01 — Health Insurance
UHCP Covers Citizens Only — Foreigners Face a Pay-or-Insure Environment; Local Plans Are Extremely Affordable by Global Standards
Mandatory Entry Health Insurance — Effective 1 January 2026
Government Ordinance No. 602, after several implementation delays, came into effect on 1 January 2026. All foreign citizens entering Georgia as tourists or under visa-free regimes are now required to hold health and accident insurance with minimum coverage of 30,000 GEL (approximately USD 11,000) valid for their entire stay (up to one year). Exemptions apply to residence-permit holders, diplomats, and certain categories such as freight drivers. Despite the residence-permit exemption from the entry requirement, relocation advisors and expat guides unanimously recommend that all long-term residents maintain private health cover throughout their Georgia stay, given that the Universal Healthcare Program (UHCP) provides no coverage for foreigners regardless of residency status. This is the operative insurance constraint that distinguishes Georgia from most other MPH markets where at least some public-health access exists for long-term residents.
Local Private Health Plans — Comprehensive In-Country Layer
Aldagi / GPI Holding (Vienna Insurance Group) / Imedi L / TBC Insurance / Ardi / IRAO / Unison
Key Providers
Aldagi — one of the dominant composite insurers in Georgia with vertically integrated hospital network ownership; GPI Holding (Vienna Insurance Group subsidiary) — widely cited in expat guides; Imedi L — major Georgian insurer; TBC Insurance — backed by TBC Group; Ardi, IRAO, and Unison — all regularly cited in expat health-insurance comparisons; all supervised by the Insurance State Supervision Service of Georgia; the vertically integrated model (insurer owns hospitals and clinics) is a distinctive feature of the Georgian market that affects network access and claims processing
Indicative Premiums
Basic individual plans: from approximately 40 GEL/month (≈ USD 13–15); mid-range comprehensive plans: 55–95 GEL/month (≈ USD 21–36), e.g., UNO ACTIVE at 55 GEL/month and UNO ACTIVE+ at 95 GEL/month; annual cost for comprehensive local cover: USD 500–1,500 per adult; this is the lowest absolute premium range of any market in the MPH Insurance Hub and represents exceptional value for in-country coverage; family and group plans available from all major carriers
Network Reimbursement Structure
In-Network (Partner Hospitals) 80–100% reimbursement — the core value proposition of Georgian plans; Affiliated Providers 60–80% reimbursement; Out-of-Network 0–50% reimbursement — significant exposure for investors who attend non-partner facilities; the insurer-owned-hospital model means using the insurer’s own hospitals typically delivers 100% coverage with no claims process; selecting a plan whose hospital network matches the clinics near your Tbilisi or Batumi property is the most important product-selection criterion
Coverage Scope
Inpatient hospitalisation (surgery, intensive care, maternity); outpatient consultations and diagnostics; emergency care; pharmacy (with limits); dental and optical as optional add-ons; coverage is Georgia-only; no overseas treatment, evacuation, or complex oncology abroad is included in local plans; waiting periods apply to planned (elective) hospitalisations and sometimes dental care
Entry / Tourist Policy (30,000 GEL Min.)
Available from Georgian carriers and some international travel-medical providers; must cover health and accident with a minimum of 30,000 GEL (~ USD 11,000) for the entire intended stay (up to 1 year); required for all non-exempt foreign entrants from 1 January 2026; residence-permit holders are exempt from the entry requirement but advised by relocation professionals to maintain cover regardless; tourist-grade policies are lower-limit than comprehensive local plans and are not a substitute for HNW health cover during an extended stay
International IPMI & Evacuation — HNW Top-Up Layer
Cigna Global / Allianz Care / Bupa Global / AXA Global Healthcare — Turkey / Israel / EU Evacuation
Why International Cover Is Needed
Local Georgian plans cover in-country care at competitive cost but do not extend to complex oncology, advanced cardiac or neurological surgery, or specialist procedures that Georgian hospitals do not perform at international-standard volume; for HNW investors who require treatment at major centres in Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara), Israel (Hadassah, Sourasky), Germany, the UK, or France, an international IPMI policy is the mechanism for both the treatment cost and the medical-evacuation logistics; air-ambulance and organised evacuation are not standard in Georgian local plans
Preferred Evacuation Destinations
Turkey (Istanbul) is the closest major international medical hub from Tbilisi — approximately 2 hours by air; Israel for oncology and cardiac specialisation; Germany, Switzerland, and the UK for full international-standard tertiary care; home-country repatriation for long-term or terminal-care scenarios; international IPMI plans with Cigna, Allianz, Bupa, or AXA coordinate these flows through organised assistance networks
Indicative Premiums
International plans starting from approximately USD 1,000/year for younger adults on Europe/excluding-US plans; USD 2,000–5,000/year for ages 40–60 on worldwide plans; premiums vary materially by age, geographic scope, deductible, and benefit limit; the dual-layer model (local Georgian plan for day-to-day + international IPMI for complex and overseas care) is cost-efficient because the local plan absorbs the high-frequency lower-cost claims and the international plan is reserved for low-frequency high-severity events
02 — Property Insurance
Earthquake and Flood Must Be Explicitly Added — Standard Fire/Theft Policies Leave Caucasus Seismic Risk and Tbilisi Flood Exposure Uninsured
Georgia’s Seismic and Flood Risk Profile
Georgia is located in the seismically active South Caucasus region, a zone where tectonic plates interact and moderate-to-strong earthquakes have occurred historically. Tbilisi itself has experienced significant seismic events and sits on geological formations that amplify ground motion in certain districts, particularly the Old Town area on the left bank of the Mtkvari river. Batumi, on the Black Sea coast, has different but overlapping exposures. Separately, Old Town Tbilisi has documented flash-flood vulnerability from the Vere river tributary; a catastrophic flood in June 2015 caused widespread destruction in areas near the Vere and killed 19 people, inundating basements and lower floors in multiple residential blocks. Neither earthquake nor flood is automatically included in standard Georgian home-insurance policies — both require explicit coverage election. This is the dominant property-risk gap for foreign HNW investors who buy what they believe is comprehensive cover and later discover those perils were excluded.
Multi-Risk Property Insurance (Homeowners / Apartment Cover)
Aldagi / GPI Holding / Imedi L / TBC Insurance / Ardi / IRAO / Unison — Insurance State Supervision Service Regulated
Standard Perils Covered
Fire and explosion; storm and hail; burst pipes and water damage (from internal plumbing failures); theft and burglary; vandalism; civil liability for damage to neighbours and third parties; these perils are standard in comprehensive multi-risk policies from Georgian insurers; all the above are typically included in mid-range to premium property policies without requiring special endorsement
Earthquake Cover
Optional — Must Be Explicitly Added Georgia is in a seismically active zone; earthquake damage to building structure, contents, and civil liability arising from earthquake events requires an explicit named-peril extension; do not assume it is included in any standard policy without written confirmation from the insurer; particularly critical for Tbilisi Old Town, older Soviet-era construction, and properties in elevated districts with steeper slopes
Flood Cover
Optional — Must Be Explicitly Added Flash-flood risk is real in parts of Tbilisi, particularly areas near the Vere river; the 2015 Tbilisi flood caused catastrophic damage and loss of life; flood cover requires explicit endorsement and the insurer will assess the property’s proximity to watercourses and elevation; basement and ground-floor units in Old Town carry elevated flood pricing; confirm that the endorsement covers external flood water ingress, not only internal water-damage from pipe failures
Indicative Premium — USD 500K Property
Using a 0.1–0.3% of insured-value benchmark for Eastern European low-catastrophe markets, and Georgia’s generally low property-insurance pricing: approximately USD 500–1,500 per year for a full multi-risk policy including earthquake and flood endorsements on a USD 500,000 high-end Tbilisi or Batumi property; basic fire-and-theft-only policies on modest apartments are reportedly available for well under USD 200/year; investors should confirm pricing directly with brokers as Georgian-language tariff data dominates the market and English-language sources are scarce
Mandatory Triggers
No general legal requirement for homeowners to hold property insurance; when a property is purchased with a bank mortgage, the lending bank typically requires fire cover and often multi-risk cover as a loan condition; foreign investors buying without a mortgage face no statutory obligation but prudent property risk management makes comprehensive cover the default; the low absolute premium cost makes minimalist cover commercially incoherent
Foreign Ownership Context
Foreigners can buy and hold Georgian real estate freely with no special restrictions or additional approval requirements; non-resident foreign investors face no nationality-based barriers to obtaining property insurance from Georgian carriers; KYC documentation (passport, property title or sale agreement) is standard; Georgian-language policies are the norm and professional translation or a bilingual broker is recommended for foreign investors reviewing policy terms
| Risk Profile by Location — Key Georgia Investment Markets | |
|---|---|
| Tbilisi Old Town (Kala, Abanotubani, Metekhi) | Highest concentration of HNW boutique-apartment investment; elevated earthquake risk given Old Town geology and older construction stock; direct Vere-tributary flash-flood exposure in lower-lying zones; basement and ground-floor units carry the highest flood risk; earthquake + flood riders are essential; older Soviet-era or pre-Soviet buildings may face higher premium loadings due to construction-standard uncertainty; confirm structural assessment with insurer for renovated historic properties |
| Tbilisi New Districts (Vake, Saburtalo, Didube, Mtatsminda) | More modern construction stock; lower flood risk in elevated residential districts (Vake, Mtatsminda); earthquake risk exists across all Tbilisi but attenuation in newer engineered structures; Saburtalo and Didube have more mixed profiles; standard multi-risk + earthquake rider appropriate; flood rider depends on proximity to drainage infrastructure; premium pricing marginally lower than Old Town for equivalent property value |
| Batumi (Black Sea Coast) | Major foreign-investment apartment market driven by tourism and short-term rental yields; Black Sea coastal exposure (storm and wind events); seismic risk distinct from Tbilisi but Caucasus-region earthquake exposure persists; river proximity matters for specific developments; high concentration of Airbnb-model rental operations — STR commercial endorsement is critical; many developments are part of managed resort programmes — confirm what master cover (if any) the development carries and what gaps remain at the unit-owner level |
| Kazbegi / Gudauri (Mountain / Ski) | Niche investment market for ski chalets and eco-tourism properties; elevated weather and storm risk; snow load and ice-related damage relevant for mountain properties; seismic risk in the Greater Caucasus range; specialist property insurance recommended; evacuation access for medical emergencies more constrained than Tbilisi; international health IPMI with evacuation coverage is particularly important for prolonged mountain-area stays |
03 — Landlord & Short-Term Rental
STR Regulation Is Evolving — Declare Commercial Rental Use to Your Insurer Before the First Guest Checks In
Landlord & STR Insurance Products
Civil Liability Extension / Loss-of-Rent / STR Commercial Endorsement — Georgian Carriers
Civil Liability for Tenants & Guests
Civil liability covering bodily injury and property damage to tenants, guests, and third parties is included in most comprehensive homeowners policies; for rental properties, the liability limit should be reviewed against the expected number of occupants and the nature of use; higher-value properties hosting multiple guests in the STR market should carry at minimum EUR/USD equivalent of GEL 50,000–100,000 in civil-liability cover; local brokers can confirm available limits from Georgian carriers
STR / Airbnb Endorsement
Georgia does not yet have an EU-style national Airbnb insurance mandate; however, standard residential policies exclude commercial guest operations and claims for damage caused by paying guests are denied on material non-disclosure grounds if the insurer was not informed of STR use; the correct approach is to disclose commercial rental use at policy inception and obtain an explicit endorsement covering paying-guest occupancy; Batumi in particular has extremely high STR usage rates among foreign-owned apartments and this gap is pervasive in the market
Loss-of-Rent
Available from some Georgian carriers for investment properties when the unit is rendered uninhabitable by an insured event (fire, earthquake, major water damage); terms and availability are broker-specific and not as standardised as in Western European markets; for HNW investors with multiple Batumi rental units where annual yield is the primary investment metric, loss-of-rent cover should be specifically requested as part of a commercial or multi-property package negotiation
Multi-Property Packages
Investors holding multiple units in Tbilisi or Batumi can approach Georgian insurers for portfolio or commercial property packages that consolidate coverage, simplify administration, and potentially achieve premium economies compared to individual unit-by-unit policies; Aldagi and GPI Holding offer commercial property products for professional landlords; a local Georgian insurance broker facilitates multi-property negotiation more effectively than approaching insurers directly as a foreign individual client
04 — Regulatory Framework & 2024–2026 Updates
Insurance State Supervision Service Regulates a Privatised 90% Market — Mandatory Tourist Health Insurance Is the Key 2026 Change
Regulatory & Compliance Framework
Insurance State Supervision Service / Ordinance No. 602 / CRS + FATCA / Territorial Tax Context
Insurance State Supervision Service
The Insurance State Supervision Service of Georgia is the national regulator supervising all insurance companies, brokers, and intermediaries; it oversees licensing, solvency capital requirements, product approval, and conduct regulation across health, property, and life insurance; all carriers writing Georgian risks must hold an Insurance State Supervision Service licence; non-admitted foreign insurers generally do not write direct personal-lines business in Georgia — international reinsurers participate through quota-share and excess-of-loss reinsurance arrangements behind local primary carriers
Ordinance No. 602 — 2026 Entry Rule
Effective 1 January 2026; requires all foreign tourists and visa-free entrants to hold health and accident insurance with at least 30,000 GEL coverage valid for the entire stay (up to 1 year); exemptions for residence-permit holders, diplomats, and certain transport workers; the rule reflects Georgia’s recognition that its healthcare system — primarily private and commercially operated — cannot absorb uninsured foreign visitors who cannot pay for treatment; border officials are expected to request evidence of qualifying insurance at entry
90% Private Healthcare Market
Approximately 90% of Georgian hospitals are privately owned, many by insurance groups (vertical integration model); the insurer-owns-hospital structure is a distinctive feature that affects network access, claims-processing speed, and premium pricing; GPI Holding, Aldagi, and others operate hospitals and clinics alongside their insurance underwriting, creating strong incentives for policyholders to use in-network facilities; for foreign investors this means selecting an insurer whose hospital network includes facilities near their property is more important than in markets with standardised public-hospital access
CRS / FATCA
Georgia participates in international tax-transparency initiatives; financial institutions including insurers issuing investment-type life and savings products must classify customers for CRS and FATCA purposes and report to relevant tax authorities; standard health, property, and term-life policies are typically not reportable financial accounts; investment-linked or savings-element life policies held by foreign tax residents may be reportable; home-country tax counsel should assess any Georgian life-insurance or savings product holding for CRS/FATCA purposes
Georgian Territorial Tax Context
Georgia has a generally favourable personal-tax environment with territorial elements for certain categories of foreign-source income; this makes it an attractive residency base for HNW global investors but does not create specific tax advantages for locally held life-insurance products; the primary tax planning consideration for Georgia-resident HNW investors is coordinating offshore life/PPLI structures (Luxembourg, Ireland, Bermuda) with Georgian residency rules and home-country CRS/FATCA obligations; local Georgian life products are used for local protection needs, not sophisticated tax-planning structures
05 — Life & Wealth Protection
Georgian Life Market Is Growing But Not a PPLI Hub — Offshore Structures Remain the HNW Vehicle; Local Policies Serve Supplementary Needs
| Life & Wealth Protection Framework | |
|---|---|
| Local Georgian Life Carriers | GPI Holding, Aldagi, Imedi L, and TBC Insurance offer life products alongside non-life lines; term life (protection), whole-life, and basic investment-linked or savings products are available; premiums are competitive by regional standards; suitable for mortgage-linked life cover (banks often require term life as a condition of Georgian-bank lending), basic family protection, and local estate-planning needs; not designed for sophisticated HNW cross-border wealth structuring |
| PPLI / PPVA Availability | Georgia is not a recognised global hub for private-placement life insurance (PPLI) or private-placement variable annuities (PPVA); the Insurance State Supervision Service framework does not provide the regulatory infrastructure that Luxembourg or Irish life authorities offer for passported cross-border PPLI distribution; HNW investors using Georgia as a residency base structure their PPLI and wealth wrappers through Luxembourg, Ireland, Bermuda, or Liechtenstein platforms and then coordinate the tax treatment with their Georgian residency status |
| Portability | Georgia does not restrict residents from holding foreign life policies; foreign-issued policies remain valid while the policyholder is resident in Georgia subject to the insurer’s own territorial and sanctions rules; conversely, Georgian-issued policies are portable and remain valid when the policyholder moves abroad subject to insurer consent; for HNW investors, the main portability consideration is CRS/FATCA treatment of the policy in the new tax jurisdiction, not Georgian regulatory restrictions |
| Recommended PPLI Approach for Georgia Residents | Maintain primary life/PPLI structures in Luxembourg or Ireland; ensure the policy is structured to respect Georgia’s territorial tax rules for foreign-source income (specialist Georgian tax counsel required as the rules have nuances for investment income vs. earned income vs. passive income from foreign sources); coordinate CRS/FATCA reporting across the Georgian residency and home-country tax-authority positions; do not use a Georgian life policy as a PPLI substitute — use it only for local protection needs such as mortgage life cover or family emergency provision |