Money moves in and out of Georgia freely: there is no currency control in the usual sense, dollar and euro accounts are ordinary, and cash up to a certain amount crosses the border without a declaration. Problems come not from prohibitions but from compliance: the bank has to understand the origin and purpose of a transfer. Here is how to move money cheaply and without freezes.
- Cash: up to the equivalent of 30,000 GEL (about $11,000) needs no declaration. Above that you must declare; there is no cap on the amount, only the duty to declare.
- Large sums are cheaper by SWIFT: the bank's incoming fee is typically $5–25, not a percentage of the amount.
- Small and frequent transfers suit Wise: mid-market rate, fees shown upfront.
- Revolut is not a Georgian bank and does not replace an account for declaring income.
- The main cause of delays is a transfer with no clear purpose and no supporting documents.
The rules: what is allowed and what is declared
Georgia has a liberal currency regime: you may hold and transfer foreign currency freely, and dollar and euro accounts are opened alongside lari ones.
The one hard rule concerns cash: you may bring in or take out up to the equivalent of 30,000 GEL without declaring it. Above that a customs declaration is mandatory. There is no limit on the amount itself, but failing to declare risks confiscation — the most common expensive mistake at the border.
SWIFT: when the bank wins
The intuition that "banks are expensive, services are cheap" breaks down on large sums. A bank's fee for an incoming SWIFT transfer is usually fixed, in the range of $5–25, while services charge a percentage. On ten thousand dollars a percentage fee easily passes a hundred; a fixed one does not.
The practical rule: the larger the sum, the more decisively SWIFT wins. For a transfer to buy an apartment it is usually the only sensible option — both on cost and because a bank transfer leaves a clean trail for the transaction.
The major banks — Bank of Georgia and TBC — accept dollars, euros, pounds and other main currencies; the details include an IBAN and a SWIFT/BIC. How to open an account is covered in bank accounts.
Wise, Revolut and payment services
| Tool | Strength | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | Mid-market rate, transparent fee, fast crediting | On large sums the percentage costs more than SWIFT |
| Revolut | Convenient for everyday spending | Not a Georgian bank and not a bank account in the legal sense; sign-up from Georgia is unavailable |
| Bank SWIFT | Fixed fee, clear trail for tax and for the deal | Slower, and needs a correct payment purpose |
If you operate as an Individual Entrepreneur, income should flow through a Georgian account: both the bank and the Revenue Service expect to see it there. E-money wallets work as a supplement, not as the main channel for declared income — see our article on the IE.
Why transfers get delayed
Rejections and delays are almost never about the operation being forbidden. The reason is compliance: the bank must understand where the money is from and what for.
- No payment purpose, or a formal one ("transfer", "services") — the most common trigger for a document request.
- No supporting documents: a contract, an invoice, a sale agreement.
- An amount unusual for the account history, especially on a new account.
- Frequent inflows from different senders without an explainable pattern.
Prepare the documents before the transfer, not after the bank asks. One PDF with the contract and invoice settles the matter in a day; missing documents stretch it into weeks.
Transferring money to buy an apartment
A few practical points here save both money and nerves:
- Transfer from your own account directly to the seller. It is proof of payment for registration and a clean record of the source of funds at once.
- State the purpose with reference to the property: the sale contract, the cadastral code.
- Do not split the payment into many small transfers to save on fees — it looks suspicious and costs more in time.
- Do not transfer before checking the registry extract — covered in detail in buying safely and the remote purchase.
Receiving rent
For an owner living abroad the usual arrangement is: the tenant pays into a Georgian account and you move the money out to yourself. Two points:
- Rental income is Georgian-source and taxed here regardless of your tax residency; rates and regimes are in renting out and tax residency.
- Regular, uniform inflows with a clear purpose ("rent, contract no., address") rarely raise questions — unlike irregular person-to-person transfers.
What to choose: a short table
| Task | Sensible option |
|---|---|
| Paying for an apartment | SWIFT from your own account directly to the seller |
| Regular freelance income | A Georgian IE account; Wise for small sums |
| Sending yourself living expenses | Wise or SWIFT, depending on the amount |
| Cash across the border | Up to 30,000 GEL without a declaration; above that, declare it |
If the transfer is for a purchase, check in advance what a property of that class costs in your chosen district: medians and spreads are on the district pages, and you can shortlist in the sale search.