Georgia with Kids: A Year Visa-Free, Real Costs and the 2026 Work Rules

Why Georgia Is on Our List

🔎 We haven’t been to Georgia yet. This guide is based on research, official sources and what we’ve heard from someone who knows the country well.

Georgia keeps coming up in our family conversations, and it isn’t only the photos. When we checked the visa rules for all four of us, we found something we hadn’t seen anywhere else.

Marty’s Dutch passport, my Australian one and the boys’ passports all get the same deal: up to a full year visa-free. Most countries give one of us 90 days and someone else a different set of rules, so we end up juggling dates and paperwork. In Georgia, our whole family could arrive together on the same terms and stay. (Rules change, so check them for your own passports.)

The more I read, the more it pulled me in. There are snow-capped mountains and a Black Sea coast. There’s cheese bread, walnut-stuffed aubergine and a winemaking tradition that goes back around 8,000 years. 🍷 For all that, it gets a fraction of the attention of Portugal or Croatia.

We also have a personal link. An old neighbour of ours now runs summer hiking tours in Georgia, and every catch-up makes us want to book flights.

What we haven’t done is live it. So this page is clear about what we know, what we’ve read and what still needs checking. It’s written for families asking the same question we are: could we actually live there for a while?

The short version: Georgia offers long visa-free stays, low everyday costs, and mountains and sea within a day’s travel. In return, you’ll deal with new insurance and work permit rules, a tricky language and some political uncertainty.

Where to Base Your Family in Georgia

Georgia is roughly the size of Ireland, yet a single day’s drive can take you from the capital to wine country or a glacier valley. So the real question isn’t where you’ll visit. It’s where you’ll do the school runs, the laundry and the work calls.

Most nomad families start in Tbilisi for its schools, coworking and community, then head to the coast or mountains for summer. Here’s how the main options compare.

🏙 Tbilisi: The Practical Base

Tbilisi sits in a valley ringed by hills, with carved wooden balconies, sulphur baths and a cable car up to Narikala Fortress. Behind the old town is a modern capital of cafés, coworking spaces and international schools. For most families, it’s the easiest place to land.

Families usually look at Vake and Saburtalo, which are greener and close to parks, schools and supermarkets. The old town is beautiful but steep, and its stairs and uneven footpaths make prams hard work.

For kids, there’s Mtatsminda Park on the hill above the city, Turtle Lake for walks, and Rike Park by the river. 🎡 Our Tbilisi guide for nomad families goes deeper on neighbourhoods and daily life.

Rents in Tbilisi are no longer as low as many older guides suggest. Crowdsourced figures put a three-bedroom flat at around €760 a month outside the centre and €1,120 in the centre (checked October 2026). See The Money for a full family budget.

Who Tbilisi Suits

• Families who want international school options or a ready-made community
• Parents who need reliable fibre and coworking
• Anyone planning day trips to monasteries, cave towns and wine country

The Trade-offs

• Steep streets and patchy footpaths are tough with a pram or a toddler on foot
• Traffic is heavy and driving can be chaotic
• Summers are hot, and winters drop below zero
• Political protests take place regularly in the centre, so check the news before heading to Rustaveli Avenue

🌊 Batumi: Beach Life at a Lower Cost

On the Black Sea coast near the Turkish border, Batumi swaps hills for a long seafront boulevard of bike paths, playgrounds and promenades. Now Georgia’s second largest city, it mixes a glassy modern skyline with a restored old town. Winters are milder than in Tbilisi.

There’s a catch: rain. Batumi is the wettest city in Georgia and the Caucasus, so expect plenty of grey days outside summer. ☔

For Families

Rents in Batumi are a little lower than in Tbilisi outside the summer peak. One local relocation firm put three-bedroom flats at around US$900 to US$1,100 in the centre and from US$700 further out in 2026. Book early if you’re coming between July and September, when short-term prices jump.

The Trade-offs

There are fewer international schools than in Tbilisi, and the coworking scene is small. In summer the city fills with holidaymakers and gets loud. Many families either embrace the buzz or leave for the mountains.

Who Batumi Suits

• Families who want the sea on their doorstep
• Worldschoolers who don’t need a school place
• Day-trippers keen on the Batumi Botanical Garden, Makhuntseti waterfall and the Adjara mountains
• Parents happy to trade some sunshine for lower costs

🏡 Kutaisi: Slower and More Local

Kutaisi is Georgia’s third largest city, in the western region of Imereti. It’s roughly two to three hours by road from Batumi and three to four from Tbilisi, depending on traffic and roadworks. The pace is slower than in the capital and the expat scene is small, so you’d live more like a local.

The countryside is the draw. Prometheus Cave, Sataplia Nature Reserve (with its dinosaur footprints) and Okatse Canyon are all within day-trip distance, and Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🦕 Kutaisi’s airport also has budget flights to a range of European cities, though routes change by season.

Who Kutaisi Suits

• Worldschooling families who want caves, canyons and history close by
• Budget-focused families happy with a small expat community
• Families who want easy budget flights into Europe

The Trade-offs

• Very limited international schooling
• Less English spoken than in Tbilisi or Batumi
• Fewer coworking spaces and services

🏔 Mountain Bases: Bakuriani, Gudauri, Kazbegi and Mestia

Georgia’s mountain towns are wonderful for a summer escape or a ski season, but most suit shorter stays rather than a year-round base. Expect basic services, slower internet and cold winters.

Bakuriani

In the Lesser Caucasus near Borjomi, Bakuriani is a family ski town with gentler slopes for beginners. In summer it’s forest trails, meadows and cooler air while Tbilisi bakes. There are no international schools, so it works best for worldschooling families on a seasonal stay. If a mountain base appeals, compare it with Bansko, Bulgaria’s nomad ski town.

Gudauri

Higher and more dramatic, Gudauri sits at about 2,200 metres on the road to Kazbegi. It’s Georgia’s best-known ski resort, and in summer people come for hiking and paragliding. Services are limited and internet can be patchy, so it suits a holiday more than a working stay.

Kazbegi (Stepantsminda)

Below Mount Kazbek, which rises over 5,000 metres, the village of Stepantsminda is home to one of Georgia’s most photographed churches. Gergeti Trinity Church stands on a ridge at about 2,170 metres. The walk up is steep but doable for fit families with a carrier for little ones, and you can drive up if small legs give out. 🥾

Internet and services are basic. Kazbegi is best for a few days or a week of fresh air, rather than months of remote work.

Mestia and Svaneti

Mestia is the main town in Svaneti, a high mountain region known for its medieval stone defence towers. Upper Svaneti is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Getting there means a long drive on mountain roads, and the small flights are weather dependent. Mestia suits adventurous families on shorter summer stays, as connectivity is limited and winters are severe.

🍇 Kakheti and Sighnaghi: Wine Country

East of Tbilisi, Kakheti is Georgia’s main wine region. The hilltop town of Sighnaghi, about two hours’ drive from the capital, looks across the Alazani Valley to the Caucasus. Its old town walls, cobbled lanes and family-run wineries make it a popular weekend trip.

For families, Sighnaghi works as a short base for learning about grapes, harvest and qvevri winemaking (more on that below). There are no international schools and few services for long stays. 🍷

Matching Your Priorities to a Base

For schools, coworking and community, Tbilisi is the obvious choice. Batumi makes sense for beach life at a slightly lower cost, if you can live with the rain. Kutaisi and Kakheti suit worldschoolers who want a slower, more local life.

The mountains are best saved for summer escapes or a ski season. Many families combine a Tbilisi base with time on the coast and in the hills.

Daily Life in Georgia

Markets, Long Tables and a Toastmaster

Picture a morning at the market for herbs, tomatoes, walnuts and warm shoti bread from a clay oven. Then work calls, online lessons or worldschooling, and an afternoon at the park or a monastery. That’s the rhythm we picture for ourselves.

Georgian hospitality is famous, and food sits at the centre of it. A traditional feast is called a supra, and it’s led by a tamada, a toastmaster who guides the evening through a long series of toasts to family, friends, peace and those who are gone. 🥂

Food That Suits Vegetarians

Georgian cooking is kinder to vegetarians than most people expect. Look for lobio (bean stew), pkhali (vegetable and walnut pâté), badrijani (aubergine rolled with walnut paste), ajapsandali (a summer vegetable stew) and, of course, khachapuri (cheese-filled bread).

Meat dominates many rural menus, so it helps to learn how to ask for dishes without it. If anyone in your family has allergies, carry a translated card, as walnuts turn up in a lot of dishes.

Wine and Living Traditions

Archaeologists have traced winemaking in Georgia back around 8,000 years. The traditional method of fermenting wine in large clay vessels called qvevri, buried in the ground, is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. So is Georgian polyphonic singing, where several voices weave separate melodies together.

A visit to a family winery in Kakheti or a folk concert in Tbilisi becomes a history, science and music lesson in one afternoon.

🏡 Family-Friendly Accommodation in Georgia

What to Expect

Many long-stay rentals in Tbilisi and Batumi come furnished, often with generous kitchens and balconies. Older Soviet-era blocks can be cheaper but may have tired wiring, old lifts and patchy heating. Newer buildings in Vake, Saburtalo and Batumi’s seafront districts usually cost more.

What Families Can Expect to Pay

Rents have risen since 2022, so older guides often undersell them. Crowdsourced data for Tbilisi (checked October 2026) suggests:

• Three-bedroom flat outside the centre: around ₾2,270 (about €760) a month
• Three-bedroom flat in the centre: around ₾3,370 (about €1,120) a month

Batumi is a little cheaper outside summer, and smaller towns cost less again. Treat these as averages, not quotes, and check current listings before you budget.

How to Find a Place

Many families book a short-term rental for the first two to four weeks, then look for a longer lease in person. The local property sites MyHome.ge and SS.ge list rentals from owners and agents, and local Facebook rental groups are active.

Always view in person, test the internet and ask how the flat is heated in winter. Our guide to finding family accommodation abroad has a full checklist.

💻 Working Remotely in Georgia

Internet and Coworking

Georgia has a wide fibre network, and central Tbilisi is well connected. Speeds vary a lot between buildings, though, so ask for a speed test for the exact flat before you sign. Our ranking of nomad cities with reliable internet covers Tbilisi and Batumi.

Tbilisi has the biggest coworking scene in the country. Long-running names include Impact Hub Tbilisi, Terminal (which also has a Batumi space) and the creative hub at Fabrika, a converted Soviet sewing factory. Prices and locations change, so check current details before you commit.

Outside the big cities, a café with Wi-Fi often becomes your office. Carry a local SIM from Magti or Silknet as a backup hotspot, especially in the mountains.

Check the Work Rules First

Georgia changed its work rules twice in 2026: a work permit system from 1 March, then a new C5 visa for remote workers in April. Before you plan to work from Georgia, read the visa and work rules below. For the bigger picture, see our guide to remote work for families.

🎒 Schooling and Childcare in Georgia

International Schools

Most international schools are in Tbilisi, including the European School and the German International School Tbilisi. Batumi has a smaller choice, and Kutaisi and the mountain towns have very little. Our international schools directory lists options by city.

Fees vary widely. Crowdsourced figures put international primary school at around ₾27,700 a year per child, roughly €9,250, with a range from about €5,000 to over €24,000 (checked October 2026). Ask each school directly for current fees, enrolment costs and waiting lists.

Worldschooling in Georgia

Georgia makes a rich worldschooling classroom. Uplistsikhe is a rock-cut town with roots in the early Iron Age. Mtskheta, the ancient capital about half an hour from Tbilisi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wine country brings farming and science to life, and the Caucasus covers geology and ecology on every hike.

Most families on a visa-free stay worldschool or follow an online program. If you become a resident, different rules may apply, so check our worldschooling legal guide by country. For a look at how we structure days on the road, see homeschooling while travelling.

Childcare and Preschool

Private preschools and kindergartens are easiest to find in Tbilisi and Batumi. The crowdsourced average for a full-day private preschool in Tbilisi is around ₾960 a month per child, about €320. Teaching is often in Georgian, with some bilingual and English-language options in the capital.

Read more: education and childcare for nomad families.

🩺 Health and Insurance in Georgia

Healthcare

Tbilisi and Batumi have private hospitals and clinics, and English-speaking doctors are easiest to find in the capital. Outside the cities, facilities are more basic and English is less common. There’s no free healthcare agreement between Australia and Georgia, so insurance matters.

Insurance Is Now an Entry Requirement

Since 1 January 2026, visitors entering Georgia must hold health and accident insurance covering their whole stay. The minimum cover is ₾30,000, and the policy must be in Georgian or English. This applies to every family member, including babies. See this government summary of the rules and check for updates before you fly.

Make sure each policy lists Georgia, your exact dates and the cover limits, as border officers can check and may refuse entry without it. Our guide to health insurance for nomad families explains what to look for.

Wellness

Tbilisi’s Abanotubani district is known for its domed sulphur bathhouses, with public pools and private rooms. Borjomi, home of Georgia’s famous mineral water, has a park and springs that make an easy family day out from Bakuriani. Check current prices and opening hours locally.

🚲 Getting Around and Things to Do

Getting Around

Ride-hailing apps such as Bolt are the easiest way to get around Tbilisi and Batumi, and they save haggling with street taxis. Tbilisi also has a metro. Marshrutkas, the shared minibuses, link most towns cheaply, though they can be cramped with kids and luggage.

A train runs between Tbilisi and Batumi. For the mountains, a hire car gives you the most freedom, as long as you’re comfortable with bold local driving.

History Days

The cave town of Uplistsikhe, Ananuri Fortress on the road to Kazbegi and the monasteries of Mtskheta all make easy day trips from Tbilisi.

Nature Days

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, the Kazbegi valleys and the Adjara mountains near Batumi all have marked trails. In the far east, the Vashlovani Protected Areas have semi-desert landscapes that feel nothing like the rest of the country.

💶 The Money: Cost of Living in Georgia

Cheaper Than Western Europe, but Not as Cheap as It Was

Everyday life in Georgia still costs well below Western Europe, especially groceries, transport and eating out. Rent is the exception. Demand rose sharply after 2022, and family-sized flats in good parts of Tbilisi now take a big share of the budget.

The budgets below are our estimates for a family of four: two adults, a nine-year-old and a toddler. Rents, utilities and school fees come from Numbeo’s crowdsourced Tbilisi data and a local relocation firm’s 2026 figures for Batumi. Food, activities and transport are our own estimates for a family cooking mostly at home.

All figures were checked in October 2026, at roughly ₾3 to €1. Treat them as indicative ranges, not guaranteed prices.

Not included: health insurance, flights, coworking, visa runs and one-off costs like rental deposits. Get insurance quotes for your own family, as prices vary a lot by age and cover.

For side-by-side numbers, see our cost of living comparison of 50 nomad family destinations and our guide to what it really costs to live abroad with kids.

🛂 Visas, Insurance and Work Rules

Rules checked on 3 October 2026. They change, so always confirm with official sources before you travel.

Up to a Year Visa-Free

Citizens of a long list of countries can enter Georgia without a visa and stay for up to one full year. The official government list includes Australia, New Zealand and all EU states. Citizens of the US, Canada and the UK are also visa-free, but check the current list for every passport in your family.

Children enter on their own passports under the same rules, so there’s no separate family visa. That’s what caught our eye: our Dutch and Australian passports get the same year, which almost never happens for our family.

You may read that families can leave and re-enter to start a new year. Many long-stayers do this, but it isn’t a guaranteed right, and border officers have discretion. Plan for your first year and check the rules again before it ends.

Georgia isn’t in the EU or the Schengen Area, so time here doesn’t count towards the Schengen 90/180-day limit. Read more in our visa guide for families.

Mandatory Health Insurance

Since 1 January 2026, every visitor needs health and accident insurance for the whole stay, with at least ₾30,000 of cover. Border police can ask to see it, and you can be refused entry without it. See Health and Insurance for details.

The 2026 Work Permit Rules

On 1 March 2026, Georgia introduced a work permit system for foreigners. According to the US Embassy’s summary, it covers people employed by a Georgian employer, people working remotely for a Georgian employer, and the self-employed. They need a “right to work” approved by the State Employment Support Agency.

These rules are aimed at people working in the Georgian labour market. Remote workers for overseas employers or clients now have a separate route: the C5 visa.

The New C5 Visa for Remote Workers

In April 2026, Georgia created the C5 visa for people who work only for employers or clients outside Georgia. According to the Parliament of Georgia, it’s a multiple-entry visa issued for up to five years, with a permitted stay of up to one year. Partners and children under 18 can be included.

Some details are still settling. Some reports say the stay is one year in total across the five years, and the government can refuse applications without giving a reason. The law allows a fee of between US$20 and US$500, so check the current fee and requirements on Georgia’s e-Visa portal.

If your passport already gets a year visa-free, the C5 adds legal clarity for remote work rather than extra time. If remote income is how your family lives, get professional advice before you arrive, and keep an eye on Georgia’s labour migration portal for changes.

Don’t assume that permission to enter means permission to work. They’re separate questions.

You may also come across the “Remotely from Georgia” programme. That was a 2020 scheme for remote workers during COVID border closures, and it isn’t the main route for families today.

Tax: Generous, but Read the Fine Print

Georgia taxes individuals on a territorial basis. In general, residents don’t pay Georgian income tax on foreign-source income. You usually become a Georgian tax resident after spending 183 days in the country within a 12-month period.

It’s less simple for remote workers. Income from work you physically do in Georgia may be treated differently from income earned abroad, and advisers don’t always agree. Your home country may also still treat you as a tax resident. As a Dutch-Australian family, we’d need to check both systems.

Talk to a tax professional who knows Georgia and your home country before you count on any savings. For the practical side of moving money, see how we manage money across borders.

👋 Nomad Community in Georgia

Finding Your People

Tbilisi has the largest community of nomads, expats and travelling families in Georgia. Coworking spaces, language classes, playgrounds and expat Facebook and Telegram groups are where most connections start.

Batumi’s community is smaller and busiest in summer. In Kutaisi and the smaller towns, friendships tend to come through guesthouses, neighbours and markets rather than organised expat groups.

Before you land, search Facebook and Telegram for Tbilisi expat, parent and homeschooling groups, and post a quick introduction. It’s the easiest way to find playdates, school tips and second-hand kids’ gear.

Moving often can be hard on kids’ friendships, and we’re honest about that in our guide to finding community as a nomad family.

🧳 Your First Weeks in Georgia

Practical Tips for Settling In

Sort Insurance Before You Fly

Print or save a policy for every family member that shows Georgia, your dates and at least ₾30,000 of cover.

Get a Local SIM

Magti and Silknet are the main providers, and mobile data is cheap. Magti is often recommended for coverage in the mountains.

Use Ride-Hailing Apps

Bolt is widely used in Tbilisi and Batumi. Keep some lari in cash for marshrutkas, markets and small shops.

Expect Banking Hurdles

Opening a Georgian bank account as a foreigner can be slow and isn’t guaranteed. Many nomads use a multi-currency card and withdraw lari from local ATMs. When an ATM or card machine offers to charge you in euros, choose lari instead, as the conversion is usually worse.

Learn a Few Words

Georgian has its own alphabet and isn’t related to any major European language. “Gamarjoba” (hello) and “madloba” (thank you) go a long way. Many older Georgians speak Russian, while younger people in the cities increasingly speak English.

Pack for Two Climates

Tbilisi summers are hot and dry, and winters drop below zero. Batumi is milder but wet. The mountains stay cool for much of the year, so bring layers whatever the season.

Bringing a Pet?

Check Georgia’s current pet import rules and your airline’s policy well ahead of time. Pet-friendly long-term rentals can be harder to find.

🌱 Travel Lightly and Spend Locally

Georgia rewards slower travel. Trains and marshrutkas cover most routes, and a family on a long stay has time to skip the rush. Buying from markets, staying in family-run guesthouses and eating at local restaurants keeps your money in the communities you visit.

In the countryside, many small farms still grow food in traditional ways. Visiting during the autumn grape harvest, known as rtveli, shows kids exactly where their food comes from. 🍇

⚠️ What Could Make Georgia Hard for Families

No destination is perfect, and Georgia has some real hurdles. Here’s what we’d weigh up before booking.

Changing Work Rules

Georgia changed its work rules twice in 2026: a work permit system in March, then the C5 visa for remote workers in April. The details are still settling, so families relying on remote income should check the latest before they plan.

Politics and Protests

Georgia has been through a tense political period, with regular demonstrations in central Tbilisi. Australia’s Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions overall, but says not to travel to the occupied regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Avoid protests, follow local news and subscribe to your government’s travel updates.

Safety as a Solo Parent

Georgia is generally considered safe, but standard precautions apply. Use ride-hailing apps rather than taxis hailed on the street, especially at night, and keep passports secure.

The Language Barrier

English is common among younger people in Tbilisi and Batumi, but much less so in rural areas, government offices and clinics. Translation apps are essential, and a few Georgian words win smiles.

Hills and Prams

Tbilisi’s steep streets, stairs and uneven footpaths make prams hard work. A good baby carrier will get more use than the stroller.

Patchy Internet in the Mountains

Fibre is strong in the cities, but speeds drop in Kazbegi, Gudauri, Mestia and smaller villages. Plan important calls for city days, and carry a mobile hotspot.

Cold Winters

Tbilisi winters regularly fall below zero, and the mountains are far colder. Older flats can be hard to heat, so ask about heating before you sign a lease.

❓ FAQs: Georgia for Families

Can our whole family stay in Georgia for a year without a visa?

Citizens of many countries can, including Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK and every EU state. Children enter on their own passports under the same rules. Check your nationality on the official list before you book.

Can I work remotely from Georgia in 2026?

Georgia’s new C5 visa is designed for people working only for overseas employers or clients, and it can include your family. Check the official e-Visa portal for current fees and requirements before you rely on it.

Do we need health insurance to enter Georgia?

Yes. Since 1 January 2026, visitors need health and accident insurance covering their whole stay, with at least ₾30,000 of cover. Border officers can refuse entry without it. Carry a policy for every family member, in English or Georgian. Our health insurance guide explains what to look for.

Is Georgia safe for families?

Australia’s Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions overall, but warns against travel to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Protests happen regularly in central Tbilisi, so avoid demonstrations and check the news. Solo parents should use ride-hailing apps such as Bolt rather than street taxis, especially at night.

How much does it cost a family to live in Georgia?

Our estimate for a family of four in Tbilisi is about €1,400 to €2,300 a month if you worldschool, before insurance and flights. Adding international school for one child and preschool for a toddler pushes that to around €2,500 to €3,400. Batumi comes in a little lower outside summer. See The Money for the breakdown and assumptions.

Is Georgia easy for vegetarian families?

Easier than you might think. Lobio (bean stew), pkhali (vegetable and walnut pâté), badrijani (aubergine with walnut paste) and khachapuri (cheese bread) are on most menus. Meat dominates in rural areas, so learn how to ask for dishes without it.

Can we homeschool or worldschool in Georgia?

Most families on a visa-free stay worldschool or follow an online program from home. The rules can change if you become a resident, so check our worldschooling legal guide by country.

Is Georgia in Schengen?

No. Time in Georgia doesn’t count towards the Schengen 90/180-day limit. That makes it a useful base for non-EU families rotating through Europe.

Tbilisi or Batumi: which suits families better?

Tbilisi has more schools, coworking and community. Batumi is cheaper and on the beach, but it’s very rainy and gets crowded in summer. Many families base in Tbilisi and spend the hot months on the coast or in the mountains.

🇬🇪 Our Takeaways

On paper, Georgia ticks a lot of boxes for us. Long visa-free stays for many passports. Mountains and sea within a day’s travel. Food that suits a vegetarian family better than most people expect. Everyday costs well below Western Europe.

It isn’t a simple yes, though. Work rules changed twice in 2026, and the new C5 visa for remote workers is still bedding in. Entry now requires health insurance. Central Tbilisi sees regular political protests, and outside the cities you’ll lean on translation apps and patience.

If we go, here’s what we’d do. We’d base ourselves in Tbilisi for the first month or two while we sort out SIM cards, insurance and a proper lease. Then we’d head for the mountains in summer, hopefully with our old neighbour pointing us to trails that suit a nine-year-old and a toddler in a carrier. 🥾

Georgia could suit your family if you’re comfortable with some uncertainty and want somewhere still finding its feet as a nomad base. If you need certainty on work rights, or lots of school choice outside Tbilisi, look closely before you commit. Still comparing? Our guide to family life across Europe covers more options.

When we get there, we’ll update this guide with what we actually find. Until then, the Worldly Tribe Facebook group is the place to ask families who have been.