The national currency of Georgia is the Georgian lari (international bank code is GEL). In turn, 1 lari consists of 100 tetri. Paper banknotes of the following denominations are in circulation:

• 1 lari,
• 2 lari,
• 5 lari,
• 10 lari,
• 20 lari,
• 50 lari,
• 100 lari,
• 200 lari.

In addition, the Republic of Georgia mints metal coins in denominations of 1 and 2 lari, as well as metal coins in denominations of 1,2,5,10,20 and 50 tetri. The national currency was put into circulation in 1993. Before that, in the period after the collapse of the USSR, Soviet and Russian rubles were used on the territory of Georgia.

“Initially, the exchange rate of the national currency was 1 to 1, and the first Georgian money had impressive and rather strange denominations - for example, banknotes of 150,000 and 250,000 lari were in circulation.”

Currency of Georgia against the dollar

Are you going on a trip to Georgia and want to know the current exchange rate of dollars for lari? In the corresponding section of Comparison.ru you can always find the latest news on the exchange rates of the US dollar/Georgian lari and Georgian lari/US dollar currency pairs. In addition, there are many specialized sites dedicated to the online conversion of Georgian money into major foreign currencies.

In September 2015, the exchange rates were:

• 1 US dollar = 2.45 Georgian lari,
• 1 Georgian lari = 0.41 US dollars (accordingly, for 100 Georgian lari during this period you could buy about 40.85 USD).

What currency to take to Georgia?

In Georgia, there are practically no problems with the exchange of Russian rubles for lari, at least in the capital and more or less large cities. In particular, in Tbilisi you can buy lari for rubles almost everywhere (experienced travelers advise changing currency at exchange offices located near metro stations - traditionally, one of the most favorable rates can be found there). There are no problems with the exchange of US dollars / euros. Bank branches and "exchangers" willingly both buy and sell any of the major world currencies.

Exchange rate in Georgia today

At what real rates can one buy/sell dollars, euros, Russian rubles or any other foreign currency on the territory of the Republic of Georgia? Official information can be obtained on the website of the Bank of Georgia (National Bank of Georgia) and on many other online services. At the same time, on the Internet you can find both official and other exchange rates at which the currency in Georgia changes (average bank, commercial, etc.). In addition, you can find out the current exchange rate in Georgia for today in the "Currencies" section of our portal.

Currency of Georgia to the ruble

We have already mentioned that you can exchange rubles for lari in Georgian cities almost everywhere. At the same time, exchange rates at various exchange offices can vary significantly (in particular, you should be especially careful about the exchange rate offered by exchange offices located at the airport or at railway stations).

As of September 2015, the Georgian lari/Russian ruble currency ratio was as follows:

• 1 GEL = 26, 84 RUB
• 100 RUB = 3.73 GEL (the official rates of the National Bank of Georgia are given).

Exchange rates of the National Bank of Georgia

The National Bank of Georgia determines exchange rates based on quotations and economic indicators in the country. At the moment, in Georgia, for one Georgian lari, you need to pay 29.53 Russian rubles. You can exchange rubles for Georgian lari in almost any branch of the country's bank. Here you can easily buy lari for US dollars or euros. But in order to exchange Armenian drams or Ukrainian hryvnias for lari, you will have to apply only to the National Bank of Georgia (its branches). To carry out the exchange, you will need to have a passport with you. In Tbilisi, you can find branches of the National Bank directly at metro stations.

Money and prices of Georgia

In Georgia, the main payments in shops, restaurants, hotels, shopping centers are carried out in the national currency. In small shops and in the market, some merchants agree to accept Russian rubles, but the exchange rate for the buyer will not be the most profitable. Prices in Georgia are relatively low. For example, you can pay about 6 GEL for a cup of coffee, about 15-20 GEL for breakfast in a bistro. A can of beer can cost 2 or more lari (about 42 rubles). The cost of a barbecue in a cafe is from 6 GEL, a pack of cigarettes in a store - from 2 GEL. A trip around Tbilisi in a taxi will cost 5 or more lari.

Currency exchange in Georgia

Currency exchange in Georgia does not cause much trouble. In many places there are exchange offices where you can change money even without presenting a passport. You only need to take it if you plan to visit the bank. You can find an exchange office at railway stations, large shopping centers, entertainment venues, as well as in other crowded places. Usually, the exchange rate is approximately the same in all places, the difference can be no more than 1-2 lari per 100 US dollars. For the exchange, the commission is practically not taken anywhere, although this point should be clarified at a specific currency exchange office.

Banks of Georgia

Most banks in Georgia open at 9 am. Branches close around 6pm. In large cities, you can find branches that work on Saturday, but the working day will be shortened. Most banks are closed on Sunday. At almost every step, bank branches are found in the central areas of large cities. But even if you ended up in a Georgian village, 1-2 departments will certainly work for the area. The largest banks in the country are the National Bank of Georgia and TVS Bank. In Georgia, you can send and receive money transfers. There are popular money transfer systems, including Western Union. To transfer funds or receive money, you need a passport.

Where is the best place to change currency

If we compare banking organizations and exchange offices in Georgia, we can confidently say that the exchange rate in ordinary exchange offices is much more profitable than in banks. However, not every exchange office can change the currency without an additional commission. Information about the absence of a commission is better to check with the cashier. After the exchange, you will no longer be able to get your money back and cancel the operation. In banks for currency exchange you will receive not much less money. Branches are open every day except Sunday. Experts do not recommend using the services of money changers. Yes, they often offer tourists an exchange at the most favorable rate, but there is a big risk of “running into” counterfeit money.

Advice from Sravni.ru: Cash circulation of currencies other than the lari is officially prohibited by Georgian law. Do not try to pay in a store or hotel with rubles, dollars and other monetary units.

In this article, we will tell in detail not only about the currency of Georgia, but also about all sorts of tricks in exchangers. Let us tell you how the exchange rate in differs from, for example, the exchange rate in . Let's reveal the secret: where and how, when traveling in Georgia, it will be most profitable to change money.

What is the currency in Georgia?

Officially, the national currency since 1995 is GEL (GEL) GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
1 lari = 0.33 euros;
1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;

. It is calculated in shops and restaurants, in transport and for housing. The thing is that in Georgia there is a special law prohibiting the use of any other currency, besides lari. For its violation, the institution faces a considerable fine, so everyone follows the rule. Exception can only be rooms or apartments in which you directly negotiate with the owner.

This is how the national currency of Georgia - lari looks like.

FROM credit cards you won't get lost in Georgia either. AT major cities they are accepted without problems in almost any establishments (in small shops and markets, you still need to have cash).

Popular banknotes of the country:

• denominations of banknotes: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 GELGEORGIAN LAR RATE:
  1 lari = 0.33 euros;
  1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
  1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
  1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;
  1 lari = 0.85 Belarusian rubles.
  Rates and prices may not be accurate.;
• and coins: by 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 tetriGEORGIAN LAR RATE:
  0.5 lari = 0.17 euros;
  0.5 lari = 0.19 dollars;
  0.5 lari = 12.61 rubles;
  0.5 lari = 5.32 hryvnia;
  0.5 lari = 0.43 Belarusian rubles.
  Rates and prices may not be accurate., as well as 1 and 2 lari GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
  2 lari = 0.66 euros;
  2 lari = 0.76 dollars;
  2 lari = 50.44 rubles;
  2 lari = 21.28 hryvnia;
  2 lari = 1.7 Belarusian rubles.
  Rates and prices may not be accurate. (1 lari = 100 tetri GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
  1 lari = 0.33 euros;
  1 lari = 0.38 dollars;
  1 lari = 25.22 rubles;
  1 lari = 10.64 hryvnia;
  1 lari = 0.85 Belarusian rubles.
  Rates and prices may not be accurate.).

For 3 weeks of our stay in the country, we came across banknotes in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 GELGEORGIAN LAR RATE:
5 lari = 1.66 euros;
5 lari = 1.9 dollars;
5 lari = 126.1 rubles;
5 lari = 53.2 hryvnia;
5 lari = 4.25 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate..

For your comfort: when you hover over the currency symbol, a tooltip pops up with an approximate course.

Inflation in Georgia: why prices are rising

There is inflation in Georgia. The local currency is getting cheaper against the dollar and the euro, and therefore prices are constantly rising. Price tags in restaurants and supermarkets are growing quite smoothly and not noticeably.

But entrance tickets to attractions and prices for public transport usually rise in price sharply and significantly. For example, tickets to most museums have risen in price since 2020. If earlier a ticket to Vardzia cost 7 lari GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
7 lari = 2.32 euros;
7 lari = 2.66 dollars;
7 lari = 176.54 rubles;
7 lari = 74.48 hryvnia;
7 lari = 5.95 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate. now you have to pay for it 15 lari GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
15 lari = 4.97 euros;
15 lari = 5.7 dollars;
15 lari = 378.3 rubles;
15 lari = 159.6 hryvnia;
15 lari = 12.75 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate..

Unfortunately, price alerts are almost never published. At best, some obscure document in Georgian will appear on one of the government websites. Therefore, no matter how hard we try to update prices, there is always a chance that one or another ticket has risen in price. When calculating the travel budget, do not blindly trust any information, but lay some amount for inflation.

What currency is accepted to pay in Georgia?

In Georgia, everywhere and for everything, both locals and tourists pay exclusively one currency - lari

If you are planning go shopping in Turkey, then keep in mind: even in the border towns (Kemalpasa or Hopa) you will have to pay for purchases Turkish lira.

Do you pay for purchases with a card in Georgia?

On or in big cities You can pay for purchases with a credit card. In any supermarket and hotel there are terminals with which you can pay.

exists in the country and ATMs to withdraw cash. In this case, however, you will commission withdrawn(on average about 2% of the amount).

One of the most popular banks in Georgia is TBC Bank.

Helpful Hints:

1. Even if you plan to pay by credit card everywhere, a little cash in your wallet definitely does not hurt. Terminals are not installed in all stores (especially small ones).
2. When planning a trip to Georgia, check with your bank not only the possibility of withdrawing money abroad, but also the amount of the commission.
3. If you are going to travel to small cities in Georgia (for example), then be sure to take cash with you. In small towns, terminals can be found only in a small number of establishments.

Where and how is it better to change money (buy currency) in Georgia?

No matter how strange it may sound, but in Georgia, unlike Bulgaria, money is better and more profitable change in exchangers(exchange). Usually there are quite a lot of them in the city (in Batumi, for example, they are located in many houses, right on the first floor), the operation is fast, without a commission and without a passport.

Note: there are also exchangers, but as a rule, the exchange rate there is not profitable.

Features of exchangers in the country:

Pay attention to the inscriptions near the exchange offices. Even if the sign says “no commission” (“no commission”), just in case, ask the employee if this is true. Very rarely come across unpleasant personalities who still manage to deceive.

The exchange rate at exchange offices within the same city is usually little different. The difference is usually less than 0.2 lari GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
0.2 lari = 0.07 euro;
0.2 lari = 0.08 dollars;
0.2 lari = 5.04 rubles;
0.2 lari = 2.13 hryvnia;
0.2 lari = 0.17 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate.. If you see a very profitable exchange rate ( much higher, than in other exchangers), then most likely this is the price for which the currency sell, but do not change. Many inattentive tourists fall for just such a trick. In any case, it never hurts to ask the exchange office employee personally.

So, for example, in Batumi we changed the currency several times in the same place, but still each time we specified what the final amount would be.

Some exchangers work until 24:00, most - from 9:00 (or even from 10:00) to 20:00.

Another proven option safe, but less profitable currency exchange - banks. There are many in Georgia, but the most popular are two: Bank of Georgia (National Bank of Georgia) and TBC Bank. Their course is most often a little lower, than in exchanges. To carry out any transaction in the bank, you will definitely need the passport.

Usually working day bank employees starts at 9:00 and ends at 18:00. As a rule, Saturday and Sunday are days off. But in big cities, the work schedule can be changed (there are working Saturdays).

If necessary, in Georgia you can to accept or send remittance. This operation also takes place in the bank, which means that if you plan to use such a service, take your passport.

As in other countries of the world, Georgia also has changers. Contact them we categorically do not recommend. It is unlikely that you can immediately determine authenticity the money given to you.

In our experience, money better and more profitable change in (although it was strange, after all, a resort town). Therefore, if you plan to go also to Tbilisi or, we advise change currency first.

And one more important point: in small towns (such as Akhaltsikhe) or villages with exchange offices and banks quite tight. Therefore, recommend go there already with currency.

How profitable is it to change money?

To be honest, you can exchange lari for currency, but absolutely not profitable. In this case, you will lose a lot of money on commissions when converting.

What money is better to take with you to Georgia?

According to our experience, it is most profitable to take with you to Georgia dollars or Euro. You can also exchange rubles at a bank or exchange office, but not a good exchange rate. As an option - you can take to Georgia credit card knowing beforehand commission amount when withdrawing money and suitable payment system.

Tips for tourists or everything you need to know about currency and money in Georgia

We have collected the most important things about currency, money exchange and purchases in a small list:

What amounts of money can be brought in and taken out of the country?

It is possible to import into the territory of Georgia any amount foreign currency. True, if it is more than $ 2,000, it is better to fill out a declaration. National currency can also be imported, but the amount should not exceed 25 000 GEL GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
25000 lari = 8275 euros;
25000 lari = 9500 dollars;
25,000 lari = 630,500 rubles;
25,000 lari = 266,000 hryvnia;
25000 lari = 21250 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate..

It is allowed to export from Georgia in foreign currency an amount equal to the amount imported, if no more than a year. But the national currency is allowed to be exported in an amount not exceeding 3 000 GEL GEORGIAN LAR RATE:
3000 lari = 993 euros;
3000 lari = 1140 dollars;
3000 lari = 75660 rubles;
3000 lari = 31920 hryvnia;
3000 lari = 2550 Belarusian rubles.
Rates and prices may not be accurate..

The monetary unit of Georgia is called the lari (introduced into circulation in 1995), which, in turn, is subdivided into one hundred Tetri. International currency code GEL.

Short story

The modern monetary unit of Georgia became official in the country during the presidential rule, namely since 1995. The symbol of the national currency was introduced on 07/08/2014. The letter of the Georgian alphabet ლ (l) served as the basis for the design of the symbol.

There are both paper lari banknotes and metal coins in circulation throughout the country. Below in the article, banknotes and coins will be considered separately.

coins

In Georgia, the main monetary unit lari is used most often in the form of paper notes, however, there are coins in denominations of one and two lari. Most of the metal coins are still less in value than the lari. There are coins in circulation in one tetri, two, five, ten, twenty and fifty tetri.

All tetri coins were first minted and put into circulation in 1995. They are still used for payment. Coins for circulation in Georgia are minted at the mint in Paris.

Coins in denominations from one to twenty tetri are made of stainless steel, and 50 tetri are made of an alloy of copper, nickel and aluminum. There are also commemorative coins in Georgia, which are issued by the National Bank. They are made both from precious metals (gold, silver) and from non-precious ones, which include cupronickel and nickel silver.

Banknotes

The monetary unit of Georgia in the form of paper notes began to be used simultaneously with coins. There are two series old and new. The old version was produced in 1995 to 2006 and is in circulation to this day. On the banknotes of this series, the denomination is written both in Georgian and in English. Banknotes are in denominations of one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred and two hundred lari. Banknotes worth 500 lari were also issued in a limited edition.

In 2016, a series of banknotes with a new design was released. The appearance was changed for twenty, fifty and one hundred lari banknotes.

Monetary unit of Georgia. Exchange rate against the ruble and other currencies

It costs much more than the Russian ruble in the international currency market. Thus, the monetary unit of Georgia against the ruble is estimated at approximately 23 and a half rubles, therefore, for one ruble you will receive about 0.04 lari.

As for other currencies, for one euro they give approximately 2.7 lari. The figure, of course, is approximate, since currency quotes are constantly changing due to the cyclicality and volatility of the foreign exchange market. For one American dollar, about 2.5 lari is given, respectively, one lari is estimated at approximately $0.4.

The monetary unit of Georgia is not very popular on the international market. This is due to the fact that Georgia does not have a strong economy, quite a few international trade transactions pass through it, and although tourism is developed, the country is not on the list of leaders in this industry.

Exchange transactions. Conclusion

A tourist who wants to visit this Caucasian country must first find out everything related to the financial side. A Russian citizen traveling to Georgia has nothing to worry about, since in the republic they will easily exchange Russian rubles for lari for you. This can be done almost everywhere: at the airport, hotel, bank or exchange office.

Georgian companies engaged in currency exchange and other financial transactions are happy to work with the currency of the Russian Federation. There are quite a lot of visitors from Russia in the country. In addition, many Georgians study and work in Russia, and send money transfers to their homeland, so the flow to Georgia is quite high. But as for the exchange of Russian rubles for lari in Russia itself, then it will be much more problematic here, since it is almost impossible to find a place where such an exchange operation can be carried out. They work with the Georgian currency only in the border Kazakh cities, and even then not everywhere.

In addition to the Russian currency, in Georgia there are no difficulties with the exchange of dollars and euros, but other banknotes can be quite problematic to exchange. The country also works with Armenian currency, Turkish lira, British pounds and some other currencies.

Georgia is a fascinating country with beautiful mountainous nature and centuries-old history, so many people will be interested in visiting it. Russian citizens are a little more fortunate than residents of some other countries, because there will be no difficulties with exchanging money. Thanks to this, a visiting person eliminates a number of problems associated with this.

Going to any country, you need to carefully consider all your actions in order to exclude the possibility of any difficulties. Currency exchange is one of the most important issues that you should pay attention to, because no one wants to be in a foreign country without money, more precisely with money that is not used on the territory of this state.

The single monetary unit used in internal and, in part, in external settlements of Georgia is the Georgian lari. The name of the currency comes from the Georgian word, which means "property" or "reserve" in Russian.

Characteristics of the national currency of Georgia

To date, there are two issues of money in circulation in Georgia. The first is from 1999, the second from 2006. Banknotes and coins of both series have the same appearance and attributes of authenticity. Also in circulation there is a special series of coins issued for the anniversary of the national currency of Georgia, coins with a face value of 10 lari.

The issue of coins was carried out by order of the Central Bank of Georgia at the Paris Mint and partially at the factories of the Mint of Slovakia and Bratislava.

Just like other currencies of the world, the Georgian lari is divided into a unit of a smaller denomination - tetri. One lari is equal to one hundred tetri.

History of the Georgian currency

Previously, before the collapse of the USSR and the separation of Georgia, the banknotes of the USSR, Soviet rubles, were used in calculations, then they were temporarily replaced by Georgian coupons. However, the use of coupons in Georgia lasted only 4 years - in 1995, by a decree of President Shevardnadze, the lari was introduced into circulation.

The design of banknotes was entrusted by the Central Bank to European designers, in particular, French and Slovak craftsmen made their contribution. The currency of Georgia contains images of cultural figures and national heroes, and on the reverse, the reverse side of banknotes and coins, there are images of architectural and art monuments belonging to Georgia.

Special attention was paid to the coins from the anniversary issue: a well-thought-out pedantic design, coupled with the use of a bimetallic manufacturing method, made it possible to obtain several colors: silver, copper and gold.

The denomination and appearance of the currency of Georgia

The currency of Georgia has a wide denomination, 8 banknotes of various denominations, 7 coins of the standard issue and 5 coins of the commemorative issue are used in circulation.

Georgian banknotes have a very convenient nominal division and contain images of important people and cultural monuments of the state:

• 1 lari. On the front side - the artist Niko Pirosmani, on the back - a landscape of the city of Tbilisi.
• 2 lari. On the front side - the composer Zakhary Pashiashvili, on the back - the building of the Grzinsky Opera and Ballets Theater named after the same composer.
• 5 lari. On the front side - Academician Ivane Javakhishvili, on the back - Tbilisi State University named after him.
• 10 lari. On the front side - a public figure Akaki Tsereteli, on the back - a fragment of the painting "Imereti - my mother" by David Kakabadze.
• 20 lari. On the front side is a public figure Ilya Chavchavadze, on the reverse side there is a monument to King Vakhtang I Gorgasal against the background of a map of Tbilisi of the 18th century.
• 50 lari. On the front side - Queen Tamara and the image of a griffin from the temple of Samtavisi, on the back - "Sagittarius" from a Georgian engraving of the XII century.
• 100 GEL. On the front side - a portrait of the poet Shota Rustaveli, on the back - a graphic image of a biblical story from the monastery in Martvili.
• 200 lai. On the front side - the national hero of Georgia Kaikhosro Cholokashvili, on the reverse side - a view of Sukhumi from an old engraving.

The currency of Georgia has a wide nominal differentiation, which greatly simplifies the settlements, and also allows the citizens of the country to flexibly manage their personal finances.

Currency policy of Georgia

To date, the management of the currency policy of Georgia is fully entrusted to the Central Bank of Georgia, whose activities are regulated by state laws, while, according to Article 95 of the Constitution of Georgia, the Central Bank operates independently of the executive authorities.

The national currency of Georgia is one of the central objects of regulation of the Central Bank of Georgia. The following goals and objectives are highlighted:

• Maintaining a fair market rate of the national currency.
• Maintenance of the target level of inflation.
• Maintaining price stability.
• Ensuring the effective use and accumulation of gold and foreign exchange reserves.
• Supervision of the banking sector and other financial institutions on the circulation and exchange of the national currency.
• Authentication of the currency in circulation.

Georgian lari to ruble and other currencies

The basis for the formation of the lari exchange rate in relation to other foreign currencies is the action of market forces - demand, supply and price. In December 2015, the Central Bank of Georgia abolished the peg of the currency to the dollar. According to international standards, lari has the abbreviation GEL.

The fundamental criterion determining the market parity of the lari is the price of oil, due to the fact that Georgia is one of the oil exporting countries. There is a stable inverse correlation between the oil price and the lari exchange rate.

At the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, the lari exchange rate against a basket of major world currencies was as follows:

• USD/GEL 0.414.
• EUR/GEL 0.379.
• GBP/GEL 0.285.
• CAD/GEL 0.587.
• AUD/GEL 0.590.
• NZD/GEL 0.633.
• RUR/GEL 0.032.

Recently, the lari exchange rate has noticeably weakened against the backdrop of falling oil prices, it remains under threat, therefore, in the period 2016-2017. it is possible to carry out a number of foreign exchange interventions by the Central Bank of Georgia in order to keep the exchange rate from a deep fall.

The Republic of Georgia is a state located in the central and western parts of Transcaucasia, in the west it is washed by the Black Sea. The area is 69.7 thousand km2, the population is 5.5 million people, 56% of which are Georgians, the rest are Ossetians, Abkhazians, Armenians, Russians, Azerbaijanis, etc. The capital is Tbilisi. The form of government is a multi-party republic with a unicameral parliament, the head of state is the president. The republic includes Abkhazia, Adzharia and South Ossetia, 65 administrative districts, 62 cities and 52 urban-type settlements. This is official data. But, reading Russian newspapers, you learn that Georgia, as a sovereign state, does not exist within the borders indicated on all international maps. Tbilisi does not control Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Although the Republic of Adjara recognizes the sovereignty of Georgia, it has a very independent leader, Aslan Abashidze, who, in case of emergency, can always rely on "Russian bayonets", because there is a Russian military base in Batumi.
And recently, Russia carried out passportization in Abkhazia, giving the inhabitants of this region "the right to accept Russian citizenship." Well, Russia does not want to leave independent Georgia alone...

transitional currency

Soviet rubles circulated without alternative on the territory of Georgia until April 1993.

Then parallel money, coupons, was introduced into circulation. The exchange ratio of the coupon to the Soviet ruble was determined as 1:1. However, the rate fell. In August 1993, Georgia officially withdrew from the ruble zone, and the coupon received the status of the only legal temporary tender.
Issues of Georgian coupons, although they occurred later than Ukrainian ones, repeated all their mistakes. The first issue in 1993 included 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 coupons; the coupon did not carry any other information, except for the names of the country, the bank and the value of the face value. The year of issue was not indicated, there was no coat of arms of the country. But still, unlike Ukrainian coupons, Georgian ones initially had a banknote number.
On the coupons of the second issue of 1993 with denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 50, the coat of arms was also absent. The drawings of the front and back sides of the first two issues of coupons are the same - they depict the old part of Tbilisi and the cave city of Vardzia. The same pattern is repeated on coupons of the third issue with denominations of 100, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000, the year of issue - 1993 - is already indicated.
And only on the coupons of the fourth issue with denominations of 250, 2000, 3000 and 20000 coupons of 1993 and the fifth - 20000, 30000, 50000, 100000, 150000, 250000, 500000 and 1000000 coupons of 1994, there is already a coat of arms, which is already present on both sides.
Describing the Georgian coat of arms is not an easy task. A seven-bladed whirlpool (apparently symbolizing the sun), supported by a double stand with a leg, all inside a circle, on which there are either four stylized leaves, or the directions of the arrows. You have to be a Georgian and know the history of your people well in order to understand the symbolism of the national emblem.
On the coupons of the fourth issue, instead of old Tbilisi and the rock city of Vardzia, images of a vine, ripe bunches of grapes appeared, which, apparently, should be understood as the revival of the country and the return of the people to peaceful labor.
The denomination of one million units appeared in Georgia in 1994, and in Ukraine in 1995 (these are only two million units for the entire CIS). Other Commonwealth countries did not experience such high rates of inflation.

maintenance of the national currency

Lari in the Republic of Georgia was put into circulation on September 25, 1995. At the same time, one million coupons were exchanged for one lari. Lari is the historical name of the Georgian currency, this was the name of the monetary unit of Georgia in the Middle Ages. The banknotes were printed in France. They depict outstanding characters of Georgian history, and there is no shortage of outstanding personalities in this state.
On paper lari we see:
artist Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) - 1 GEL;
composer E. Paliashvili (1871-1933) - 2 GEL;
poet A. Tsereteli (1840-1915) - 5 GEL;
historian I. Javakhishvili (1876-1940) - 10 GEL;
writer I. Chavchavadze (1837-1907) - 20 GEL;
Queen Tamar (60s of the 12th century - 1207) - 50 GEL;
poet Shota Rustaveli (XII century) - 100 GEL.
They say that a banknote of 500 lari was printed with a portrait of King David the Builder (1073-1125), but it did not enter circulation.
Apparently, the circulation of banknotes printed in 1995 was not enough, since in 1999 the issue of all denominations with the same designs was repeated. It is possible that the reissue of money was "timed" for the parliamentary elections of 1999 and the presidential elections of 2000, which required significant additional emissions of the money supply.
Three years have passed. During this time, American military consultants visited Georgia, the country announced its intention to join NATO. Apparently, this inspired the country's leadership to print the lari on the same machine that printed the EU currency? And in 2002, Holland received an order to print the third issue of lari. It was done, but how! The mistake of the perpetrators offended the entire proud Georgian people: under the portrait of the famous Georgian historian, the founder of Tbilisi University Ivan Javakhishvili, the Dutch wrote the name of the Georgian writer Mikheil Javakhishvili.
The mistake was corrected (apparently, the entire edition was reprinted), but time was lost,
and in 2002, not all denominations were put into circulation - only 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 lari. I wonder what year the missing denominations of 50 and 100 lari will be dated - 2002 or 2003?

The lari exchange rate has been declining again in recent days, after almost a year of stability. In commercial banks, for 1 dollar they give 2.62-2.66 lari, and it is possible that the process will go further.

Financiers and experts do not rule out that if the downward trend continues, then by November the lari rate will rise to 2.90.

Why is the lari depreciating?

Georgian national currency lari in detail

What are the reasons for a new round of devaluation, despite the fact that for more than a year the Georgian national currency has maintained stability, and the government has been optimistic about the improvement of fundamental indicators?

First of all, internal factors should be taken into account.

Foreign direct investment in the 1st quarter of 2018 amounted to 279.3 million dollars, the number of foreign visitors amounted to 3.5 million people, which is 13.6% more than in the same period in 2017.

According to the data of the past two quarters, exports amounted to 1.5 billion dollars, the volume of remittances from abroad - 744.1 million dollars.

Based on these data, experts exclude the devaluation of the national currency for internal reasons.

As for external factors, these are mainly the devaluation of the lira and the ruble, which had the greatest negative impact on the national currency.

According to financier Nikoloz Shengelia, the processes taking place in neighboring countries, which are also Georgia's largest trading partners, do not bode well.

“If everything continues at the current pace, it is possible that in November the lari exchange rate will be 2.90. stability of the national currency. This trend is likely to increase, given that almost half of the transfers are from Russia, and the situation there is getting worse every day,” he said.

According to him, the only one who will benefit from the devaluation of the lari is the banking sector.

“It is known that in recent months the profits of banks have declined, and now they have a great opportunity to compensate for the losses. In general, banks in recent years have always benefited greatly from the devaluation of the national currency. It is difficult to say whether this happened naturally, or whether there was some kind of collusion between the banks and the government. In the current situation, nothing can be ruled out, ”said the financier.

According to the Executive Director of the Association of Banks of Georgia Gogita Tsutskiridze, the main reasons for the devaluation are indeed the events in Turkey and Russia, but there are internal factors that are not yet active, but potentially they can complement the external negative impact.

“For example, such a factor as external debt, and we are talking not only about the state, but also corporate - the debt of banks and companies that take loans on the international financial market. From time to time they have to buy dollars in large quantities, and this also hits the rate of the national currency, ”said the banker.

He also shares the view on a possible negative outlook.

“Of course, if everything continues at the current pace, then within 2-3 months the devaluation will continue, although there is hope that the National Bank will be able to stabilize the situation,” he said.

At the same time, experts draw attention to the fact that the next wave of devaluation began in August, at the peak of the tourist season, when the largest number of foreigners come to the country compared to other months.

As a rule, in July-August, due to the large influx of tourists who brought dollars with them, the national currency remained stable even in the worst of times. Then, in autumn, when the number of tourists is sharply reduced, and with them the influx of foreign currency also decreases, the likelihood of a depreciation of the lari is very high.

Considering that the current currency crisis began in August, a serious problem awaits the country in September-October, when internal factors will be added to external factors, in particular, a decrease in the number of tourists and the amount of money they bring in.

Larry - history | course | currency features

Georgian lari- monetary unit, the national currency of Georgia. 1 lari is equivalent to 100 tetri. The Georgian lari was put into circulation during the reign of E. Shevardnadze in 1995. During this period, there are also coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 tetri and banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 lari. A new denomination of 500 lari was put into circulation in 2010. On one side of the banknote of 200 Georgian lari is a portrait of Kakutsa Cholokashvili, a famous revolutionary. Nowadays, the leadership of Georgia honors him as a national hero. Also, the Georgian lari is one of the most secure banknotes in the world, as it is printed in Germany.

National currency of Georgia

On all banknotes, the Georgian currency is decorated with images of Georgian historical figures who have contributed to the culture and history of the country. It is worth noting that all the coins issued in 1993 have inscriptions in both Georgian and English. The National Bank of Georgia also issues commemorative and investment coins of various denominations (gold coins of 500 and 1000 lari). In major cities, travelers checks can be cashed without any problems. Exchange offices are located in bank buildings and hotels, the Georgian lari exchange rate here may vary slightly: closer to the city center, it may be slightly higher. Large retail chains accept credit cards of various payment systems for payment. But in the private sector, the "hard" currency, US dollars or Euros, has a lot of circulation.


The standard of living in Georgia is extremely low. At the same time, large denominations of lari are often difficult to change, the seller may simply not have change. Therefore, when exchanging currency, it is better to take more small bills. In Abkhazia, Russian rubles are in use, which are freely exchanged for any hard currency and have unlimited circulation in trade. The Georgian currency is not used here. But just like in the rest of Georgia, in many places tourists will simply be required to pay in dollars. The progenitor of the modern Georgian lari was the lari coupon, which existed until 1995. Initially, it was equated to the Soviet ruble and had only banknotes in denominations from one to one million coupons. It was distinguished by the fact that there were unusual amounts for money circulation, multiples of three (3, 3,000, 30,000 and 150,000 coupons). After the hyperinflation of 1995, it was replaced by the modern currency 1:100000000.