Border Crossings of Georgia: A Complete Guide

Georgia — the country in the South Caucasus — has four internationally recognized land borders: with Turkey to the southwest, Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and Russia to the north, alongside international entry points at its three main airports and two sea ports. For anyone planning overland entry or exit, knowing which crossings are most practical, where they are, and what to expect makes a real difference to any itinerary that begins or ends at a land border. One point stands out before the details: the Georgia–Azerbaijan land border is currently closed to entry, which reshapes overland planning in the region (see that section below).

A note on occupied territories

Georgia regards Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region of South Ossetia as occupied territories of Georgia, not independent states or ordinary international borders. They are not part of Georgia's normal international land-crossing system and should not be treated as standard crossing points. Georgia's internationally recognized land borders are the four listed above, and all practical travel planning should be organized around those four neighbors.

Which Georgia border crossings can you actually use right now?

A quick orientation, because the picture differs sharply by neighbor. The Turkey border (Sarpi, Vale) and the Armenia border (Sadakhlo / Bagratashen and others) are open to international travelers and work normally in both directions. The Russia border (Kazbegi / Upper Lars) is open but weather-dependent and sits in a sensitive geopolitical context. The Azerbaijan border is the exception: Azerbaijan has kept its land borders closed to entry since 2020, so you generally cannot enter Azerbaijan overland from Georgia, though leaving Azerbaijan into Georgia has been possible. Each is covered in detail below, and we have a dedicated page for each crossing.

Georgia–Turkey border

The Georgia–Turkey border is the most-used crossing for travelers to and from Istanbul and the Turkish coast, and the two main road crossings serve different routes through the southwestern corner of the country.

Sarpi is the principal crossing, on the Black Sea coast in the Khelvachauri municipality at the village of Sarpi, about 12 kilometers south of Batumi. It's the main crossing for the coastal route — the road linking Batumi with the Turkish town of Hopa and on toward Rize and Trabzon — and one of the busiest land crossings in Georgia, open 24/7 and maintained by the Revenue Service. The short hop to Batumi makes it easy to combine with time in Adjara before or after crossing, and it's widely regarded as the easiest Georgia–Turkey crossing for tourists.

Vale is the secondary Georgia–Turkey crossing, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region near Akhaltsikhe, serving the inland route rather than the coast. Its Turkish counterpart is Türkgözü, in the Posof district of Ardahan province. Less used by international tourists than Sarpi but officially listed and operational, it's the natural choice for travelers approaching from the Akhaltsikhe and Vardzia area or heading into northeastern Turkey (Ardahan, Kars).

A third Georgia–Turkey crossing, Kartsakhi, is a rail border on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway rather than a tourist road crossing — relevant to freight, not to itinerary planning.

Georgia–Russia border

Kazbegi (Upper Lars / Dariali) is the only practical road crossing between Georgia and Russia, in the Kazbegi municipality where the Georgian Military Highway passes through the Dariali Gorge to the Russian border, linking Tbilisi with Vladikavkaz. It's one of the most important land crossings in the region — and the only Georgia–Russia option open to international travelers, since the other two routes run through occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Revenue Service confirms it operates 24 hours a day.

That said, "open 24/7" doesn't mean "open today." The crossing is regularly suspended in severe weather — the Dariali Gorge is high mountain terrain where snow, ice, and avalanche risk can close the road in winter — so check current status before departure in the colder months, and ideally use real-time sources (the @Verhniy_Lars Telegram channel and the official border webcams). Most foreign travelers need a Russian visa to enter Russia; note too that since 1 January 2026 Georgia requires mandatory travel insurance for visitors. The drive itself, through the Georgian Military Highway and into the gorge above Stepantsminda, is one of the most dramatic in the Caucasus.

Georgia–Armenia border

The Georgia–Armenia border is open to international travelers and has several crossing points serving different routes.

Sadakhlo / Bagratashen is the main road crossing between Tbilisi and Yerevan, in the Marneuli municipality near the village of Sadakhlo in Kvemo Kartli, with the Armenian side at Bagratashen in Lori province. It's the principal route for both passenger and freight traffic, open 24/7, and the crossing most travelers use for the Tbilisi–Yerevan overland journey. Note that the Tbilisi–Yerevan overnight train uses a separate rail crossing nearby, at Ayrum (Armenia) / Sadakhlo (Georgia), a few kilometers from the road crossing.

Bavra / Ninotsminda is an additional road crossing in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, with the Armenian side at Bavra in Shirak province. It's the natural route for travelers between southern Georgia (Akhaltsikhe, Vardzia, the Javakheti lakes) and northwestern Armenia toward Gyumri, and has benefited from EU-funded border-management upgrades. A quieter, scenic alternative to Sadakhlo for the southern route.

Guguti / Gogavan and Akhkerpi are further crossings listed by the Revenue Service for the Georgia–Armenia border, both quiet and serving more specific routing than the main crossings. Guguti's Armenian counterpart is Gogavan, in Lori province (not to be confused with the Ayrum rail crossing). Akhkerpi, in Marneuli Municipality, is the least-used official crossing in the country. Both are best left to travelers with a particular reason to use them; everyone else should default to Sadakhlo / Bagratashen.

Georgia–Azerbaijan border

Important status note: Azerbaijan has kept its land borders closed to entry since March 2020 — a COVID-era measure repeatedly extended by decree, most recently into 2026 — and this applies to foreign nationals as well as locals. In practice that means you generally cannot enter Azerbaijan overland from Georgia at either crossing below, even with an Azerbaijani e-visa, though leaving Azerbaijan into Georgia has generally been permitted, and freight still moves in both directions. Confirm the current rules through official sources before planning any overland travel into Azerbaijan; the crossings themselves remain physically in place and would resume normal two-way operation if the border reopens.

Red Bridge (Tsiteli Khidi) is the main road crossing between Georgia and Azerbaijan, in the Kvemo Kartli region on the Tbilisi–Baku highway, with the Azerbaijani side at Sinig Körpü in the Qazax district. When the border is open both ways it's the primary Tbilisi–Baku overland route; under the current entry closure it functions chiefly for exit from Azerbaijan and for freight. The Revenue Service uses the Georgian name Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge).

Lagodekhi is the eastern Georgia–Azerbaijan crossing, in the Lagodekhi municipality near the village of Matsimi at the far eastern end of the Alazani valley in Kakheti, opposite Balakan in northwestern Azerbaijan. When open both ways, it's the logical route for combining a Kakheti wine itinerary with northwestern Azerbaijan; under the current closure, the same entry restriction applies.

For rail, Boyuk Kesik (Azerbaijan) / Gardabani (Georgia) is the railway crossing on the Georgia–Azerbaijan connection, and Mughanli (Azerbaijan) / Samtatskaro (Georgia), in the Dedoplistskaro municipality, is a further crossing serving the southeastern border zone.

Airports

Georgia's three international airports are official border crossing points and, for most international travelers, the primary way in and out — and currently the only way to reach Azerbaijan directly from the region, given the land-border closure.

Tbilisi International Airport, east of the city center off the Kakheti highway, is the main gateway, with the broadest range of international connections and the arrival point for most first-time visitors.

Kutaisi International Airport, about 25 kilometers from Kutaisi, has grown over the past decade as a European gateway, with many routes operated by low-cost carriers. It's the most convenient arrival point for an itinerary starting in western Georgia — Imereti, Samegrelo, or Adjara — without transiting Tbilisi.

Batumi International Airport, in Batumi, serves the Black Sea coast and Adjara, with connections to Istanbul, Tel Aviv, and a range of European and regional destinations. It's the natural arrival point for a coast-focused trip.

Sea ports

Georgia's Black Sea ports at Batumi and Poti are official international entry points with customs infrastructure, handling maritime traffic and offering entry for travelers arriving by sea. For most tourists they're less practically relevant than the airports and road crossings, but they're part of the country's border infrastructure and are used by travelers on Black Sea ferry services.

Practical notes

For current, reliable border information, the Georgian Revenue Service is the authoritative official source and publishes updates on crossing status, temporary closures, and conditions. Kazbegi's 24-hour operation is explicitly confirmed in official materials; for other crossings, verify hours and conditions with the Revenue Service or border authorities before travel — particularly in winter, when mountain crossings can be weather-affected, and during heavy-traffic periods when waits lengthen. Travelers crossing by road in peak summer or around Georgian public holidays should expect longer-than-average processing at the main crossings. And to repeat the single most important current point: the Azerbaijan land border is closed to entry, so an overland trip into Azerbaijan is not currently possible — verify before planning.