Foreign driving licence in Georgia: how long it can be used and how to exchange it: what to do under Georgian law

What to do

1. Period by status: a foreigner (or stateless person) may drive on a foreign licence until it expires, but no more than one year from the last entry (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 49); a citizen of Georgia may drive for no more than one year from entry (with dual citizenship, until the licence expires) (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 48). The year is counted from the LAST entry; a residence permit does not change this.
2. Staying longer means exchange: a foreign licence may be exchanged for a Georgian one without examinations, but no later than the expiry of the foreign licence (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 49); the authority is the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 2); documents: application, passport or residence permit card, the licence, a document confirming registration or place of residence in Georgia, and payment (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 49); foreign licences are returned to the holder, but they lose their validity in Georgia (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 49).
3. Obstacles: refusal is possible if the licence has expired, if there is a driving ban, if there is no such category, if the documents are incomplete, or if the exchange is restricted by treaty (MIA Driving Licence Rules, Art. 49). Expired licences cannot be exchanged; only examinations are available.
4. Points: a foreign licence is assigned 100 points once (Law of Georgia on Road Traffic, Art. 58); when the points are exhausted, driving in Georgia is prohibited (Law of Georgia on Road Traffic, Art. 58).
5. If the licence no longer has effect in Georgia: driving without a licence is punishable by a fine of 500 GEL (Administrative Offences Code of Georgia, Art. 121); a repeat within one year: 1,500 GEL or administrative detention for up to 15 days (AOC, Art. 121); the owner who handed the car to such a driver: 700 GEL (AOC, Art. 121).
6. Where to apply: Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (exchange); patrol police.
7. Documents to prepare: the licence (validity, categories); passport or residence permit; records of the last entry; document confirming place of residence.
8. Pitfalls: counting the year from the receipt of a residence permit, whereas the law counts from the last entry; postponing until the licence expires, after which an exchange without examination is no longer possible; applying the Russian rule of mandatory exchange after obtaining a residence permit, which does not exist in Georgia; giving a car to a driver without a valid licence, as the owner is also fined.

Be sure to check

• driving period on a foreign licence: until it expires, but no more than one year from the last entry (a residence permit does not change this)
• exchange without examination before the foreign licence expires; the authority and the documents
• grounds for refusal of the exchange
• fine for driving without a valid driving licence