Practical guides, updates, and local knowledge for expats across Georgia.
A Tbilisi court handed five-year prison terms to seven defendants over the October 4, 2025 election-day unrest, including 72-year-old pediatrician Giorgi Chakhunashvili, bringing total convictions in the case to 17.
From 20 July, TBC will apply a 0.6% charge on foreign-currency ATM withdrawals and tighten branch rules on guaranteed international transfers, with exemptions for school, business and Concept cards.
Batumi marks the start of the summer tourist season with a free two-day festival on 20–21 June — kite shows on the boulevard from 13:00 and live music at Alphabet Tower from 17:00.
Parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirtkhalia tabled amendments to soften penalties for moderate speeding, weeks after fines for 15–40 km/h over the limit doubled on 1 May.
Ripe loquats are appearing across Batumi in late spring and early summer, including trees planted at the Batumi Botanical Garden since 1913.
MEPs voted 436–145 on June 17 to adopt a resolution urging EU member states to impose personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili and senior Georgian Dream figures, while reiterating non-recognition of Georgia's disputed parliament.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry has opened up to 60 court cases for online hate speech since launching a dedicated unit on 1 June, with seven cases already reaching final decisions.
Aleksandar Vučić arrived in Tbilisi on June 15 for his first official visit to Georgia, meeting President Mikheil Kavelashvili at the Orbeliani Palace as talks on a free trade agreement continue.
Laboratory tests of seawater from 14 points along Georgia's Black Sea coast found concentrations of heavy metals, petroleum products and other pollutants within permitted limits, according to media reports citing the National Environment Agency.
Tbilisi City Court sentenced currency exchange office owner Kakha Kotorashvili to 11 years in prison after convicting him of laundering nearly $700 million through a network that prosecutors said used licensed exchange operations and cross-border cash smuggling.
Georgia imported 803 tons of fresh beef worth $4.471 million in the first four months of 2026, nearly 1.9 times the volume recorded in the same period last year, with Belarus and Ukraine supplying more than 93% of the total.
Batumi has finished resurfacing and fresh lane markings on the bridge over the Bartskhana River, with traffic fully restored as wider road upgrades continue across the city.
Daily wages for strawberry pickers in Georgia have climbed to an average of 60–70 GEL for an eight-hour shift, as growers cite weather damage and uneven fruit quality.
Georgian Airways will fly Tbilisi–Batumi four times weekly from 25 June on Boeing 737s, with 45-minute hops timed for weekend trips to the Black Sea coast.
The Ministry of Infrastructure plans special weight-monitoring complexes on major roads to catch overloaded trucks, citing road damage and safety risks from excess cargo.
Wizz Air will temporarily halt Kutaisi–Lyon services from 22 October 2026, citing routine network optimisation as the carrier reviews demand across its European routes.
Romanian carrier DAN AIR will fly twice weekly between Tbilisi and Bucharest from 1 July through 24 October, adding a direct link between Georgia and Romania.
Georgian prosecutors said two foreign nationals were arrested in Adjara in a joint operation with U.S. and Polish authorities targeting a group that allegedly laundered several hundred million dollars in cryptocurrency since 2022.
Georgia's insurers collected 521 million GEL in premiums in the first quarter of 2026, up 15% year on year, while sector net profit rose 19.2% to 31 million GEL and total assets reached 1.802 billion GEL.
The power distributor says unknown people in Energo-Pro uniforms are visiting homes in several Tbilisi districts claiming meters must be replaced and asking for ID and personal data.
Batumi’s municipal inspection service is reviewing sanitary conditions in hotels, guest rooms, food areas and pools as the summer tourist season begins, with samples sent to laboratories.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry reported 119 drug-related arrests including 49 suspected dealers, with large seizures of narcotics, cash, packaging materials and firearms after searches across the country.
Mamuka Artmeladze, 43, died on 4 June at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana after being found unresponsive in ICE custody; cause of death is pending autopsy and Georgian consular officials were notified.
A 13-year-old admitted to Tbilisi's Iashvili Children's Medical Center with a broken arm died on 8 June before surgery; police are investigating possible negligence after family allegations.
Our WhatsApp channel posts practical updates and local stories for expats.
Follow on WhatsApp