Georgia is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations. Therefore, when going there, you need to know with what currency to go to Georgia in 2019, how much money you need or credit cards will be enough. Such questions are natural, and before the trip, you need to look at the exchange rates, get acquainted with the features of the national unit, where it is best to change money and whether there is a commission.
In this sunny country, since 1995, money called lari (legacy or property) has been put into circulation, consisting of 100 tetri. Banknotes are issued in denominations such as 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200.
The last three denominations appeared in circulation only in 2016, and are distinguished by a higher degree of protection; they can be used by people who can't see well. It is worth remembering that the 500 lari banknote is not in circulation, and can only be found in museum institutions.
Coins are called tetri (translated from Georgian - white), and have a denomination from 5 to 50 tetri. Coins are also in use - 1, 2, 10.
Euro or dollar
To know with what currency to go to Georgia in 2019, several factors must be taken into account:
- View the current exchange rate in the country against the euro and the dollar. Other types of currencies - the hryvnia or the ruble - will be much more difficult to exchange.
- Create an approximate cost estimate.
- See the places where currency exchange is carried out, and whether a commission is taken for this.
- Write down the work schedule of banking institutions, find branches in a particular city, located near a hostel or hotel. If these are resort cities, are there exchange points there?
- Is it possible to pay for services with bank cards?
- Do I need a passport for exchange transactions.
The current exchange rates of the country's currency against the euro and the dollar are:
- For one American dollar, you can get 2.64 Georgian lari ($ 100 will be a little more than 264 lari).
- For 1 euro they give 2.79 lari (100 euros equals 279 Georgian lari).
Thus, the euro exchange rate against the Georgian currency is somewhat higher than against the US dollar. But it is necessary to check currency indicators before the trip itself. It is better to have both dollars and euros with you.
In some places you can pay in rubles, but the exchange rate to the Russian ruble cannot be called profitable. 100 rubles will be 4.47 lari.
You can import foreign currency into Georgia, and if the amount is more than 2 thousand conventional units, then you need to fill out a declaration at the customs. The maximum amount of the imported amount should not exceed 25 thousand lari. You can take out no more than 3 thousand lari.
Gift: 2100 rubles for housing!
When registering via the link in AirBnB, you will receive 2100 rubles to your account.
For this money you can rent good apartments for 1 day abroad or in Russia. The bonus only works for new accounts.
Can I pay with bank cards
Going to Georgia, it is worth stocking up on cash - euros, dollars, rubles, which in one of the cities change into lari. You can take a bank card, but, in most cases, it will be useless unless you withdraw money from it at ATMs.
The calculation is carried out only in the national currency and, mainly, for cash. In places of food - cafes or restaurants, bars, taxis, shops, everywhere you need to pay for purchases and services in cash. Small money will be needed on the beaches or while walking around the city, when you want to buy goodies for yourself or children, or buy a souvenir. In public transport, payment is also made in lari.
If there is not enough cash on hand, then you can use the card to withdraw money. Tourists who have already visited Georgia more than once are advised to have several credit cards with them, check them before leaving abroad so that they are not blocked. Suddenly, it’s impossible to withdraw from one card, then you can use another.
It is interesting that the number of terminals accepting cards is many, but they do not work everywhere. In some shopping centers, more often large ones, bank cards can be accepted for payment. You can pay by card in hotels or inns, hostels, but you should still have cash with you.
Where to exchange
A feature of Georgia is that there are many exchange offices in big cities. This applies to both banks and exchangers. This factor should be taken into account by those who are going to visit remote places where there will be no opportunity to exchange foreign currency for lari. Money changes in places such as:
- Banks.
- Exchangers.
- Terminals.
No exchanges from hands, so as not to become victims of scammers.
Banks are located in most Georgian cities, with the largest number in Tbilisi. Sometimes banking institutions ask you to show your passport.
The system of exchange points is more extensive:
- Stations.
- Airports.
- Metro in Tbilisi.
- Shopping and entertainment centers.
- Supermarkets.
The exchange rate between banks and exchangers does not make a big difference, usually it is 2 or more GEL. The advantage of Georgia is that there is no commission for the exchange.
Among banks, preference should be given to:
- Bank of Georgia.
- Bank TVS.
- Procredit Bank Georgia.
- Liberty Bank Georgia.
- KartuBank Georgia.
The working day in institutions starts at 9 am and lasts until 6 pm, except Saturday and Sunday. In this they lose to exchangers that are open around the clock.
You can also withdraw money from the terminal, and here you will have to pay a commission, the amount of which is 2% of the operation. There are most exchangers and ATMs in Batumi, Kutaisi, Tbilisi. The exchange rate is unfavorable in the border regions.
Questions about what currency to take to Georgia (rubles, dollars or euros) pop up constantly, so the post contains answers to the FAQ of blog readers.
What money is in Georgia?
The currency of Georgia is called lari, 1 lari = 100 tetri
Officially, all settlements on the territory of Georgia are made in lari. Sometimes you can pay in dollars or euros for excursions or taxi services.
What currency to take to Georgia?
Conclusion: Today, it doesn't matter what currency to take. You can travel with rubles + ruble card. Or with dollars + dollar card, euro - as you prefer. Everything can change tomorrow. It is necessary to consider before the trip, the course jumps.
Dollars? Rubles? Maybe euro? I do not recommend taking other currency with you, because. freely exchanged for lari in any exchanger you can only rubles, $ and €
Let's go back to simple math.
How to count?
We look at what rate today you can buy lari in the exchange offices of Georgian cities. This is the real rate, I periodically compare it with the exchange rate in Tbilisi and Batumi - the data are the same.
There is no information on the site in which particular exchangers offer such a rate. There are hundreds of currency exchange points in the cities of Georgia, the rate in them changes several times a day.
Need a good course search in place. We go around the city and compare.
For example we have 10 000 rubles
In Russia Today you can buy dollars and euros at the following rates:
$1 = 66.68 ₽
€1 = 75.56 ₽
We get:
10 000/66.68 = 149.97$
10 000/75.56 = 132.34€
In Georgian exchange offices, the lari purchase rates today are ( first column):
Change rubles to lari in Georgia: 10,000 rubles*0.0396 = 396 lari
We change dollars bought for 10,000 rubles in Georgia: $ 149.97 * 2.65 = 397 lari
We change euros bought for 10,000 rubles in Georgia: 132.34 € * 3.007 = 397.95 GEL
Conclusion: You can travel with rubles, dollars or euros. No difference. For the sake of winning 1-2 lari, it makes no sense to bother with buying dollars or euros in Russia in order to exchange them for lari later.
BUT! Please consider yourself before the trip, what kind of money is better to take to Georgia - the rate jumps daily.
Where to change money?
In branches banks The exchange rate is unfavorable for Georgia, so it is better to change in exchangers. An exchanger is a window or door in the wall where a person sits and changes money. There is no commission.
Check several exchangers at once, because on the same street, especially in the center, the difference between the rates is up to 20 tetri (this is a lot).
Currency exchange at airports
Tbilisi
Exchangers work around the clock. Often the exchange rate at Tbilisi Airport is the same as in the city center, and sometimes even more profitable.
If you have a lot of free time, after arriving in Tbilisi, catch wifi, go to rico.ge, look at the exchange rate in the city, compare it with the rate at the airport. If the airport is better, change money there.
Or buy some lari for travel at the airport, exchange the rest in the center.
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Bank cards in Georgia
In Georgia, you can, without fear of fraud, withdraw money from ATMs (lari and dollars). The conversion rate is set by your bank. The most popular banks are: Bank of Georgia (Bank of Georgia), TBC and Liberty Bank. For ardent fans of domestic banks, VTB operates in both Tbilisi and Batumi. True, when exchanging dollars / rubles for lari, VTB card holders are unlikely to feel the difference or any special advantages. Rather the opposite.
If the card currency is not USD, then withdrawing money will most likely be unprofitable due to double conversion (ruble/dollar => dollar/lari). Therefore, I have . Everything is simple.
Do they accept cards in Tbilisi?
Yes, a lot of places. You can pay with a card in almost all restaurants and cafes in the city, in all large supermarkets, pharmacies, for, at gas stations and in more or less normal hotels.
Where do they not accept cards?
In private guest houses, on public transport, in small shops (including souvenir shops), in markets, payments are only possible in cash lari. Homemade wine can only be purchased from the hosts with cash.
If you plan a trip around Georgia with stops in small towns or, moreover, in the mountains, it would be better to withdraw cash from the card in advance or change the currency to lari. Cards in the regions are accepted much less frequently than in Tbilisi or Batumi.
ATMs in Georgia
There are two types of commissions when withdrawing cash from an ATM. The first is the commission of the bank that issued the card. Here you need to look at the rates of your bank. For example, Tinkoff does not have it when withdrawing from 3 thousand rubles. (or equivalent in another currency). The second is the commission of the bank, the owner of the ATM. It's more difficult here. You need to know in advance which bank does not charge a commission for cash withdrawals already in Georgia itself. So. Georgian banks (ATM owners) that definitely do not charge commissions on their part: TBC, Liberty bank and Bank of Georgia. This is from my personal experience.
Bank cards in Georgia - which ones are not accepted?
There were rumors on the Internet that some payment systems were not accepted in Georgia. This is wrong. And Visa, and Mastercard, and even Chronopay accept without any problems. Perhaps there will be problems with the cards of the Russian payment system "Mir", but so far no one has had such experience and there is nothing to talk about.
Should I take cash and how much?
If you are not friends with cards, then without cash in any way. But, if there is, then there is no point in taking them with you. The overall budget (money for spending on the spot) is best divided into two parts using a 50/50 formula. Leave half on the card, and withdraw the other half in lari from an ATM.
With what currency to go to Georgia
U.S. dollars. No options. More precisely, whatever one may say, but this is the most profitable option. Theoretically, it is also possible to change the euro and even rubles, but the exchange rate will be worse compared to the dollar.
What currency to take to Georgia Russians
If you are afraid of bank cards like fire, then take US dollars. Rubles can not be changed everywhere.
National currency of Georgia
Larry. 1 lari = 100 tetri. Officially, all payments on the territory of Georgia are made in lari. Unofficially, you can pay in dollars. As a rule, this can be renting an apartment, taxi services or in Georgia with local residents.
Exchange rate in Georgia today
I check the exchange rate of the lari to the ruble, dollar or euro. This is a very simple and handy calculator.
Currency exchange in Georgia
I never use exchangers. To be honest, I don’t understand why they are needed now ..? just about the fact that now there are normal bank cards, with which you can withdraw cash without a commission for withdrawing from any ATM in the world (!) And with minimal losses for conversion (rubles => lari), and therefore the need to carry cash with you and the problem of running around in search of profitable exchange rates for me personally now does not exist at all.
Those who like to run around exchangers and practice math, standing in front of the cash register in an attempt to understand the logic in the indicated figures, can be given one practical advice - look for them away from popular tourist places. So, the chances that the course will be profitable will be much greater. By the way, both, and, and even have their own exchangers and rates there, surprisingly, not much worse than the city ones. I checked it when I arrived.
Exchange office in Batumi
My bank cards
Debit
Tinkoff debit card - free cash withdrawal worldwide
Tinkoff
Unlike a credit card, it is best to withdraw cash from a debit card. The feature of Tinkoff debit cards is that this can be done absolutely free of charge at any ATM in the world. In this case, the amount must be at least 3000 rubles. or equivalent.
How to calculate the equivalent in lari? Recently, Tinkoff debit cards can be multicurrency. For example, you can open an additional Georgian lari account and link it to an existing ruble card. It's free.
The main plus is the clear limits for free cash withdrawals (no need to transfer rubles to lari in your mind while standing at an ATM). Now the limit is from 100 (which at the current rate is 20% better than the ruble equivalent of 3,000 rubles) to 5,000 lari for the billing period. The main disadvantage is the lack of cashback when paying. There is no interest here remainder.
That is, an additional account in lari is good only for cash withdrawals. It is better to make payments with rubles - because of the cashback in rubles, respectively.
Account tariff in GEL
The Tinkoff debit card (link 3 months free service as a gift) is an excellent card for Russia, plus a good conversion rate for trips. Free service (subject to conditions), 1% cashback on all transactions, 5% on selected categories and up to 6% on account balance. We recently added 10% cashback for hotel bookings and car rentals through tinkoff.ru/travel.
If you open a deposit in the amount of 50,000 rubles or more (insured by the DIA), the service is free for the entire deposit term. According to the link, the bonus is 0.5% of the deposit amount at a time at its first replenishment.
Free card Corn - the exchange rate of the Central Bank for all purchases
Screenshot from the official website of Corn
Advantages:
- issued free of charge upon presentation of a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation in any Svyaznoy
- free annual service
- Free push notifications for all transactions
- GEL=>USD conversion at the Mastercard rate, USD=> RUB at the Central Bank rate - i.e. as good as it gets
- commission for cross-border payment 0% (i.e. payment for purchases (services) at the exchange rate of the Central Bank)
- commission for withdrawals at ATMs in Georgia and around the world in the amount of up to 50,000 rubles per month * - 0 rubles (in this case, the ATM must be with the MasterCard icon, and the "interest on the balance" service is activated on the card - free of charge, but a small amount is reserved on the account - 259 rub.)
- bonus rubles are accumulated, which can then be exchanged for a discount in Perekrestok stores
Until the final write-off, Corn, for some time, still reserves + 5% of the purchase amount. This is done because of the inconsistency of the course itself. Ultimately, the amount will be debited at the rate of the Central Bank on the day of the final debit (in my experience, somewhere around 2-3 days after the transaction). Because of this, the difference can be both up and down. The exchange rate is unpredictable.
* UPD:On March 1, 2017, Corn changed the rules and increased the maximum amount of free cash withdrawal from 30 to 50 thousand rubles. per month. But, at the same time, she set a limit on the minimum amount of free withdrawal - at least 5000 rubles. If you shoot less, then they take a commission of 100 rubles. for each withdrawal. This is only when the "interest on the balance" service is activated. If you do not connect, then 100 r. write down anyway.
Plus, now to avoid the monthly commission of 70 p. (appearsafter connection of the service "interest on the balance"), you must either pay her purchases in the amount of at least 5000 rubles. per month, or keep the same amount permanently on the card.
Sellers to get a free card can try to impose a purchase - do not be fooled. That is, when you connect the "interest on the balance" service, the card should be issued free of charge, but they will ask for 259 rubles. This money is not written off, but frozen. They can be returned. To do this, you need to come with a passport and turn off the service in Svyaznoy (when the card is no longer needed). You can not connect anything (it will only affect the free cash withdrawal) - then you just need to replenish the card for 100 rubles, which will appear on the account. All.
The promo code is still valid FRPFOFK9V. He gives 300 bonus rubles. You need to issue a card, install a mobile application, enter a promotional code (there are 7 days for this) and pay for any purchase with a card (there are 30 days for this).
In total, if everything is done correctly, then the total losses in obtaining, servicing and using the card during the trip will amount to 0 rubles 0 kopecks. The main thing is that payment for all purchases (services) in Georgia and around the world will be at the rate of the Central Bank.
Credit
Tinkoff All Airlines credit card is the best for travelers
Screenshot from the official website of Tinkoff
Main advantages:
- there is still a freebie from the bank - 1000 rubles in miles as a gift when registering via this link and buying from 1000 rubles
- 10% points for hotel bookings and car rentals*
- 5% points for the purchase of air and railway tickets*
- 2% cashback in points for any card purchases
- 1 mile = 1 ruble
- you can pay with points any air ticket any airline
- free travel insurance for a year
*The nuance is that you can get the specified percentage only when booking on the travel.tinkoff.ru website. Otherwise, the cashback for tickets will be 3%, and for the hotel only 2%.
It is important to understand that withdrawing cash from a credit card is wrong - it is only for purchases. There is an interest free period of 55 days for this. Annual maintenance of 1890 rubles is paid off by travel insurance for a year, which goes to the card for free. The main advantage is a quick way to earn miles for a free ticket.
P.S.
Friends, thank you for reading the article to the end. If it turned out to be useful for you, you can thank me by simply sharing this post on social networks.
I wish you the absence of bank commissions!
Sergei Prokhorov
- How to receive funds on a deposit opened in 1990 on the territory of Ukraine or another republic that was part of the former USSR?
- I opened deposits in 1990 on the territory of Kazakhstan. How and where is compensation paid on these deposits opened in Soviet times?
In accordance with Federal Law No. 73-FZ of May 10, 1995 “On the Restoration and Protection of Savings of Citizens of the Russian Federation”, the restoration and preservation of the value of monetary savings created by citizens of the Russian Federation by placing funds on deposits in the Savings Bank of the Russian Federation (formerly State labor savings banks of the USSR operating on the territory of the RSFSR; Russian Republican Bank of the Sberbank of the USSR; Sberbank of the RSFSR) in the period up to June 20, 1991.
Restoration of savings of citizens of the Russian Federation placed on deposits in institutions of the Savings Bank of the USSR that operated on the territory of other republics that were part of the USSR and became sovereign states with the collapse of the USSR is not provided for in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.
The procedure for paying out deposits made before 1992 in the territory of the states that were part of the former USSR, as well as compensation for these deposits, is regulated by the legislative acts of these states.
Please note that during this period:
- Republic of Abkhazia was part of the Georgian SSR,
- Crimean ASSR was part of the Ukrainian SSR,
in this connection, for clarifications on issues related to the payment of compensation on deposits placed as of 06/20/1991 in the Savings Bank of the USSR on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Crimean ASSR, one should contact the successor banks of the respective states.
State name | Name of successor bank of Sberbank of the USSR |
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