When I finally decided to visit Georgia, I knew that I wanted to try the Türkiye-Georgia border crossing by bus for the sake of experience.
After trying border crossings by land in numerous countries in Southeast Asia, it was my first time crossing the border between two countries in the Eurasian region.
I was genuinely curious, especially since I knew from the very beginning that the bus service in Türkiye was quite convenient for long trips. In this post, I'm going to share my personal experience of crossing from Türkiye to Georgia—the good and the bad!
In addition to entering Georgia from Türkiye, I also returned to Türkiye by bus which gave me the opportunity to try two different routes in both directions: Trabzon to (what's supposed to be) Kutaisi and Tbilisi to Istanbul.
So, here's everything you need to know about Georgia to Türkiye border crossing!
Border Crossing From Türkiye to Georgia: Everything You Need to Know
Source: Depositphotos.
Spoilers alert: I didn't have the smoothest border crossing experience in Sarpi when I tried to enter Georgia from Türkiye—in fact, it was quite the opposite.
Starting from the unnecessary interrogation from Georgia immigration in Sarpi to the fact that the bus left me that I had no choice but to continue my trip from Sarpi to Kutaisi by marshrutka, I'm not lying when I say that I'm traumatized by Georgia in general—it was a disaster!
To give you more context about what happened, here's your travel to Georgia from Türkiye 101!
How to Apply for a Georgia E-Visa
My e-visa to Georgia.
Depending on your nationality and residence, you may or may not require a visa to enter Georgia from Türkiye. In my case, since I'm a weak passport holder, I obviously needed a visa to visit Georgia as an Indonesian citizen.
The Georgia e-visa application is relatively straightforward: you just need to apply via Georgia e-visa portal here, fill out the form, and upload your passport photo.
For an e-visa to Georgia, the required size is 4×5 centimeters, and you'll likely need to upload a professional passport photo instead of one taken with your mobile phone. I knew this, as I had tried once and even paid for the size conversion, only for it to be rejected by the system when I uploaded it to the portal.
I had to go to the photo studio for the e-visa application to Georgia. But once I had the required photo, everything went pretty smoothly. I paid $20 USD for the visa application, and that was pretty much it.
Georgia e-visa confirmation.
It took me 5 (five) days until I got the email to confirm that my visa had been approved.
Although it's an electronic visa, the email made it very clear that I had to print out the visa in order to enter Georgia. So, that's what I did.
How to Cross the Türkiye-Georgia Border by Land
Source: Depositphotos.
Türkiye-Georgia Border Crossing by Bus
After spending two weeks in Trabzon with my best friend Lili, we booked the bus ticket to Kutaisi with Luks Karadeniz bus.
There are two Turkish bus operators that have border crossing services between Türkiye and Georgia: Luks Karadeniz and Metro. However, since Metro has a fairly poor reputation among bus companies in Türkiye, we would definitely not consider it for crossing the border.
It doesn't matter whether you decide to take Luks Karadeniz or Metro, all the Türkiye-Georgia buses have starting point in Istanbul with the final arrival in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Trabzon-Kutaisi
Luks Karadeniz bus at the rest area.
When crossing the Sarpi border, Lili and I were supposed to travel from Trabzon and Kutaisi.
All the buses with Istanbul-Tbilisi or Tbilisi-Istanbul routes will pass by both cities, so you can easily book the 6-hour bus trip online through platforms like Busbud or Omio.
However, after getting stuck in the immigration for two hours—I had to swallow the bitter pill when I found out that our bus had gone, leaving us stranded at the border.
It really sucked, but we found our way out to continue the trip despite having had a really long day that day.
Tbilisi-Istanbul
Luks Karadeniz at Tbilisi bus station.
When it was time to return to Türkiye, we took a separate way to head back there.
Lili decided to fly from Tbilisi to Bodrum via Trabzon, as she was living in Milas at the time. Meanwhile, I took the Tbilisi-Istanbul bus to catch my flight home to Indonesia from there.
After getting left behind in Sarpi, I got traumatized by Luks Karadeniz. But given the choices I had between Lukz Karadeniz and Metro, it was no brainer for me to stick with Luks Karadeniz just because I didn't have a good experience the last time I traveled with Metro from Edirne to Izmir.
After learning the hard way about the Georgia-Türkiye border, I reached out to the bus attendant at the very beginning, telling her that I had been left behind in Sarpi the last time and I didn't want it to happen again.
Thankfully, the bus attendant was extremely understanding this time, as she was waiting for me at the escalator in the Türkiye border to ensure that I was cleared by immigration.
The bus trip from Tbilisi to Istanbul was exhausting with a total travel time of 30 hours, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Now that I was traveling on my own, I booked a single-seater seat on the bus, and Wi-Fi was available throughout the trip. It really helped, because my Turkish mobile data had expired by the time I got back to Türkiye, and I forgot to activate my roaming package on my Indonesian number.
Türkiye-Georgia Border Crossing by Marshrutka or Dolmus
Marshrutka interior.
While taking a marshrutka or dolmus (shared minibus) is possible, I personally wouldn't recommend it as I got the experience against my will when I was left by the Luks Karadeniz bus at the border in Sarpi.
Basically, marshrutka and dolmus are the same thing—just different names depending on where you are. The shared minivan is called dolmus in Türkiye, meanwhile in Georgia you call it marshrutka.
I only had the chance to take a marshrutka from the border in Sarpi to Kutaisi. However, upon conducting my own research on taking a dolmus from the Türkiye-Georgia border in Sarpi to other Turkish towns, it seems that you can take a dolmus to Hopa, where you can transfer to either a dolmus or a bus to other Turkish destinations.
Marshrutka interior.
Taking the shared minivan has several advantages, including a lower cost to get to your destination.
It's suitable if you plan to cross the Georgia-Türkiye border on a budget, and after getting left behind by the coach service at the border—honestly, paying extra for the bus won't guarantee that they will wait for you if you're stuck in the immigration!
Unlike the coach services that only stop in the main bus stations in each town, marshrutkas in Georgia will practically stop for passengers anywhere.
The same applies to the departure time, as there is no set scheduled time from the border. They will wait for other passengers until they believe it's sufficient for them to make a profit on the journey.
I definitely wouldn't recommend it if your time is limited, as taking a shared minibus means you'll likely sacrifice the time that could be used for an actual excursion—whether your next destination is Türkiye or Georgia!
The Guide to Entering Georgia From Türkiye via Sarpi (and vice versa)
Sarpi border in Georgia.
This wasn't my first time crossing the land border of two countries by bus. I could say that I'm fairly well-versed in passing border control by land, as I've done it several times in Southeast Asia.
When I decided to enter Georgia by land border in Sarpi, I expected I'd experience a new thing—but I never really thought that I would be traumatized, yet I did!
The Protocol
Sarpi border interior.
After crossing numerous land borders in Southeast Asia, I have come to understand that the protocol for passing through borders may vary depending on several factors. So when I reached Sarp from Trabzon, I kept an open mind about what was to come.
When crossing the border, you'll have to bring all of your belongings with you to pass through customs and immigration in Sarpi. To clarify, the Turkish border is called Sarp, meanwhile the Georgian side is Sarpi.
On paper, it shouldn't be too difficult—until I had to face the fact that the escalator at the Sarp border was under maintenance, so I had to carry my big bags solely with my power.
It was doable, but it sure needed longer than expected—which wasn't ideal when you took the bus that wouldn't guarantee waiting time when you had a problem with immigration.
Thankfully, it didn't happen on my way back so I had a smoother border crossing experience from Georgia to Türkiye.
Customs & Immigration
Immigration queue at Sarpi border.
Despite some facilities along the Türkiye land border in Sarp being under maintenance, I had a smooth experience with both customs and immigration in Türkiye, both ways.
I never thought duty-free shopping was a thing when crossing a border by land, but I actually saw a duty-free shop between the Georgian and Turkish immigration in Sarpi.
Customs and immigration services in the border control are always busy, especially around 7 to 8 AM. A lot of Georgians and Turkish people regularly travel between the two countries, with some even making a living across the border.
The Sarpi border between Türkiye and Georgia reminds me a bit of the Johor-Singapore Causeway via Woodlands, as many people commute between countries as part of their daily routine.
While most locals seem to get through customs and immigration pretty smoothly, unlucky for me because I was a foreigner in both ways—and even worse, holding a weak passport like Indonesian.
Immigration checkpoint at Sarpi border.
My friend Lili, who's American, got through immigration with no issues; but when it was my turn, the immigration officer decided I was a better profile for further investigation.
At first, they asked for proof of accommodation, which we had booked in advance from when we were in Trabzon.
Then the immigration officer called his colleague to check my passport and e-visa for approximately two hours—only for them to interrogate me with the same questions: where are you going to stay? How long are you going to be in Georgia? How much money do you have?
My friend Lili didn't leave me, as she had been waiting the whole time while I couldn't pass through the immigration gate.
None of us understood what was going on, as the immigration officer who stopped me was just sitting there watching some YouTube videos while letting his colleague bring all my documents with them.
It was almost three hours before his colleague came back and decided that I wasn't a threat to their nation so they let me in. Only by then, it was too late as the bus had already left us.
Türkiye to Georgia Border Crossing Tips
To be completely honest, my first impression of entering Georgia from Türkiye border in Sarpi is not really that good. If anything, it's probably the worst border crossing experience that I've had so far.
While I think crossing the Georgia-Türkiye border by land shouldn't be too complicated for both local Georgian and Turkish citizens, you may want to think twice if you hold a foreign passport—especially if you come from a third-world country like Indonesia!
I may have had the privilege of entering Türkiye from Georgia, as I frequently travel to Türkiye and speak the language so the experience was smoother when I was heading back to Istanbul.
However, it was a whole different story when I entered Georgia for the first time.
I wasn't necessarily racially profiled, but I certainly thought having an Indonesian passport made the immigration suspicious that I wasn't there to just travel. It didn't happen to my American friend, because let's be real—their passport is stronger than mine, and so is their currency!
Luks Karadeniz at Sarpi border.
If I could give you any tips to enter Georgia from Türkiye via their land border, here are the things that I think will help to convince immigration officers to let you in!
Make sure to bring the hard copy of all documents needed for your clearance. If you need a visa to get to Georgia, then the soft copy won't suffice as you'll have to print it out. If needed, you may want to bring a copy of all your accommodation and transport bookings as well. I didn't bring the latter, so I assume it would be helpful if I did.
Communicate with your transport operator. Unless you're a Turkish or Georgian national, I think it's worth taking extra precautions to let the bus attendants know about your presence as your border crossing experience may not be as smooth as others.
Be mentally prepared. More often than not, when you get randomly checked by an authority like immigration or customs, it's more like mind games than anything. You need to be firm enough to answer their questions without any hesitation, as they're likely to be suspicious if you get nervous when getting interviewed. Instead of getting intimidated by the questions, answer them accordingly with facts and data to prove your intention to visit Georgia. Traveling with a one-way ticket without a return may be a little risky, so you may want to book a return ticket far in advance to strengthen your proof.
Schedule your trip accordingly. I wouldn't recommend crossing the border if you have a tight schedule, as border crossing between Georgia and Türkiye might take longer than expected—especially if you're a foreign national.
Have a plan B. I had to learn it the hard way, but I was lucky to think quickly and come up with a plan B as everything happened so fast. If you cross the border by bus and they leave you when you're stuck with the immigration, it's not the end of your travel plan. You can always find the nearest dolmus or marshrutka to get to your next destination. It may take longer to get to your next stop, but you'll get there.
Overall, crossing the Sarpi border between Türkiye and Georgia was such a rollercoaster for me.
While I'm glad that I've passed through it eventually, if I ever go back to Georgia again one day (which I doubt I will), I don't think I want to go through that again.
I don't think it's worth the hassles, and I heard from a lot of people that arriving in Georgia at the airport seems like a pleasant experience—with some people even getting a complimentary glass of wine upon arrival!
FAQs
Source: Depositphotos.
Does Türkiye have a border with Georgia?
Yes, the border between Georgia and Türkiye is stretched for over 250 kilometers. Starting from Sarpi in the Black Sea region, it extends all the way down to the borders of each country with Armenia.
If you want to cross the land border between the two countries, Sarpi is the best way to go as it's the largest as well as the most popular border to travel from Türkiye to Georgia or vice versa.
Sarpi border is only around 2 hours by bus from Trabzon in Türkiye, and it takes barely an hour to get to Batumi in Georgia—which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country!
Is it easy to enter Georgia from Türkiye by land?
On paper, it should be easy to enter Georgia from Türkiye through the land border. However, you need to take into consideration that Georgian immigration is one of the notoriously strict (and should I say, judgemental?) when it comes to weak passport holders.
You may find it easy to cross the border between Türkiye and Georgia if you're a passport holder from a Western country, like the US, UK, or other European countries.
However, it wasn't easy for me to enter Georgia through Sarpi based on my experience as they literally doubled and even triple checked my intention to travel to Georgia.
I had to waste several hours getting stuck in immigration, not knowing what happened, and I obviously paid the bus ticket from Trabzon to Kutaisi for nothing as the bus left me stranded at the border.
Sure, I managed to travel safely to my next destination then but I definitely wouldn't recommend the experience to anyone!
Can I drive from Türkiye to Georgia?
You can easily drive between the two countries, but you may need to look more into the paperwork for your vehicle if you want to cross the border.
It may be a bit hard to find a rental car that allows you to get on a road trip from Türkiye to Georgia or the other way around, but it's possible if you plan to drive your own car and cross the border.
Crossing the Türkiye-Georgia border by land at Sarpi turned out to be one of my most challenging travel experiences to date.
What should have been a straightforward 6-hour bus journey from Trabzon to Kutaisi became a nightmare involving hours of interrogation, missed transportation, and ultimately having to find alternative ways to reach my destination.
The experience really highlighted how much your passport strength can impact your travel experience, especially when dealing with notoriously strict immigration officers.
Despite the ordeal, I did eventually make it to Georgia and even managed the return journey to Istanbul with much better results.
The key difference was communication—letting the bus attendant know about my previous experience made all the difference on the way back. Having a backup plan and being mentally prepared for potential delays are absolutely crucial when attempting this border crossing.
While the land border crossing is definitely possible and can work smoothly for some travelers, I honestly can't recommend it based on my experience.
Flying into Georgia seems like a much more pleasant option, especially if you're holding a passport from a developing country. The airport arrival process sounds infinitely more welcoming than what I endured at Sarpi.
If you found this border crossing guide helpful, make sure to bookmark it for future reference and share it with fellow travelers planning their Georgia-Türkiye adventure.
Safe travels, and I hope your border crossing experience goes much smoother than mine did!
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