Tbilisi SIM Card: What to Buy at the Airport and What to Set Up at Home

You land in Tbilisi, your phone says no service, and your host is waiting for a message. The airport Wi-Fi gets you through the terminal. It does not follow you to the taxi.

A Tbilisi SIM card is easy to get if your phone has a tray and is unlocked. Magti gives a free SIM with its Welcome package at Tbilisi airport, and the package costs 30 lari. If your phone has no tray, or you would rather skip the counter, install a data eSIM at home and turn it on after you land. If your US plan already includes enough data in Georgia, you may not need either one.

In short:

• Magti's Welcome package is 30 lari for 3 GB and 15 days, with a free SIM at Tbilisi and Kutaisi airports, on 2026-10-30.
• Magti's data plan is 15 lari for 5 GB and 15 days. It is the better deal per gigabyte, but the free SIM is only promised with Welcome.
• Silknet sells SIMs at airports, hotels, and its offices. Magti also sells them at about 81 Georgian Post service centers.
• The Moosetrip Georgia eSIM starts at $4.50 for 1 GB over 7 days, and 5 GB for 30 days is $14, on 2026-10-30.

Georgia eSIM from $4.50Install at home, connect when you land.See plans

Tbilisi SIM and eSIM options compared

Lari prices are shown as Magti lists them. Our prices are in dollars. All of them were checked on 2026-10-30.

Magti plans at Tbilisi airport

Georgia has three main mobile operators: Silknet, Magti, and Cellfie. Magti's tourist page lists its airport plans in full, so those are the prices we show here.

The Welcome package. You pay 30 lari and get a free 4.5G SIM at Tbilisi or Kutaisi airport. It includes 3,000 MB of data for 15 days. You also get free calls inside Georgia to Magti, Silknet, Cellfie, and landlines, plus free local SMS and MMS. You get 30 minutes of international calls too. To call out of Georgia, dial 00 or a plus sign first. To turn it on, dial 2230 and press OK.

The data plan. You pay 15 lari for 5,000 MB and 15 days, with free local SMS and MMS. To turn it on, dial 3315 and press OK. Magti only promises the free SIM with Welcome, so ask the price of a SIM at the counter before you pick this one.

The numbers are worth a look. Welcome works out to 10 lari per gigabyte. The data plan works out to 3 lari per gigabyte. If you do not need calls, the data plan gives you two more gigabytes for half the package price.

Both plans last 15 days. That covers most trips to Tbilisi. If you stay longer, you will need a new plan.

Where else to buy a SIM in Tbilisi

You are not limited to the airport. The Georgian National Tourism Administration lists these places:

• Silknet: company offices, airports, and hotels. The tourism board calls it the most popular network in Georgia.
• Magti: company offices, about 81 Georgian Post service centers, and other public places.
• Cellfie: a digital-first operator with SIM cards and eSIMs. Its eSIM can be activated without a trip to a store.

Carry your passport when you buy, in case the seller asks for it.

Check your phone before you plan around a plastic SIM. Many newer iPhones sold in the US are eSIM only, with no tray. Your phone also has to be unlocked, or a Georgian SIM will not connect. You can check your phone here.

There is one more catch for phones with a single tray. Your US SIM comes out while the Georgian one is in, so texts to your US number stop until you swap back. If your bank sends login codes by text, read our guide to keeping your US number abroad first.

Which option fits your trip

A Magti plan beats us on price per gigabyte. That is the honest answer, and you can see it even at a rough exchange rate. It also gives you a Georgian number, which we do not. Here is how we would choose:

• You want to call guesthouses, drivers, or restaurants. Take Magti Welcome. Our eSIM is data only and has no phone number.
• You want the most data for the least money, and you have a tray. Take the Magti data plan and pay for the SIM.
• Your phone has no tray. Use an eSIM. Install ours at home, or look at Cellfie if you want a Georgian one.
• You want to be online before you reach arrivals. Use an eSIM, since there is no counter to find.
• You stay more than 15 days. Our plans from 3 GB up last 30 days.
• You only need a few hours of data. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi may be enough.

How much data you need in Tbilisi

We plan with a wide margin. One gigabyte is about 5 hours of maps and rides, or about 1.5 hours of video calls.

If you run out, you can add data to the same eSIM.

Free Wi-Fi in Tbilisi

Wi-Fi is the easy backup here. The tourism board says it is free in almost every cafe and restaurant in Tbilisi. It also lists hotels and malls such as Tbilisi Mall, East Point, and Karvasla.

At the airport, connect to Tbilisi Loves You or Airport Free Wi-Fi, then tap Agree and Continue. No registration is needed. It covers most seating and public areas in the Departure and Arrival terminals. The airport also suggests turning off mobile data first, so you do not pay roaming fees by accident.

Our guide to free Wi-Fi in Georgia has more on where it works outside the capital.

Day trips and leaving Georgia

Tbilisi is a good base for day trips, and that is when mobile data matters most. The tourism board recommends Magti for travel to remote parts of the country. Magti is one of the networks listed for our Georgia plans, though no network covers every mountain road. Save offline maps on hotel Wi-Fi before you leave town.

A Georgia plan works only in Georgia. If Armenia is next on your route, you need a separate plan. See the Armenia page, where 1 GB for 7 days is $5.50 on 2026-10-30.

How to set up an eSIM before you fly

1. Make sure your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. Check it here.
2. Pick a plan on the Georgia page.
3. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi with the QR code. Your days start at your first connection in Georgia, not on the day you install it.
4. After you land, set the eSIM as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only.
5. Leave data roaming off on your US line, so it cannot start a daily charge.

Your normal number stays on as a second line.

Questions

Can I buy a SIM card at Tbilisi airport?

Yes. Magti gives a free SIM with its 30 lari Welcome package at Tbilisi airport, on 2026-10-30. The tourism board says Silknet also sells SIMs at airports.

How much is a SIM card in Tbilisi?

Magti's Welcome package is 30 lari with the SIM included, for 3 GB over 15 days. Its data plan is 15 lari for 5 GB over 15 days, on 2026-10-30. Ask the SIM price for the data plan at the counter.

Which SIM is best in Tbilisi for tourists?

Pick by plan and price. Magti is the one the tourism board recommends for remote areas, so it makes sense if you are heading to the mountains.

Can I use an eSIM in Tbilisi?

Yes, if your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. You can install a travel eSIM at home, or look at Cellfie, which sells its own eSIMs.

Will a Georgian SIM work in my iPhone?

Only if the phone has a SIM tray and is unlocked. Many newer iPhones sold in the US are eSIM only.

Do I need a phone number in Tbilisi?

Not for maps, rides, or messaging apps. You need one for regular calls to Georgian numbers. Magti Welcome includes that, and our data eSIM does not.

Sources

• SIM cards for tourists in Georgian airports, Magti, checked 2026-10-30
• Internet / Wi-Fi, Tbilisi International Airport, checked 2026-10-30
• Telecom, Mail and Internet, Georgian National Tourism Administration, checked 2026-10-30

More guides

• Batumi SIM Card: Airport Hours, Shops, Coverage, and eSIM
• Free Wi-Fi in Georgia (the Country): Tbilisi, Batumi, Trains
• Georgia Internet Speed (the Country): 5G, Mobile, Wi-Fi
• Internet in Georgia the Country: SIM, eSIM, or Roaming