Car import tax in Georgia (country) — 2026 clearance guide
The Republic of Georgia is one of the region's biggest car-import hubs: vehicles bought at US auctions land in Poti every week, and most of the 4,024 active car listings on Bazarla started life exactly that way. Before you bid on an auction lot, you need one number — what customs clearance will actually cost. Here is how it works in 2026.
Georgia keeps it unusually simple. Import duty on passenger cars is 0%. The main charge is excise, calculated per cubic centimetre of engine displacement: up to 1,000cc pays 0.5 GEL per cc, 1,001–1,500cc pays 0.7, 1,501–2,000cc pays 1.0, 2,001–3,000cc pays 1.6, 3,001–4,000cc pays 2.6, and anything bigger 3.6 GEL. An age coefficient stacks on top: after year six the excise grows by roughly 5% per year, capping at 1.5× for cars older than 14 years.
Then comes VAT at 18%, applied to the car's value plus the excise, and around 100 GEL in processing fees. Electric vehicles are fully exempt from excise — a big part of why Teslas are so popular on the local market.
Worked examples, computed with the same formula our calculator uses. An 8-year-old Toyota Prius 1.8 valued at 16,000 GEL: excise 1,980 + VAT 3,236 + fees ≈ 5,316 GEL total. A 5-year-old Camry 2.5 at 30,000 GEL: about 10,220 GEL. A 9-year-old Ford Fusion 1.5 at 14,000 GEL: roughly 4,045 GEL. An electric Tesla at 35,000 GEL: just ≈ 6,400 GEL, with zero excise. The pattern is clear — engine size and age drive the bill.
Treat these as estimates: run your exact car through the customs calculator in Bazarla's Tools section, and check official rules at rs.ge. Prefer to skip importing altogether? Bazarla currently lists 72 Fords (median $7,300), 26 Toyotas ($7,300) and 18 Teslas ($12,800) already cleared and registered in Georgia.
How much is car import tax in Georgia?
Import duty is 0%; you pay engine-based excise, 18% VAT and ~100 GEL in fees. An 8-year-old Prius 1.8 comes to roughly 5,316 GEL all-in.
How is the excise calculated?
Per cc of displacement: 0.5–0.7 GEL up to 1.5L, 1.0 GEL up to 2.0L, 1.6 GEL up to 3.0L, 3.6 GEL above 4.0L — multiplied by an age coefficient after year six.
Do electric cars pay import tax in Georgia?
EVs are exempt from excise entirely — only 18% VAT and processing fees apply. A 35,000 GEL Tesla clears for about 6,400 GEL.
Is it cheaper to import an old car?
No — excise rises ~5% per year after year six and caps at 1.5× beyond 14 years. The sweet spot is a 2–6-year-old car under 2.0L.
Where can I calculate my exact cost?
Use the customs calculator in Bazarla's Tools section — enter engine size, age and value. Official rules are published by the Georgian Revenue Service at rs.ge.