Money transfers

Who this page is for

For anyone who lives, works or invests in Georgia and receives money from another country or sends it there.

A salary, freelance income, a property purchase, helping family - each of these has its own details.

Our role

We are not a bank or a transfer service, and we never touch clients' money.

We help with bank details, documents and communication with the bank, and translate every question.

How a transfer works

An international transfer often passes through several banks: the sender's bank, an intermediary bank and the recipient's bank.

At each stage the transfer is checked and can be held.

So "I have sent the money" does not always mean it will be in the account tomorrow.

Bank details

A Georgian bank account is in IBAN format, and each bank has its own SWIFT code.

The sender needs the account number, the recipient's name, the bank's name and its code.

Sometimes the sender's bank also asks for intermediary bank details - your bank gives you these.

Spelling the name

The recipient's name must be written exactly as it is on the bank account, in Latin letters.

A difference of one letter can hold a transfer or send it back.

A company's name is written exactly as in the registry extract.

Currencies

Accounts in Georgian banks are often multi-currency: lari, dollar, euro and others.

If the money arrives in the same currency as your account, there is no extra conversion.

So we tell the sender in advance which currency to send.

Exchange rate and conversion

Conversion can happen at the sender's bank, an intermediary bank or your bank.

Each bank has its own rate, and the difference is sometimes bigger than the fee.

It is better for conversion to happen where the rate is known in advance.

Timing

An international transfer usually takes one to three working days.

Weekends, public holidays in either country and checks all add to that.

If you need the money by a particular date, it is better to send it a few days early.

Intermediary banks

Some currencies and some routes need an intermediary bank.

The intermediary bank takes its own fee, and slightly less money may arrive.

Sometimes the intermediary bank also asks for extra information, and that takes time.

Who pays the fee

When sending, you choose who pays the fee: the sender, the recipient or both.

If an exact amount must arrive - for example under an invoice or a contract - the sender should cover the fee.

We agree this before the transfer, so that no small difference is left over.

The bank's checks

The bank is obliged to know where money comes from and what it is for.

This applies to every client, not just foreigners.

The clearer the purpose of the transfer, the fewer the questions.

What the bank asks for

A contract, an invoice, a salary statement, a property sale document - depending on the type of transfer.

The bank often asks for a translation of a document in a foreign language.

We prepare the documents in advance, so that the bank's question is closed quickly.

Large sums

The bank checks a large sum in more detail, and that is normal.

It is best to tell the bank in advance: how much is coming, from where and what for.

Sometimes it is better to send a large sum in several parts, agreed with the bank.

The first transfer

The first large transfer into a new account is the one most often checked.

The bank does not yet know your history and checks every new source separately.

So we prepare the documents for the first transfer most thoroughly of all.

A held transfer

If a transfer is held, the first thing is to find out where: at the sender's bank, an intermediary bank or your bank.

The reason is often simple: the purpose is unclear, or a document is missing.

We prepare the answer the same day, because any delay makes the wait longer.

A returned transfer

If a detail is wrong or the bank does not accept the transfer, the money goes back to the sender.

The return takes time, and the fee is often not refunded.

Before sending again we establish the reason, so that the mistake is not repeated.

Money sent by mistake

If money has gone to the wrong account, contact the sending bank at once.

The bank sends a recall request to the recipient's bank, but the outcome is not guaranteed.

The sooner you act, the better the chance.

A salary from abroad

If your employer is in another country, the salary arrives every month from the same source.

The bank quickly gets used to such transfers if you present the contract at the start.

How the salary is taxed depends on your status, and the accountant explains this.

Freelance income

A freelancer often receives money from different clients and different platforms.

You should have a contract or an invoice for each client - the bank may ask about any of them.

Under individual entrepreneur or small business status this income counts towards turnover.

Business payments

A company pays suppliers abroad and receives money from clients.

Every payment needs an invoice and, ideally, a contract.

The accountant records these payments, and some of them need an extra declaration.

The payment reference

The reference field should contain a short, clear text: for example, "payment of invoice 12".

Vague words - "help", "loan", "transfer" - often raise questions.

We write to the sender in advance with the text to use.

Family transfers

For money received from a family member, the bank may ask for proof of the relationship.

A birth or marriage certificate, translated if needed, closes that question.

For a large sum the bank sometimes also asks where the sender got the money.

Gifts and inheritance

A large sum received as a gift or an inheritance needs a document: a deed of gift or a certificate of inheritance.

A foreign document often needs an apostille and a translation.

Tax depends on the rules of both countries, and the accountant checks this.

Paying for property

When buying property, the money usually goes from your account to the seller's account.

The transfer must match the terms of the contract: the amount, the currency, the date.

On the day of the deal the money should already be in your Georgian account, so that nothing is delayed.

Sending money home

Sending money from Georgia works the same way: bank details, a reference and, if needed, a document.

In some countries the receiving bank itself asks where the money comes from.

So we give the recipient in advance the document that their bank will need.

Money transfer services

For small sums, money transfer services are quick and convenient.

The money often arrives within minutes and can be collected at a bank branch or received into an account.

For large sums and regular transfers a bank transfer is more transparent.

Fintech services

Many people use foreign fintech services, which often offer a better rate.

A Georgian bank usually accepts money from such a service, but sometimes asks for a statement of the sending account.

It matters that the fintech account is also in your name.

Cards and cash withdrawals

Paying by foreign card and withdrawing cash from ATMs in Georgia is usually possible.

A cash withdrawal with a foreign card carries your bank's fee and an exchange rate difference.

For living here long-term, a Georgian account and card are often better value.

Exchange offices

There are many currency exchange offices in Georgia, and rates vary between them.

At the airport and in tourist spots the rate is often less favourable.

For a large sum, exchanging at a bank is more transparent and leaves you a document.

Cash at the border

When entering or leaving Georgia, cash above a certain threshold must be declared.

The declaration may also require documents showing where the cash came from.

We check the current threshold and rule before you travel, so that there are no surprises at the border.

Sanctions and restrictions

Georgian banks take the international sanctions regime into account.

Transfers from some countries or banks may be restricted or need additional checks.

We find out which route is lawful and available, and we do not help get around sanctions.

Third-party payments

When someone else, a person or a company, sends money on your behalf, the bank often asks questions.

A third-party payment needs an explanation and a document: why, and on what basis.

The simplest rule is: money from your own account to your own account.

Tax

The transfer itself is usually not taxed. What is taxed is the income it brings.

Bringing over your own savings and receiving a salary are different things.

The accountant explains which money is taxed and how, based on your status.

Reporting in your home country

Some countries require citizens or residents to declare foreign accounts.

Opening a Georgian account may create such an obligation.

We check this with an adviser in your country before you open the account.

A blocked account

If the bank has blocked an account, it is often a check rather than a final decision.

We translate the bank's letter precisely and work out which document it is asking for.

A full and timely answer often unblocks the account within a few days.

Money from crypto

Money from selling crypto is checked by the bank in particular detail.

It should come from a licensed provider and from an account in your own name.

The details are on the crypto assets page.

Warning signs of fraud

A "bank employee" who asks for a code or a password over the phone is not a bank employee.

An offer to move money "quickly and without checks" is almost always a fraud.

If in doubt, call the bank on its official number, not the number someone sent you.

Changed bank details

The most expensive fraud looks like this: a letter saying "our account has changed".

The letter may come from a familiar address if the email account has been hacked.

Always check new bank details by phone, on a number you already know, before you pay.

A multi-currency account

If your income and spending are in different currencies, a multi-currency account avoids unnecessary conversion.

Salary in dollars, rent in lari, money home in euros - all in one account.

We choose the bank according to the currencies you use most often.

The account comes first

To receive money you first need a Georgian account, and opening it should be planned before the transfer.

When you open the account, the bank asks what money will come in and from where - that answer then helps every transfer.

If you said one thing when opening the account and something else arrives later, the bank will notice.

Regular transfers

Rent, school fees or monthly help for family can be set up as an automatic transfer.

A regular, identical transfer is the easiest for a bank and is rarely held.

When the amount or the recipient changes, we warn the bank in advance.

Keeping the documents

The documents for every large transfer - the contract, the invoice, the bank's confirmation - should be kept for several years.

You may need them for a later bank check, a tax return or when selling property.

One tidy folder will save you a lot of time years from now.

What we do not do

We do not receive, hold or transfer money on a client's behalf.

We do not help get around bank checks, sanctions or declaration rules.

We do not work with money whose source cannot be shown.

Common mistakes

A Latin spelling of the name that differs from the account. A vague reference.

A large sum without warning the bank in advance. A transfer from a third party's account.

Paying to "new" bank details received by email without checking them.

What we need from you

What kind of transfer it is: salary, business, property, family.

From which country and in which currency, and roughly how much.

Which documents you already have and in which language.

Price

Bank fees are set by the bank's tariff, and we have nothing to do with them.

Our help - documents, translation, communication with the bank - is agreed in advance.

We take no percentage of the amount transferred.