Motorcycle Customs Clearance in Georgia 2026: Full Guide and Calculator

The same 1200cc engine. On a car the excise is 5,400 GEL. On a motorcycle it is 960. That gap is not an accident.

After the change that took effect in April 2026, a lot of people concluded that importing a vehicle no longer makes sense. For cars, that is broadly true. For motorcycles, it is not.

The problem is that almost every guide and calculator online is written for passenger cars. A rider reads about the 4.5 GEL rate, applies it to their own engine, and concludes that importing is no longer worth it. That calculation is wrong.

In March we wrote that separate rates for motorcycles had not yet been specified, and that we would keep following the topic. This article is that promised follow-up: the rates in force, the formula, and real numbers from 50cc to 1200cc.

In a hurry? Skip the theory and put your displacement and year of manufacture straight into the customs calculator — you get the figure immediately. The rest of this article explains where that number comes from.

Why the "4.5 GEL" rate does not apply to motorcycles

The 1.50 and 4.50 GEL rates apply to category M1 — light passenger cars, commodity code 8703.

Motorcycles and mopeds fall under a different code — 8711, category L — and carry their own coefficients, set out in Article 188 of the Tax Code.

The practical result: for the same displacement, a motorcycle is taxed far more lightly than a car. An eight-year-old 1200cc car pays 5,400 GEL in excise. A motorcycle of the same displacement and age pays 960.

Excise rates for motorcycles

The coefficient is multiplied by engine displacement in cubic centimetres:

• under 1 year — 1.5
• 1 year — 1.3
• 2–5 years — 0.7 (the lowest)
• 6–9 years — 0.8
• 10 years — 1.0
• 11 years — 1.3
• 12 years — 1.5
• 13 years — 1.8
• 14 years — 2.1
• over 14 years — 2.4 (the highest)

Note that the rate does not rise in a straight line. It falls across the 2–5 year band and only starts climbing after that.

The counter-intuitive part: importing a brand-new motorcycle (1.5) costs more than importing a three-year-old one (0.7). Unless you are set on a specific model, the 2–5 year range is more than twice as efficient.

The formula

The total cost has three components:

• Excise = displacement (cc) × age coefficient
• Vehicle clearance = 150 GEL
• Service Agency fees (MIA) = 275 GEL

That last component breaks down as: customs declaration 50 + expert inspection report 30 + internal transit plate 50 + registration certificate 100 + licence plate 25 + inspection report 20.

So every clearance carries a fixed 425 GEL on top of the excise.

Worked examples

Each example adds the fixed 425 GEL on top of the excise.

• 50cc moped, 3 years
  excise 50 × 0.7 = 35 ₾ · total 460 ₾
• 125cc scooter, 3 years
  excise 125 × 0.7 = 87.5 ₾ · total 512.5 ₾
• 250cc, 7 years
  excise 250 × 0.8 = 200 ₾ · total 625 ₾
• 650cc, 8 years
  excise 650 × 0.8 = 520 ₾ · total 945 ₾
• 1000cc, 16 years
  excise 1000 × 2.4 = 2,400 ₾ · total 2,825 ₾
• 1200cc, 4 years
  excise 1200 × 0.7 = 840 ₾ · total 1,265 ₾
• 1200cc, 16 years
  excise 1200 × 2.4 = 2,880 ₾ · total 3,305 ₾

The 1000cc, 16-year-old row has been checked against the Revenue Service's own calculator: excise 2,400 GEL, total 2,825 GEL.

What you are not charged

Two things riders frequently get wrong:

• No VAT. Clearing a motorcycle does not produce a separate value-added tax line.
• No import duty either. Cars show this line; motorcycles do not.

So your cost is entirely excise plus 425 GEL.

How age is counted

Age runs from the year of manufacture, not the date of purchase.

Watch two thresholds where the rate jumps:

• 5 to 6 years — from 0.7 to 0.8
• 13 to "over 14" — from 1.8 to 2.4

The second one matters most: on a 650cc motorcycle, that single year is a 390 GEL difference. If you are planning an import and the bike sits near a threshold, check which band it falls into at the moment of clearance, not at purchase.

Work out your own bike

For an exact figure use our customs calculator — enter displacement and year of manufacture, and it handles the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Do mopeds use the same rates?
Yes. Mopeds also fall under code 8711. A three-year-old 50cc moped carries just 35 GEL of excise — the fixed 425 GEL is the main cost.

What if I take the bike back out of Georgia?
Under Articles 189 and 198 of the Tax Code, if the vehicle is placed under the export procedure and leaves Georgian territory within 180 calendar days of release for free circulation, the importer is entitled to a 100% refund of the excise paid. This matters particularly for touring riders arriving on their own bike.

What about electric motorcycles?
Displacement-based excise does not apply to electric vehicles — there is no combustion engine. Age restrictions do not apply to them either.

Is it better to import or buy locally?
It depends. On a three-year-old 650cc bike, clearance comes to roughly 880 GEL, which is often worth it. On the same bike at 16 years old it is 1,985 GEL, which can approach the price of the motorcycle itself. Before deciding, compare against local listings.

Important note

This calculation follows the Article 188 coefficients and the Service Agency's current fees. The final amount can vary with declaration details and importer status. For the official calculation, use the Revenue Service auto/moto clearance calculator.

Sources

• Revenue Service — auto/moto clearance calculator — rates and fees
• Tax Code of Georgia — Article 188 (excise rates), Article 189 (excise credit)
• BPN.ge — what tariff applies to motorcycles and mopeds