Source: Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia — transit plates, ownership transfer, legal status certificate. Information checked on 29 September 2026.
Below is the official procedure for a buyer who wants to register a car in Georgia in their own name or take it out of the country. All fees and time limits come from the website of the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Two scenarios
- The car is already registered in Georgia (on Georgian plates). It is re-registered to the new owner at the Service Agency. To take it abroad, the car is deregistered and a transit plate is issued.
- The car was brought into Georgia but not customs-cleared, for example for re-export. It does not have to be cleared in Georgia; a transit plate is issued for leaving the country.
Registering the car in your name
The deal is completed at the Service Agency, where the seller and the buyer submit a joint application. You need a document confirming ownership of the car, identity documents, the inspection report and payment receipts. Fees: inspection 20 GEL, license plate 80 GEL, registration certificate 100 GEL, 200 GEL in total. By law registration takes one working day. A foreigner usually needs only a passport; check non-standard cases with the hotline 12 72.
Details are in our article on car re-registration in Georgia. If the car stays in Georgia and is due for inspection, the inspection must be passed within 30 days of registration: see our vehicle inspection article.
Leaving Georgia: the transit plate
The Service Agency issues a transit plate when a car is exported or re-exported. It is issued for a specific car and cannot be used by anyone else.
- a car leaving the customs territory of Georgia for export or re-export — 150 GEL;
- a car deregistered in another country passing through Georgia in transit — 370 GEL;
- replacing a lost plate — 30 GEL.
If the car is going to be re-exported, it does not have to be customs-cleared in Georgia (Service Agency answer).
Checks before you pay
- A certificate of the car's legal status: arrest, pledge, tax lien, wanted status, temporary registration or zero customs clearance. It costs from 30 GEL (5 working days) to 110 GEL (3 working hours) and can be ordered online.
- The car's history by VIN on our VIN check page.
- The VIN on the body must match the documents; this is exactly what is compared during the Service Agency inspection.
Importing the car at home
Once the car leaves Georgia, your own country's rules apply: duties, fees and registration requirements. They change often, so check them with your country's customs before buying. Why cars are cheaper in Georgia, and when they are not, is covered in our article on prices and taxes.
Service Agency hotline: 12 72, from abroad: +995 32 2 41 91 91. Browse car listings.