This page brings together all customs checkpoints in Georgia in one place: the list, working hours, the neighbouring country’s crossing and the type of transport each one handles.
It also explains where clearance actually takes place, how the truck queue works, what the parking lot costs and what the customs corridor colours mean. It is written for importers and freight forwarders. We clear cargo remotely at every one of these checkpoints.
📞 +995 598 15 48 33 | 📲 WhatsApp | ✈️ Telegram — daily 10:00–22:00 · Consultation
- List of customs checkpoints
- Which checkpoint your cargo will use
- Where clearance takes place
- Truck queue and parking lots
- Customs control corridors
- What the driver needs at the border
- How much customs clearance costs
- Frequently asked questions
Customs checkpoints in Georgia: list and working hours
Georgia borders four countries: Turkey, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. On top of the land crossings there are the Black Sea ports and the international airports.
The customs checkpoints below are the ones relevant for bringing cargo into Georgia.
| Checkpoint | What to know | Hours | Neighbouring country and crossing | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpi | The busiest land crossing. When leaving Georgia, a truck must first stand in a parking lot (TIR park); these lots are in Khelvachauri municipality. | 24/7 | Turkey — Sarp | Road |
| Kazbegi (“Dariali” crossing; commonly “Lars”) | The only operating land crossing on the Russian border that is under Georgian control. The road closes because of weather and avalanche risk — and not only in winter. | 24/7 | Russia — Upper Lars (Верхний Ларс) | Road |
| Sadakhlo (road) | The main crossing towards Armenia and the main route for road freight from Iran. | 24/7 | Armenia — Bagratashen | Road |
| Sadakhlo (rail) | A separate customs checkpoint for rail freight (SMGS). | 24/7 | Armenia — Ayrum | Rail |
| Red Bridge (Tsiteli Khidi) | The main road crossing towards Azerbaijan. Since 2020 Azerbaijan has restricted entry by land for individuals — check the driver’s route in advance. | 24/7 | Azerbaijan — Qırmızı Körpü | Road |
| Lagodekhi | Kakheti direction; less busy than Red Bridge. The same entry restriction for individuals applies. | 24/7 | Azerbaijan — Mazımçay | Road |
| Guguti | Kvemo Kartli; an alternative to Sadakhlo. | 24/7 | Armenia — Gogavan | Road |
| Ninotsminda | Samtskhe-Javakheti; a high mountain road that depends on the weather in winter. | 24/7 | Armenia — Bavra | Road |
| Vale | Akhaltsikhe direction; an alternative to Sarpi. Check the hours on the Turkish side before travelling. | 24/7 | Turkey — Türkgözü (Posof district) | Road |
| Kartsakhi | Open since 2015 and handles trucks; an alternative to Sarpi towards eastern Turkey. | 24/7 | Turkey — Çıldır-Aktaş | Road |
| Kartsakhi–Akhalkalaki (rail) | The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway crosses the border at Kartsakhi, but customs formalities are carried out at Akhalkalaki railway station; in Kartsakhi village only in individual cases, with the consent of the Customs Department. This restriction does not apply to the Kartsakhi road checkpoint. | 24/7 | Turkey | Rail |
| Gardabani | The main entry point for Middle Corridor rail freight from Azerbaijan and Central Asia. | 24/7 | Azerbaijan — Böyük Kəsik | Rail |
| Mtkvari | Vakhtangisi village, Gardabani municipality; a separate checkpoint from Gardabani. Goods worth up to 10,000 GEL cannot be cleared on the spot here. | 24/7 | Azerbaijan | Road |
| Samtatskaro | Dedoplistskaro direction. Goods worth up to 10,000 GEL cannot be cleared on the spot. According to Azerbaijani sources, the Muğanlı crossing opposite is seasonal and serves residents of the border districts. | 24/7 | Azerbaijan — Muğanlı | Road |
| Akhkerpi | Marneuli municipality; an interstate crossing and the least busy one. Goods worth up to 10,000 GEL cannot be cleared on the spot. | 24/7 | Armenia — Privolnoye (Պրիվոլնոյե) | Road |
| Poti and Kulevi ports (+ Poti Free Industrial Zone) | One customs checkpoint. Poti handles containers, bulk and general cargo and is the main sea entry for goods from Europe and China; Kulevi is an oil terminal. | 24/7 | Black Sea | Sea |
| Batumi port | Containers, oil products, general cargo. | 24/7 | Black Sea | Sea |
| Tbilisi airport | Air cargo (AWB). The checkpoint works 24 hours, but the “Airport” clearance zone works Monday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00. Cargo arriving on Sunday is cleared on Monday. | 24/7 (clearance: Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00) | International flights | Air |
| Batumi airport | A separate customs checkpoint; air cargo volumes are small. Confirm in advance whether commercial air cargo can be cleared there. | 24/7 | International flights | Air |
| Kutaisi and Senaki airports (+ Kutaisi Free Industrial Zone) | All three form one customs checkpoint. | 24/7 | International flights | Air |
The table lists the checkpoints relevant for cargo. For current hours, call the Revenue Service hotline: +995 32 2 299 299.
Which customs checkpoint your cargo will use
- Turkey — by road: Sarpi (main), Vale, Kartsakhi. By rail: the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line, with formalities in Akhalkalaki.
- Europe — by sea to Poti or Batumi; by road through Turkey to Sarpi.
- China and Central Asia — by sea to Poti or Batumi. Middle Corridor freight mostly comes by rail via Böyük Kəsik — Gardabani. Road freight from Azerbaijan crosses at Red Bridge.
- Armenia — Sadakhlo (main), Guguti, Ninotsminda. Iran — through Armenia, mostly via Sadakhlo.
- Russia and Belarus — Kazbegi/Dariali — Upper Lars. Export, re-export and transit of certain goods are restricted — contact us before planning the route.
- Air cargo — mostly Tbilisi airport; volumes in Batumi and Kutaisi are small.
Where clearance takes place: checkpoint vs clearance zone
Crossing the border and clearing the goods are not the same thing. Customs checkpoints sit on the border — that is where cargo enters the country and goes through control.
Clearance itself often happens inland, in a customs clearance zone. The cargo travels there under customs control, and this leg takes extra time.
- “Tbilisi” clearance zone — Martkopi village, Gardabani municipality, 36th km of the Tbilisi bypass. Most cargo entering via Red Bridge, Sadakhlo, Lagodekhi and Kazbegi is cleared here. Monday 10:00 to Saturday 18:00.
- “Batumi” clearance zone — Adlia village, Khelvachauri municipality; cargo from Sarpi and Batumi port. Monday 10:00 to Saturday 18:00.
- “Poti” clearance zone — cargo from Poti port. The only clearance zone that works 24 hours.
- “Airport” clearance zone — air cargo from Tbilisi airport; Monday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00.
So the “24/7” in the table refers to crossing the border, not to clearance.
Truck queue and parking lots (TIR parks)
Under Government Resolution No. 442 (31 December 2013) and the customs instruction, every truck — loaded or empty — leaving Georgia through Sarpi, Kazbegi, Red Bridge, Sadakhlo (road), Lagodekhi, Guguti, Ninotsminda, Vale or Kartsakhi must first stand in a licensed parking lot and join the electronic queue system.
This rule applies to leaving the country: export, end of transit, empty return. When cargo enters Georgia, it does not need to stand in a Georgian parking lot — on entry, the queue forms on the neighbouring country’s side.
How much the parking lot costs
Since 21 August 2026 the parking fee is capped by law: no more than 80 GEL in total for the whole stay, however long the truck stands.
Article 15(6) of Resolution No. 442, as amended by Resolution No. 403 of 20 August 2026, sets the total amount of the fee, regardless of the operator’s rate and the length of the stay, at no more than 80 GEL. Before that, 80 GEL was a daily cap.
The cap applies to lots connected to the electronic queue system and located within 20 km of the border crossing point (25 km for Dariali). If a lot breaks the rule, the Land Transport Agency may request its disconnection from the system, and the Revenue Service must disconnect it within 72 hours.
Who is exempt from the queue
- No parking lot required: ADR dangerous goods, oversized, diplomatic and humanitarian cargo, and cargo for NATO operations.
- Priority passage: perishable live plants and animals, organs for transplantation, press, postal items, goods declared for export and cargo of Authorised Economic Operators (AEO).
- A truck presents itself at the checkpoint when the electronic system calls it from the parking lot.
- Official rules and the list of exemptions: rs.ge — TIR Parks.
How long trucks wait in the queue
We could not find an official figure for waiting times. In our experience the longest waits are at Sarpi and Lars, while Red Bridge and Sadakhlo are usually faster. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
A pre-arrival declaration does not remove the queue, but no time is lost preparing documents at the terminal.
Live border cameras
The Revenue Service does not currently publish live camera feeds, and most “camera” links found on other websites no longer work. Road conditions — avalanche risk, snow chain requirements, restrictions for trailers — are published by the Roads Department of Georgia.
To check whether your cargo has crossed the border and which customs terminal it has entered, search by the truck or wagon number: Cargo Tracking at Georgian Customs →
Customs control corridors
Once a declaration is registered, the system assigns the cargo a customs control corridor based on risk. What happens next depends on the corridor colour.
- Green — the cargo is released without document checks or inspection.
- Yellow — one of two things: either the declaration and supporting documents are checked (without inspecting the cargo), or customs requires immediate payment of duties — VAT, import duty and others. The cargo is not released until the amount is paid.
- Red — the cargo is cleared with a physical inspection; documents may be checked as well.
The blue corridor — the cargo is released without inspection; documents may be checked after release.
The corridor colour cannot be known in advance: the risk criteria are confidential by law. A correct declaration and complete documents do not change the colour, but they reduce extra delays caused by document errors.
Until the cargo is released, it remains under customs control. It goes to the warehouse only after release.
What the driver needs at the border
- Transport document: CMR for road, AWB for air, B/L for sea, SMGS or CIM/SMGS for rail. A truck moving under a TIR carnet also needs the TIR carnet — it does not replace the CMR.
- The C-number of the pre-arrival declaration — the driver gives it to customs.
- Invoice and packing list.
Depending on the goods, clearance may also require:
- proof of origin for a preferential rate: EUR.1 or an origin declaration on the invoice (EU, EFTA, Turkey), a China FTA certificate, CT-1 (CIS countries);
- a phytosanitary or veterinary certificate, import permit and Form No. 3;
- prior import notification to the Market Surveillance Agency — for products covered by technical regulations;
- for certain goods — a permit and an end-user certificate;
- documents proving the customs value and a power of attorney for your customs representative.
The full process step by step →
How much customs clearance costs
Brokerage service — a fixed 100 GEL per HS code; several HS codes are priced individually. Full rates →
The clearance fee depends on the customs value: up to 3,000 GEL — 50 GEL; over 3,000 and up to 15,000 GEL — 150 GEL; over 15,000 GEL — 200 GEL.
These rates apply if the declaration was registered in eCustoms before the cargo entered Georgia’s customs territory. If it was registered after entry, the fee is 100 / 300 / 400 GEL.
Outside working hours — Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 10:00, from Saturday 18:00 to Monday 10:00 and on public holidays (from 21:00 in the Poti zone) — the fee may be doubled. This does not happen for a declaration you registered yourself through eCustoms, which is why it pays to send documents early.
VAT — 18%. It is calculated on the customs value (goods + international freight + insurance to the border) plus import duty and excise — not on the invoice amount alone.
Import duty — 0, 5 or 12%, depending on the HS code. Excise applies only to certain goods (alcohol, tobacco, fuel).
Import taxes in detail → · Customs clearance calculator → · eCustoms and ASYCUDA →
Frequently asked questions
Which customs checkpoints in Georgia work 24 hours?
Under Order No. 257 of the Minister of Finance, all customs checkpoints work from 00:00 to 24:00, every day, including public holidays. This refers to crossing the border. Of the clearance zones, only “Poti” works 24 hours; “Tbilisi” and “Batumi” work from Monday 10:00 to Saturday 18:00, and “Airport” from Monday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00.
Is the Lars (Kazbegi) crossing open now?
The customs checkpoint works 24 hours, but the road closes because of weather and avalanche risk — not only in winter. Separate restrictions for trailers are also introduced. Before travelling, check the Roads Department’s updates and the Revenue Service hotline, +995 32 2 299 299.
How much does a truck parking lot (TIR park) at the border cost?
Since 21 August 2026 — no more than 80 GEL in total for the whole stay, regardless of the rate and the length of the stay (Resolution No. 442, Article 15, as amended by Resolution No. 403). The cap applies to lots connected to the electronic queue system.
Do I have to go to customs to clear my cargo?
No. Your customs representative fills in and registers the declaration electronically in eCustoms; the driver gives the declaration’s C-number at the border. The cargo is then assigned a corridor: green — release, yellow — document check or immediate payment of duties, red — inspection.
How long do trucks wait in the queue?
We could not find an official figure. In our experience the longest waits are at Sarpi and Lars, while Red Bridge and Sadakhlo are usually faster. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Above what value are an individual’s goods taxed?
Under Article 199 of the Tax Code: postal parcels — up to 300 GEL and 30 kg; by land or sea — up to 500 GEL and 30 kg, once every 30 days; by air — up to 3,000 GEL and 30 kg. The value includes transport costs. The exemption does not apply to goods intended for business. Do not plan to land exactly on the limit — that case is not clearly settled.
Cargo on the way? Write to us
We clear cargo at every checkpoint listed on this page: Sarpi, Kazbegi, Sadakhlo, Red Bridge, the ports of Poti and Batumi, and Tbilisi Airport. Everything is done remotely, so you do not need to go to customs.
- Cargo tracking — you get an email when the cargo crosses the border and when it enters the customs terminal.
- Corridor colour — once a colour is assigned, we let you know whether a delay at the terminal is likely.
- Pre-arrival declaration — half the clearance fee: 50 / 150 / 200 GEL instead of 100 / 300 / 400 GEL.
- A fixed 100 GEL per HS code; several codes are priced individually.
Send us the invoice and the transport document. We will check them, advise how to fix any errors, and if the documents arrive in time, register the declaration before the cargo arrives.
📞 +995 598 15 48 33 · daily 10:00–22:00 · Consultation
Sources: Customs Code of Georgia; Order No. 257 of the Minister of Finance of Georgia, 29 August 2019 (Annex 2 — Instruction on Customs Control); Government Resolution No. 96, 30 March 2010 (clearance fees); Government Resolution No. 442, 31 December 2013, Article 15 (as amended by Resolution No. 403, 20 August 2026); Tax Code of Georgia, Articles 197 and 199; Revenue Service of Georgia (rs.ge).
Prepared by LLC Declaro (ID 402342924). We work under an ASYCUDA license.
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