Crossing between Türkiye and Georgia by motorcycle

Three road crossings link Türkiye and Georgia. Sarp–Sarpi sits on the Black Sea coast and carries most of the traffic. Türkgözü–Vale and Aktaş–Kartsakhi are inland, in the high country of Ardahan province. All three are open around the clock. Georgia wants its own insurance on your bike, so budget a few minutes and a few lari for that.

The three crossings

Georgian sources list Sarpi, Vale and Kartsakhi as open 24 hours a day. Still, cross in daylight if you can. If your papers need sorting out, you want offices open and light left to ride.

Sarp–Sarpi

This is the crossing most riders use. It sits at the eastern end of the Turkish Black Sea coastal road, past Hopa and Kemalpaşa, and opens straight into the Georgian village of Sarpi in Adjara. If you are riding the Black Sea coast from Samsun to Hopa, this is the natural way on.

It is busy. In 2024 about 5.56 million passengers and 792,000 vehicles passed through Sarp, an average of over 15,000 people a day. Many Turkish citizens choose it because they can travel to Georgia on an ID card.

Expect two kinds of queue:

• Trucks. When freight backs up, trucks line the coast road on the Turkish side. During the March 2026 Ramazan Bayramı holiday the line at times reached 29 km, past Hopa to Arhavi. The trucks take up a lane, so ride the coast road with care.
• Holiday crowds. In July 2026 travellers reported big crowds at Sarpi and slower clearance. Georgia's Revenue Service said the checkpoint was working normally. Avoid Turkish public holidays and summer weekends if you can.

Türkgözü–Vale and Aktaş–Kartsakhi

Both inland crossings are in Ardahan province. Türkgözü is in the Posof district and leads to Vale, near Akhaltsikhe. Aktaş is in the Çıldır district and leads to the village of Kartsakhi in the Akhalkalaki municipality. Both have been open since 1995.

These are the alternatives when Sarp is blocked. In 2019 the Ministry of Trade sent travellers to Türkgözü and Aktaş while Sarp's systems were down for works. Georgia's Revenue Service has also pointed traffic for Türkiye to Kartsakhi and Vale when a landslide closed the main Georgian highway.

Türkgözü has had periods of closure for rebuilding. In spring 2022 it closed to passengers during works, and Aktaş took the traffic. Check the news before you commit to the long ride up to either crossing.

Entering Georgia with a motorcycle

Third-party insurance. Since 1 March 2018, every foreign-registered vehicle in Georgia must have Georgian compulsory liability insurance for the whole stay. Policies are sold at the border checkpoint. In 2026 the listed motorcycle prices are:

Riding without it brings a fine of GEL 100 to 200 (2026). The policy covers injury to others up to GEL 30,000 per person and damage to property up to GEL 25,000 per person. After an accident, call 112 and stay at the scene until an officer arrives, unless you need a hospital.

Customs. Georgian customs admits the bike temporarily. Show the registration certificate. Do not lend or hand the bike to anyone else: that needs customs consent. If the bike is damaged or destroyed, tell the nearest customs office.

Health insurance. Since 1 January 2026, Georgia requires foreign visitors to hold medical insurance that covers emergency treatment during the stay. Carry proof of it.

Leaving Türkiye

When you entered Türkiye, customs linked the bike to your passport. On the way out, customs closes the bike's entry record and cancels the note that you travel with a vehicle. Make sure this happens before you ride on.

If you want to fly home and leave the bike in Türkiye, do not just go to the border without it. You must either get permission from a customs office and sign an undertaking, or leave the bike at a customs office. See our checklist for riding into Türkiye for the full rules.

Entering Türkiye from Georgia

Turkish customs registers the bike to your passport. There is no fee for this. Have these ready:

• Passport, plus a visa or e-Visa if your nationality needs one. See our visa guide.
• The bike's ownership document. If the bike is not yours, a valid power of attorney.
• Insurance valid in Türkiye. If your Green Card does not cover Türkiye, you can buy a policy at the sales point next to the customs post. See our insurance guide.
• Your driving licence. See our licence guide.

The time the bike may stay in Türkiye follows the time you may stay. For a visitor allowed 90 days in any 180, the bike gets 90 days at most.

Quick checklist

• Crossing chosen: Sarp–Sarpi for the coast, Türkgözü–Vale or Aktaş–Kartsakhi for inland Georgia or to dodge Sarp queues
• Holiday dates checked and Türkgözü status checked before riding inland
• Money for the Georgian bike insurance at the border
• Medical insurance for Georgia
• Registration document, licence, and power of attorney if the bike is not yours
• Bike's Turkish entry record closed when you leave Türkiye
• Insurance valid in Türkiye, and passport stamped with the bike recorded when you come back