Sarp – Sarpi crossing

Do I need Georgian car insurance at the Sarpi border?

Yes. Every foreign-registered vehicle entering Georgia at Sarpi must carry Georgian compulsory third-party liability insurance (APPA) for the whole time it stays in the country, and Turkish motor insurance does not extend across the border. You can buy the policy online before you reach the queue and show the PDF at the checkpoint, or buy it from a booth on the Georgian side after passport control. There is no grace period: the requirement applies from the first metre of Georgian road.

Buy car insuranceAdd travel medical insurance

20 km

From the border to Batumi

100–200 GEL

Administrative fine for driving uninsured

30,000 GEL

Medical cover required per traveller since 2026

What happens at Sarpi, in order

  • Turkish exit control: passports and the vehicle are processed on the Turkish side first.
  • Georgian passport control: the driver and passengers are checked. Since 1 January 2026 most foreign visitors must hold travel medical insurance with an insured sum of at least GEL 30,000 for the whole stay.
  • Vehicle registration: the car is entered into the Georgian customs system against your passport, so it must leave with you.
  • Insurance: the compulsory third-party policy is checked by number plate. If you bought online it is already in the system; if not, the booths on the Georgian side sell it.

Buying before you go, and why people do

The policy sold at the border and the policy sold online are the same compulsory cover under the same law — the difference is only where you spend the time. Sarpi is the busiest crossing on the Black Sea coast and the queue peaks on Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and around public holidays, when the booths are the slowest part of the process.

Card terminals at the crossing are not always working, and the booths quote in lari. Buying online means the policy is issued against your plate before you arrive and the PDF is in your email; border officers and traffic police read the electronic record, so there is nothing to print.

The other two crossings from Türkiye

  • Türkgözü – Vale: the inland route from Ardahan and Posof towards Akhaltsikhe. Quieter than the coast and useful if you are heading for Borjomi or Tbilisi rather than Batumi.
  • Aktaş – Kartsakhi: the least-used of the three, on the Çıldır road towards Ninotsminda and the Javakheti plateau.
  • The insurance requirement is identical at all three. It attaches to the vehicle and the plate, not to the crossing you choose.

Questions drivers ask about Sarpi

Can I buy Georgian insurance at the Sarpi border itself?

Yes. There are booths on the Georgian side after passport control. They sell the same compulsory cover, but they add waiting time to a crossing that is already slow at peak hours, and card payment is not always available.

Is my Turkish trafik sigortası valid in Georgia?

No. Turkish compulsory motor insurance stops at the Turkish border, and Georgia does not participate in the Green Card system, so a Green Card does not cover you either. A Georgian policy is required for the vehicle from the moment it enters.

How long does the online purchase take?

A few minutes. You need the vehicle registration details, the plate number and your passport details; the policy is emailed as a PDF once payment goes through.

What does a policy cost for a passenger car?

A 15-day policy for a passenger car is $20.00, and a full year is $150.00. Prices depend on the vehicle category and the length of cover, not on the driver or the value of the car.

What happens if I drive in Georgia without it?

Driving a foreign-registered vehicle in Georgia without compulsory third-party cover is an administrative offence and can be fined 100–200 GEL. Police check insurance electronically by plate, so an uninsured car is visible without being stopped.

Do I also need travel medical insurance to enter?

Since 1 January 2026 most foreign visitors must hold travel medical insurance for the entire stay, with an insured sum of no less than GEL 30,000. Georgian citizens and holders of a valid Georgian residence permit are exempt. It is a separate policy from vehicle insurance and covers people, not the car.

Buy before you reach the queue

The policy is issued against your plate and emailed as a PDF. Nothing to print, nothing to collect at the border.

Choose the cover that fits you. Prices are per policy.

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