Car import customs calculator
This free tool estimates the customs cost of importing a car into Georgia (Kvemo Kartli) or Azerbaijan. Enter the engine size, the car's age, the fuel type and the value, and you'll see the combined duty, excise, VAT and clearance fee. It's built for buyers around Marneuli, Rustavi and the wider region — knowing the real cost before you buy makes the decision easier and helps you avoid surprises at the border.
Rates: rs.ge / customs.gov.az — reviewed 2026-09, including Georgia's 2 April 2026 excise reform. Results are estimates.
How the calculation works
The estimate has three parts. First, excise: it depends on engine size (cc) and the car's age — a bigger engine and an older car mean higher excise, while electric vehicles are exempt. Second, customs duty: Georgia usually applies 0% on passenger cars, while Azerbaijan charges a percentage of the value. Georgia rewrote this part on 2 April 2026: instead of banning cars older than six years, it tripled their excise. The rate no longer depends on the engine band — only on age and fuel. Petrol and diesel pay 1.5 GEL per cc up to 6 years and 4.5 GEL per cc above it; hybrids pay 0.9 and 2.7 GEL per cc respectively; a left-hand-drive EV pays nothing, and a car over 40 years old pays a flat 500 GEL. Azerbaijan still works on gradual age steps — no surcharge up to 3 years, +20% from 4 to 7 years and +50% from 8 years. Third, VAT plus a fixed clearance fee. The rates are checked against the official sources (rs.ge and customs.gov.az); the exact amount is always set by the customs office.
Worked example
Say you're bringing a 5-year-old petrol car with a 2000 cc engine worth 10,000 GEL into Georgia. Excise is 2000 × 1.5 = 3,000 GEL, VAT is 18% of (10,000 + 3,000) = 2,340 GEL, and clearance adds 150 GEL — about 5,490 GEL in total. Make that same car 7 years old and the excise jumps to 2000 × 4.5 = 9,000 GEL, taking the total to roughly 12,570 GEL. One year over the threshold costs more than 7,000 GEL, which is why the model year is worth checking before you commit. The exact figure is set at the customs post.
Frequently asked questions
Is importing a car older than 6 years banned in Georgia?
No. A ban was debated in 2026 but never adopted — from 2 April the excise on cars over six years old tripled instead, from 1.5 to 4.5 GEL per cc for petrol. Importing is still legal, just considerably more expensive. Change the age in the calculator above to see the difference on your own car.
How accurate is the result?
It's an estimate. Official rates change and the exact amount is confirmed by customs. Use the numbers for planning.
Is there excise on an electric car?
No. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan exempt electric vehicles from engine-based excise, so the tool shows zero.
How is the car's age counted?
The number of years from the model year to the current year. Older cars carry a higher excise coefficient.
What's the duty on a passenger car in Georgia?
A 0% import duty usually applies, with most of the cost falling on excise.
Do I have to pay to use this?
No — the tool is completely free and needs no signup.
Do I owe customs on a car I buy here in Marneuli?
Buying locally is not an import in itself — car listings on Bazarla are in Marneuli, so the vehicle is already in the country and you are not bringing it in. The calculator covers the two cases where customs does apply: driving a car into Georgia yourself from abroad, or taking a car bought here across to Azerbaijan for permanent registration. It is still worth asking the seller whether the car has been cleared and registered in Georgia — the region does have vehicles brought in uncleared for onward export, and in that case the charges fall to the buyer.
What age of car is cheapest to import?
It depends on the destination. In Georgia everything turns on one threshold: at 6 years and under the excise is 1.5 GEL per cc, and above 6 years it triples to 4.5 GEL per cc, so a slightly newer car is often cheaper overall even when it costs more to buy. Azerbaijan steps up more gradually: nothing up to 3 years, +20% from 4 to 7 years and +50% from 8 years — so crossing the 3-year and 8-year marks moves the total the most. Electric cars are exempt from excise at any age.
Is this the official calculator?
No. This is Bazarla's own tool and it gives you a planning estimate. The official calculation for Georgia comes from the Revenue Service's auto/moto levy calculator on rs.ge, and the binding amount is set by the customs office when the declaration is processed. If the two figures differ, trust the official source.
I have the estimate — what happens next?
Once you know the likely cost the order is: the car crosses the border, a customs declaration is filed, you pay the assessed excise, VAT and clearance fee, and then the car is registered and issued plates — in Georgia that last step is handled by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Having the paperwork ready in advance (proof of purchase, the foreign registration document and your ID) speeds the process up.