Georgia's state healthcare covers citizens and permanent residents, and covers them partially. Without insurance, a foreigner pays for any serious case out of pocket, and hospitalisation quickly runs into thousands of lari. At the same time an ordinary appointment is inexpensive, so insurance is far from essential for everyone. Below: how the system works, what insurance and appointments cost, and how to judge whether you need a policy.
- The state programme covers citizens and permanent residents; a foreigner with a residence permit can buy private insurance.
- Private insurance runs roughly 30 to 100+ GEL a month depending on age, coverage and deductible.
- An appointment without insurance costs 40–150 GEL, so at two visits a year paying directly is cheaper.
- Insurance pays off with children, a chronic condition, or when predictable costs matter.
- Ambulance is 112, free for everyone including foreigners.
How the system works
The key difference from what you may be used to: you are not attached to a clinic by address, there are no district doctors and no mandatory referral to a specialist. You choose the clinic yourself and book directly — usually for tomorrow, often for today. This is covered in detail in clinics and hospitals, which also has a map and district data.
The state universal healthcare programme applies to citizens and permanent residents and covers them partially: emergency care, some planned operations, treatment under specific programmes. For a foreigner this means something simple: you rely either on private insurance or on your own wallet.
Do you need insurance
| Situation | What works out better |
|---|---|
| Healthy, two doctor visits a year | Paying per appointment |
| Family with children | Insurance: more visits, and unpredictable ones |
| Chronic condition | Insurance, but read the exclusions carefully |
| Sport with injury risk | Insurance |
| Planning a pregnancy | A policy with specific maternity cover, taken out in advance |
| Staying a few months | Travel insurance is often enough |
The arithmetic is rough: annual premium against expected spending. At 30–50 GEL a month that's 360–600 GEL a year — about four to eight specialist appointments. If you don't see doctors that often, insurance only pays off on the large event it exists for.
Choosing a policy
- What is covered: outpatient visits, tests, hospital stays, medication, dentistry — the last is usually separate or excluded entirely.
- Deductible and co-payment: how much you pay yourself on each visit. A cheap policy often means a high co-payment.
- Coverage limits per year and per event.
- The clinic network. A policy doesn't work everywhere: check whether the clinics near your home are included (see district data).
- Exclusions: pre-existing conditions, pregnancy, sports, chronic illness — this is the section of the contract to actually read.
- Waiting periods: some services aren't available immediately after signing.
Travel insurance and residence permits
If you're coming for a few months, travel insurance bought at home is usually the sensible choice — cheaper, and it covers emergencies. For people living in Georgia permanently a travel policy doesn't fit: it is designed for short trips and generally excludes planned treatment.
Separately: some residence permit categories may require proof of medical insurance — check the current requirements (see residence permits).
What to do in practice
- Find a clinic in advance, while nothing hurts, and save the number.
- Save 112 and the address of the nearest 24-hour emergency department.
- Translate into English your records on chronic conditions and vaccinations.
- Compare two or three policies on coverage rather than price; ask for worked examples for a specific scenario.
- Check a flat's distance to a clinic — the listing analysis computes it automatically.
This article is for reference: insurers' terms and state programmes change, so check the actual contract before buying a policy.