Pets in Georgia: The Complete Expat Guide (2026)

Georgia is one of the most pet-friendly countries you'll ever live in — and also one of the most confusing for pet owners coming from Western countries. The import requirements are straightforward on paper, the vet care is surprisingly good and cheap, and your dog can come to pretty much any restaurant in Tbilisi. But there are things nobody tells you until you're here: the stray dog situation, the lack of pet-friendly rental apartments, and the fact that "pet insurance" barely exists.

This guide covers everything — whether you're bringing a pet from abroad, adopting one locally, or just trying to figure out the logistics of pet ownership in a country where dogs roam the streets with ear tags and cats own the Old Town.

Bringing Your Pet to Georgia

The good news: Georgia's pet import rules are simpler than most European countries. No EU pet passport needed. No six-month quarantine like the UK or Australia. If you have the right documents, your pet clears customs in minutes.

The bad news: different airlines have wildly different policies, and the rules about rabies titer tests confuse almost everyone. Here's exactly what you need.

Required Documents

At the Border / Airport

When you arrive in Georgia, customs will check your pet's documents and microchip. If everything matches — microchip number on all docs, vaccines current, titer test valid — you're through in minutes. No import permit is required for personal pets (dogs, cats, ferrets).

If your paperwork is incomplete or expired, the outcomes aren't great: quarantine at your expense, return to origin country, or in the worst case, euthanasia. That last one is standard legal language — in practice, they'll quarantine or return — but don't test it. Get your documents right.

Flying with Your Pet

Driving In (Turkey / Armenia Border)

If you're driving from Turkey or Armenia, the border crossing is simpler than flying — no airline restrictions, no cargo hassles. You'll show your documents at the veterinary checkpoint, they'll scan the microchip, and you're through. Coming via Turkey, the Sarpi border crossing (Black Sea coast) is the most common. From Armenia, it's Sadakhlo. Have your original documents ready — not just copies.

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The Stray Dog Situation

This is the thing every new expat asks about, and the thing most guides handle poorly. So let's be honest about it.

Tbilisi has an estimated 40,000+ stray dogs. They're everywhere — sleeping on sidewalks, lounging outside shops, following joggers, hanging out in parks. Most of them have yellow ear tags, which means they've been caught, vaccinated, neutered, and released by the city's TVNR (Trap, Vaccinate, Neuter, Return) program, largely run by Mayhew Georgia.

The vast majority are gentle and well-socialized. Georgians feed them, pet them, and treat them as community dogs. It's genuinely one of the more compassionate approaches to stray management in the region. You'll see bakeries leaving bread out, restaurants scraping plates for neighborhood dogs, and grandmothers with dedicated feeding schedules.

But Here's the Honest Part

Some strays are territorial, especially at night. Dog packs can be aggressive toward other dogs. If you're walking your pet dog, you need to be aware of pack dynamics — a group of 3–5 strays may approach, and while they're usually just curious, it can escalate. Keep your dog leashed and walk confidently. Don't run.

Bites do happen, though they're not common. If you or your pet gets bitten, go to a hospital (for you) or vet clinic (for your pet) immediately. Georgia is not rabies-free, and while TVNR dogs are vaccinated, untagged strays may not be. Get post-exposure prophylaxis if there's any doubt.

Living with Strays as a Pet Owner

If you have a dog, you'll learn to navigate the stray situation quickly. Most expat dog owners say the first week is stressful and then you adapt. Practical tips:

• Walk during daylight when strays are calmer and more predictable
• Carry a stick or umbrella — you'll probably never use it, but it gives confident body language
• Know your route — you'll learn which streets have territorial packs
• Don't feed strays near your home unless you want them camping at your door (they will)
• Keep vaccinations current — your pet will encounter strays daily, and diseases can spread through nose-to-nose contact

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Veterinary Care in Tbilisi

Vet care in Georgia is genuinely good and shockingly affordable. A basic consultation runs ₾15–50 ($6–19). Even surgeries, which might cost $2,000–5,000 in the US or Europe, are typically ₾200–800 ($75–300) here. The quality at the top clinics is comparable to Western standards — several Georgian vets have trained in Europe.

Recommended Clinics

Common Vet Costs

One thing to note: Georgian vets tend to be more conservative with treatment recommendations than American vets. In the US, your vet might push for every diagnostic test available. Here, they'll do what's needed and not upsell. That's refreshing, but it means you should speak up if you want thorough testing.

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Finding Pet-Friendly Housing

This is honestly the biggest challenge for pet owners in Tbilisi. Most landlords don't want pets — especially dogs — in their apartments. The rental market runs on trust and personal relationships, and many Georgian apartment owners view pets as guaranteed damage to their furniture and floors.

It's not hopeless, but expect it to take longer. Here's what works:

Neighborhood Tips for Pet Owners

Some areas are better for pets than others:

• Vake — Vake Park is the closest thing Tbilisi has to a proper dog-walking area. Wide sidewalks, quieter streets, less traffic. Popular with expat dog owners.
• Vera — Quiet, charming streets with less stray dog activity than Old Town. Good for small dogs.
• Saburtalo — More open spaces, newer buildings (often with courtyards), and slightly easier to find pet-friendly apartments.
• Old Town / Sololaki — Beautiful but challenging for dogs. Narrow streets, lots of strays, heavy foot traffic. Better for cats.
• Dighomi / Gldani — Suburban feel, more space, but fewer amenities and further from vet clinics.

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Adopting a Pet in Georgia

Georgia has no shortage of animals needing homes. Between the stray population and several active shelters, adopting is easy — and free at most organizations. Every shelter dog or cat will already be vaccinated and neutered.

Where to Adopt

After adopting, you're legally required to microchip your pet (since January 2023). Most shelters handle this before adoption, but verify — and ask for the microchip registration paperwork.

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Daily Life with a Pet

Dog-Friendly Places

Georgia is surprisingly accommodating for dogs. Most outdoor restaurant seating is dog-friendly by default — nobody will ask you to leave. Many indoor cafés are fine with it too, especially in Vake and Vera. Dogs ride in Bolt taxis without issue (most drivers don't care, though it helps to tip). Dogs are allowed in most parks, though there are no dedicated off-leash dog parks in Tbilisi.

Pet Food & Supplies

You can find decent pet food in Tbilisi, though the selection is smaller than what you're used to. Here's the landscape:

• Supermarkets (Carrefour, Goodwill, Nikora) — Basic dry and wet food. Royal Canin, Purina, Pedigree are commonly stocked.
• Pet stores — Every neighborhood has at least one. Better selection of premium brands (Acana, Orijen, Hill's). Also stock toys, beds, grooming supplies.
• Online ordering — Wolt delivers from pet stores. Zoopet.ge is a dedicated online pet store with good selection and delivery.
• Premium / raw food — Harder to find. Some specialty stores carry raw-frozen options, but this isn't a market with robust raw feeding infrastructure yet.

Pet Grooming

Grooming services are available and affordable. Expect to pay ₾30–80 ($12–30) for a full grooming session depending on your dog's size and coat. Most groomers work by appointment — ask your vet for recommendations or check expat Facebook groups.

Boarding & Pet Sitting

When you need to travel without your pet, you have options:

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Pet Insurance

Pet insurance in Georgia is in its infancy. Only one major insurer — Irao — offers a dedicated pet insurance product. Coverage is basic compared to Western standards, but given how cheap vet care is here, most expats skip insurance entirely and pay out of pocket.

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Leaving Georgia with Your Pet

This is where people get tripped up. Getting a pet into Georgia is easy. Getting one out — especially to the EU or UK — can be a multi-month process. The receiving country's import rules apply, and they're often stricter than Georgia's export requirements.

Export to the EU

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Monthly Cost of Pet Ownership

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Frequently Asked Questions