Is Tbilisi safe?

By most measures, yes. Tbilisi scores about 74 out of 100 on Numbeo's safety index, Georgia ranked 22nd of 144 countries in Gallup's 2025 Law and Order survey, and the US rates it at its lowest warning level, outside the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The everyday risks are elsewhere: traffic, taxis, one well-known bar scam and street protests.

Crime

Violent crime against visitors is rare, and so is pickpocketing, though it happens in crowds and on the metro. The UK government's advice mentions drink spiking: keep an eye on your glass in bars.

Scams to know

• The bar scam. Friendly strangers, often women, invite a foreign man to a bar, and the bill runs to hundreds of lari. Say no, or choose the bar yourself.
• Taxis. Street taxis have no meters. Book through Bolt, Yandex Go or Maxim: getting around Tbilisi.
• Prices. In the touristy parts of the old town, check the price before you order.
• Money. Use bank ATMs rather than street exchange booths: banks and ATMs.

Protests

Since late 2024 there have been protests every day outside Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, biggest on Saturday nights. Most are peaceful, but police have used tear gas and water cannon, and a 2025 law allows detention for blocking roads; courts can expel foreigners. The UK says some British protesters have been refused entry or questioned when leaving. Keep away from them.

Roads

Traffic is the biggest real danger. Georgia's road death rate is about three times the European Union's, and many of the victims are pedestrians. Drivers don't always stop at crossings, so use the underpasses where there are some, and look both ways even on a green light.

Street dogs

Tbilisi has thousands of street dogs, mostly calm. A plastic tag on the ear means the dog has been neutered and vaccinated against rabies. Sheepdogs outside the city can be aggressive. If you're bitten, get rabies shots the same day; Tbilisi's clinics have them: healthcare in Tbilisi.

In an emergency

Call 112 for police, ambulance or fire, day and night.

Questions people ask

Is Tbilisi safe at night?

Generally yes, in the centre and the main districts. Use app taxis rather than street taxis, and avoid the protests.

Is Tbilisi safe for women travelling alone?

Generally yes. The usual city care applies: watch your drink in bars and book taxis through an app.

What's the emergency number in Georgia?

112, for everything.

Everything else about moving here for work: the digital nomad guide to Tbilisi.