Tbilisi International Airport, operating under the official name Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport since 2007, sits 17 kilometers southeast of central Tbilisi. The airport code is TBS. Terminal 1 closed in 2007 when TAV Airports opened the current terminal, which processes approximately 3.7 million passengers annually as of 2019 data. Georgian Airways, Wizz Air, and Turkish Airlines maintain the highest frequency of departures. Direct flights connect Tbilisi to 40 cities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. No transatlantic direct service exists. The terminal building contains one main hall where arrivals and departures occupy different levels of the same structure.
Citizens of 98 countries enter Georgia without a visa for stays up to one year under policies enacted in 2015 and expanded in 2017. This includes United States, European Union member states, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Gulf Cooperation Council nations. The complete current list appears at www.geoconsul.gov.ge. The Georgian border agency e-Visa portal at www.evisa.gov.ge serves citizens requiring advance authorization. Overstaying the permitted duration triggers fines of 150 lari for the first week, increasing incrementally. Georgian border officials typically ask no questions at passport control for visa-exempt arrivals beyond confirming passport validity.
The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs maintains authority over entry stamp policies. Border guards stamp passports unless travelers specifically request otherwise. The absence of a stamp does not affect legal entry status but may complicate proving legal stay duration if questioned later. Requesting no stamp sometimes results in delay while supervisors confirm procedures. The stamp itself displays Georgian script, English transliteration, date, and crossing point code.
Georgia abolished currency restrictions in the 1990s. No declaration requirement exists for any amount of foreign currency entering the country. The National Bank of Georgia posts daily exchange rates at www.nbg.gov.ge. Lari banknotes circulate in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200. Coins exist for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 tetri, with 100 tetri equaling one lari. As of November 2024, approximate exchange rates hold near 2.70 lari per US dollar and 2.95 lari per euro, though these fluctuate.
Three currency exchange offices operate in the arrivals hall before the exit to the public area. A fourth exchange booth sits in the departures area after security. Rates at airport exchanges typically run 2-3 percent worse than Tbilisi city center locations. Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank both maintain exchange offices in the terminal. The airport offices open continuously during flight operation hours. Exchange offices in central Tbilisi on Rustaveli Avenue and near Freedom Square consistently offer rates within 0.5 percent of the National Bank midpoint rate.
Four ATMs stand in the arrivals hall. Bank of Georgia operates two machines, TBC Bank operates one, and Liberty Bank operates one. All four accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and UnionPay cards. Withdrawal limits per transaction range from 500 to 2,000 lari depending on the machine and issuing bank. Most Georgian ATMs charge no local fee, though foreign card issuers typically apply their standard international withdrawal fees. The machines dispense only lari. Cards with EMV chips work more reliably than magnetic stripe cards, as older magnetic stripe infrastructure has been largely discontinued.
The airport provides no left luggage facility. This service disappeared after 2011 when the operator ceased operations. Hotels in Tbilisi offer luggage storage for guests, and several hostels extend this to non-guests for 5-10 lari per bag per day.
Georgian law requires all mobile phone IMEI numbers to be registered if the phone remains in the country beyond 90 days. For visits under 90 days, foreign phones work without registration. The three mobile network operators are Magticom, Beeline Georgia, and Silknet. All three maintain sales kiosks in the arrivals hall. Prepaid SIM cards cost 2-5 lari. Data packages in December 2024 typically offer 10GB for 10 lari, 30GB for 20 lari, or unlimited data for 30-40 lari per month. Georgian law required passport presentation to purchase SIM cards starting in 2013. The activation process takes 5-10 minutes. Coverage in Tbilisi and major cities exceeds 95 percent geographic area, while mountain regions in Tusheti, Svaneti, and Khevi experience gaps.
The airport terminal contains one café landside and three airside. Prices run approximately 30 percent above central Tbilisi rates. A 200ml coffee costs 5-7 lari, a sandwich 12-18 lari. No Georgian traditional food appears on any airport menu. Vending machines near gates sell packaged snacks and beverages at similar markups.
Official taxi service from the airport to central Tbilisi operates through a single licensed company, Tbilisi Airport Transfer, following a 2019 exclusive agreement. The kiosk sits immediately upon exiting the arrivals hall. The company charges fixed zone-based rates: 40 lari to most central Tbilisi locations, 50 lari to areas beyond the central zone. Payment is possible in lari, euros, or US dollars, with exchange rates favoring lari. The ride to Freedom Square or Rustaveli Avenue takes 25-35 minutes in light traffic, 45-70 minutes during morning rush hours of 8:30-10:30 and evening rush hours of 18:00-20:00. The company operates a pre-booking system at www.airport-transfer.ge, though walk-up service is reliably available. The taxi dispatcher assigns vehicles in order; no choice of vehicle exists.
Unofficial taxis wait in the parking lot beyond the official taxi stand. Drivers approach arriving passengers offering rides. Negotiated prices typically start at 50-60 lari and settle around 30-40 lari after discussion. These drivers possess business licenses but lack airport operating permits. No safety incidents specific to these services appear in Georgian media archives, but pricing disputes occur periodically. The Tbilisi Municipality inspects taxi meters annually, though many unofficial airport taxis use verbal agreement rather than meters.
Ride-hailing applications Bolt and Yandex both operate in Tbilisi. Neither application functions inside the airport perimeter due to the exclusive taxi agreement. Passengers walking 400 meters to the airport access road beyond the parking lot exit can request pickups there. Bolt and Yandex rides to central Tbilisi cost 15-25 lari depending on demand-based pricing algorithms. Walking to the pickup point requires navigating a road without sidewalks. In darkness or rain, this presents difficulty. The Tbilisi Municipality has discussed but not implemented changes to allow app-based pickups from the terminal.
Public bus route 37 connects the airport to Station Square in central Tbilisi. The bus stop sits 200 meters from the terminal exit, marked with a blue sign showing a bus icon and the number 37. Service runs from 6:00 to midnight with 20-30 minute intervals. The fare is 1 lari, payable to the driver in exact change or via contactless bank card on newer buses. The journey takes 50-75 minutes depending on traffic and number of stops. The bus route passes through suburban areas with minimal tourist relevance before reaching the city center. Buses possess limited luggage space. During rush hours, buses fill beyond seated capacity, requiring standing. The final stop at Station Square sits 2 kilometers from most tourist-oriented hotels, requiring additional transport.
The airport arrival hall contains a tourist information desk operated by the Georgian National Tourism Administration. The desk opens from 9:00 to 21:00 daily. Staff speak English, Russian, and Georgian. They distribute free city maps, pamphlets about major sites, and bus schedules. The maps show major streets and landmarks with English labels but lack detail for navigation in residential areas. The desk does not book accommodation or tours. A SIM card vendor, currency exchange, and pharmacy occupy adjacent positions in the same hall.