What is the emergency number in Georgia and which hospital should tourists use?

The national emergency number in Georgia is 112, free from any phone, with no SIM card or credit required, and it has operated this way since 2012 with no change for 2026. It connects you to police, fire and ambulance, and operators who can switch to English are available, though you may be asked to wait a few seconds while one is found.

The nuance tourists need is that 112 gets you an ambulance quickly for genuine emergencies, but it does not guarantee which hospital you end up in or what it will cost once you arrive. Georgia’s public ambulance dispatch is free; the hospital treatment that follows is billed, and for visitors without local insurance that usually means paying upfront and claiming back later. Knowing which hospitals in Tbilisi and Batumi handle international patients, and what paperwork to collect for your insurer, matters as much as the number itself.

Calling 112 as a visitor

Dial 112 from any mobile or landline. State clearly that you need an ambulance (say “ambulance” or “sasnelmokhmareba” is not necessary, English is understood at the switchboard), your location, and a nearby landmark or cross street, since automatic location sharing is not always precise in mountain areas or old-town lanes with no formal street signs. For a minor issue, a pharmacy or private clinic is usually faster than waiting for dispatch and triage.

Pharmacies for everyday problems

For minor ailments, Georgia’s pharmacy chains are the practical first stop, and several branches in both cities stay open around the clock.

• GPC (Giorgi Pharmacy Chain) — multiple 24-hour branches in central Tbilisi and Batumi
• PSP Pharmacy — widely distributed, many locations near hotels and the old towns
• Aversi Pharma — large chain, some branches open 24 hours on main avenues

Pharmacists in central locations often manage basic English. Carry your passport if you need anything beyond simple over-the-counter items, as some medication is dispensed only with ID recorded.

Which hospitals tourists use

Embassies, insurers and local guides in Georgia generally steer foreign visitors toward a short list of private hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms and staff used to international patients. Names and ownership in Georgia’s hospital sector do change through mergers, so treat this as a starting point and confirm current details with your consulate or insurer before you travel.

In a genuine emergency the 112 ambulance will take you to the nearest appropriate facility, which may be a state hospital rather than one of the above. Ask the crew, or have your guide ask, to be redirected to a private facility once you are stable, if your insurance network requires it.

Paying, then claiming on insurance

Ambulance dispatch through 112 is free. Hospital treatment is not, and most private Georgian hospitals ask for payment or a card guarantee before or at discharge unless they hold a direct billing agreement with your specific insurer, which is uncommon for short-stay tourists. Keep the following for your claim:

• An itemised invoice in English, with diagnosis codes if available
• Discharge summary and any prescriptions issued
• All receipts, including pharmacy purchases related to the treatment
• Your passport and travel insurance policy number used on intake forms

Check your policy’s notification window, many insurers require contact within 24 to 48 hours of an emergency admission. If you booked a multi-day trip with us, our policies page sets out what we expect travellers to carry in terms of insurance before departure.

What GTour builds into a tour

Every driver and guide on our tours carries a working phone and knows the 112 procedure, and can translate during the call if you are travelling without a guide of your own. On multi-day itineraries such as Mestia and Ushguli or Tusheti, where mobile coverage is patchy, your driver knows the nearest clinic in each valley before you set out. If you are travelling independently and want a car and driver on standby, see our services page for day and multi-day rates.

Where this comes from

This page draws on Georgia’s unified emergency service framework as described by the government, on practical reporting from Georgia’s English-language press on healthcare for visitors, and on the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia’s traveller guidance, cross-checked against our own drivers’ and guides’ current contacts in Tbilisi and Batumi. It was reviewed for medical accuracy by GTour’s founder, a public-health professor, and checked on 27 October 2026. Hospital names, insurance networks and consular recommendations can change; always confirm with your embassy or insurer before you travel, and for anything beyond basic first aid, see a doctor rather than relying on this summary.

Sources

• National Bank of Georgia exchange rates
• Tbilisi City Hall – 112 Emergency Service Information
• Agenda.ge – Pharmacy Network and Access to Medicine in Georgia