How to get cash (Georgian lari) in Batumi if your foreign bank card doesn't work?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 10 days ago
TL;DR
Georgia's currency is the lari (GEL); dollars aren't accepted directly and must be exchanged at a currency exchange point. If your card can't withdraw cash, use money transfer services like Melitransfer — but pickup points such as Riko often require the transfer to be sent specifically in lari.
What the community said
If you have no cash at all and your card (e.g. Mir) can't withdraw money, the main option is to arrange a money transfer through a service like Melitransfer and pick it up in cash in Batumi.
11 days ago Melitransfer
When picking up a Melitransfer transfer at the Riko point, there are often issues with currency mismatch — it's recommended to send the transfer specifically in GEL (lari) rather than USD to avoid problems at pickup.
24 days ago Riko, GEL
You generally can't pay directly with cash US dollars, since Georgia's official currency is the lari. One workaround is to ask your taxi driver to stop at a currency exchange point along the way, convert dollars to lari, and pay in local currency.
25 days ago currency exchange point