governmental fee for the registration procedure is 203 GEL.
Importing A Car
UPDATE: Please be aware that recent legislative changes now restrict the import of vehicles manufactured prior to 2013.
If you are importing a car, the process is slightly different. The temporary registration for a vehicle brought into the country for more than 90 days is carried out at the registration center of the Service Agency.
You will then need to complete official registration within 60 days of the date that the temporary registration was granted.
For the initial registration of vehicles, the owner must submit the following to the registration service:
- Application (to be filled out on the spot).
- Identification Document.
- Document confirming the ownership of a vehicle.
- Tech-certificate of the car (20 GEL fee).
- Receipt confirming the payment of the fee specified by law. The vehicle plate fee is 80 GEL and the transport registration certificate fee is 100 GEL.
- Temporary registration plate for Internal transit.
Car Plates
In compliance with the law of Georgia, the fees for license plates depend on the combination of letters and numbers. You can see the following fees that are established for state license plates here.
Once you determine the fee scale you’d prefer, you can order a car plate online. For this procedure, you will just need to have an account on the portal of the Service Agency. And the payment of this fee usually takes place right after registration.
Still in need of a Georgian driving license? Check out how to exchange a foreign driver’s license for a Georgian license in our article here.
If you have any suggestions for activities we can add to this article, please email info@expathub.ge and let us know!
