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

> gtour.ge — G Tour, Gateway to Georgia. Cite as: GTour desk, gtour.ge.

- Canonical: https://gtour.ge/what-is-the-emergency-number-in-georgia/
- Author: David Kiknadze (GTour desk, Tbilisi)
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Language: en
- Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/what-is-the-emergency-number-in-georgia/

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](https://gtour.ge/georgia/tbilisi/) and [Batumi](https://gtour.ge/georgia/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.

*Image: A GPC Pharmacy branch on Aghmashenebeli Avenue, a common sight where tourists can buy medicines in Tbilisi. Photo: Karthoo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

### 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.

| City | Hospital commonly used by tourists | Why it is chosen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tbilisi | New Hospitals group (Tbilisi Central Hospital) | 24/7 emergency department, English-speaking physicians, frequently listed by insurers |
| Tbilisi | Caraps Medline | Private clinic with an international-patient desk, central location |
| Batumi | Batumi Reference Hospital | The region’s main 24-hour referral facility, serves [Adjara](https://gtour.ge/georgia/ajara/)‘s coast |
| Batumi | New Hospitals Batumi | Same network as the Tbilisi flagship, English support |

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](https://gtour.ge/policies/) sets out what we expect travellers to carry in terms of insurance before departure.

*Image: A neighbourhood pharmacy sign in Tbilisi, useful for travelers needing medication or advice. Photo: Roberto Strauss from Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0*

### 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](https://gtour.ge/tour/mestia-ushguli-3-days/) or [Tusheti](https://gtour.ge/tour/tusheti-expedition/), 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](https://gtour.ge/services/) 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.

Travel with GTour

If this guide is part of a trip you are planning, our [Batumi & the Ajara Mountains — 2 Days](https://gtour.ge/tour/batumi-the-ajara-mountains-2-days/) and [Georgia in 10 Days — Tbilisi to Svaneti to the Sea](https://gtour.ge/tour/georgia-in-10-days-tbilisi-to-svaneti-to-the-sea/) cover the places it describes with a private guide and driver; a GTour travel expert adapts the route to your dates.

[See the tour](https://gtour.ge/tour/batumi-the-ajara-mountains-2-days/)   [Plan my trip](/plan-your-trip/)

### Sources

- [National Bank of Georgia exchange rates](https://nbg.gov.ge/)

- [Tbilisi City Hall – 112 Emergency Service Information](https://tbilisi.gov.ge/page/112-emergency-service)

- [Agenda.ge – Pharmacy Network and Access to Medicine in Georgia](https://agenda.ge/en/news/2019/health-pharmacy-network-georgia)

Ask the desk

Questions this guide does not answer? Write to [info@castle.ge](mailto:info@castle.ge) or WhatsApp [+995 577 41 63 14](https://wa.me/995577416314) — a person in Tbilisi replies. See also our [travel services](https://gtour.ge/services/) and [all guides](https://gtour.ge/guides/).

A MediClub-Georgia ambulance parked on a Tbilisi street, part of the city's emergency response fleet. · Photo: Kober / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Been to Georgia? Tell us how it went — the best stories are published here.
[Share your trip](https://gtour.ge/share-your-trip/)
[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgtour.ge%2Fwhat-is-the-emergency-number-in-georgia%2F)[Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgtour.ge%2Fwhat-is-the-emergency-number-in-georgia%2F&text=What+is+the+emergency+number+in+Georgia+and+which+hospital+should+tourists+use%3F)