The First Month in Georgia: What to Set Up and Where to Go

The first week in Georgia covers survival basics: a SIM card, cash, a taxi. The first month is already about settling in: a long-term lease, a personal number, address registration, utilities, and a permanent bank account. Here is what to handle and where to go for each.

A Long-Term Lease: Deposit and Agent Commission

After a week or two in short-term housing, it's time to sign a long-term lease. The standard setup in Tbilisi at signing:

• one month's rent upfront
• a deposit of one or two months' rent, which the landlord can keep for damage on move-out
• if the apartment came through an agent: an agent commission, usually 50 to 100% of one month's rent

Landlords often quote the price in dollars, though you can still pay in GEL at the current rate on the day of payment. The basic rule stays the same as in the first week: never sign for an apartment you haven't seen in person.

Most landlords in Tbilisi are open to registering the lease at a notary, which costs a small fee split between both sides and gives you a legal document you can show for address registration or a bank account application. It's not mandatory, but it's worth asking for, since a notarized lease resolves disputes over the deposit far faster than a plain paper agreement.

A price benchmark for a two-bedroom apartment: in the center and districts like Vake, prices usually start at 900 to 1,300 dollars a month; outside the center, in Saburtalo or Didube, from 550 to 850 dollars. The range depends heavily on renovation and furnishing: furnished apartments typically cost 15 to 20% more.

Personal Number: The Universal Identifier

A Personal Number is an 11-digit identifier assigned to Georgian citizens and to foreigners who hold a residence permit. Without a residence permit, you normally don't have one. You can still open a bank account with just your passport, provided the bank approves you after its checks. You can also register as an individual entrepreneur in Georgia without a residence permit, on the basis of your passport.

You don't apply for it separately. The number is assigned at the House of Justice together with your residence permit and printed on the residence card. Until you have a permit, the Revenue Service can give a foreigner only a 9-digit tax number, for example to buy property, and it does not replace a full Personal Number.

Address Registration: Mandatory for Residence Permit Holders

If you already hold a residence permit in Georgia, the law requires registering your residential address within one month of entering the country or of getting the permit itself. The process is free and handled at the House of Justice. Without that registration you can't get a resident ID card, which is often needed to open an account or sign a long-term lease.

Registration itself usually just needs a copy of the lease or the owner's written consent; the original property title doesn't always have to be shown.

Utilities: Electricity, Water, Gas

Electricity in Tbilisi comes from Telasi (now operating as Telmico), and water is supplied by Georgian Water and Power (GWP). In most apartments the meters are already connected under the previous tenant or owner: a new renter either transfers the contract into their own name or just keeps paying against the meter reading under the owner's name, worth confirming with the landlord at signing.

Most apartments in Tbilisi have their own gas meter, and gas, heating included, is billed separately by Tbilisi Energy according to its readings.

Home Internet

Two main providers: Magticom, the market leader with over 40% share, and Silknet, which already runs 5G in central Tbilisi. Most apartment buildings already have fiber run through them, and home internet in Georgia is hooked up anywhere from a day to a few days after you request it. An unlimited plan for an apartment usually runs 33 to 80 lari a month depending on speed, and both providers bundle it with home TV.

A Permanent Bank Account

By the end of the first month it's usually clear whether you're staying long-term, and that's a good point to open a permanent personal account at a Georgian bank instead of running on cash or transfers from a foreign card. Which bank is easiest for a foreigner, and what documents it asks for, varies enough that it is worth comparing before walking in to open a personal bank account in Georgia.

The easiest way to pay utility bills in Georgia is through the bank's mobile app: both TBC and Bank of Georgia support direct payment to Telmico, GWP, and both internet providers without logging into each company's own account portal separately.

Why the First Month Costs More Than the Rest

Beyond the rent and deposit themselves, the first month usually brings one-time costs: bedding and kitchenware if the apartment comes unfurnished, plug adapters for Georgian outlets, small repairs, or extra furniture, nearly all of which you can find in malls and stores in Georgia. From the second month on, spending usually settles into something far more predictable.

All told, one-time setup and small repair costs typically add up to 300 to 500 lari, depending on how bare the apartment was to start.