Before you start

Valid foreign driving licence
Metromoney card or contactless bank card for transit

Step-by-step

1
Use Bolt as your primary transport
Bolt is the dominant ride-hailing app and astonishingly cheap — most city trips run GEL 5-15 (US$2-5.50). Download it and link a card before you arrive; cash is also accepted. Yandex Go also operates but carries Russian-ownership concerns some prefer to avoid. Surge applies in rain and rush hour. Drivers may call to confirm pickup — share a pin location to avoid confusion.
Mobile appWho: AllImmediateGEL 5-15 per typical city trip
2
Ride the metro and buses with a Metromoney card
Tbilisi's two-line metro plus the bus network all cost GEL 1 per ride, with free transfers for 90 minutes — so a metro-then-bus journey is still GEL 1. Buy a plastic Metromoney card for GEL 2 at a metro station and top it up, or just tap a contactless foreign bank card (around GEL 1.50 for foreign cards). The metro is fast and avoids the city's serious traffic.
In personWho: AllImmediate on arrivalGEL 1 per ride (90-min free transfers); GEL 2 for the card
3
Drive on your foreign licence for up to one year
A valid foreign licence is recognised for one year from your date of entry. An International Driving Permit is not legally required if your licence uses the Latin alphabet, though it doesn't hurt. After a year you should exchange for a Georgian licence (next step). Roads in the city are aggressive and parking is informal — many residents skip car ownership entirely and rely on Bolt.
In personWho: Drivers staying under a yearValid 1 year from entryFree (using existing licence)
4
Exchange for a Georgian licence — usually NO test
Georgia lets nationals of most countries swap their valid foreign licence for a Georgian one without a driving test, at the Service Agency of the MIA (sa.gov.ge; the main hub is in Rustavi, ~30 min from Tbilisi). You'll typically need your licence, a notarised/apostilled translation, a Form 100 health certificate, and the fee. This is one of the easiest licence exchanges anywhere.
In personWho: Residents staying over a yearSame day to a few daysGEL 16 fee + translation/health-certificate costs

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence
Notarised/apostilled translation of the licence (for exchange)
Form 100 health certificate (for licence exchange)
Passport
Metromoney card or contactless bank card (transit)

Things most newcomers don’t know

Most foreign residents never buy a car — Bolt is so cheap (a cross-town ride is often under US$4) that ownership rarely pays off, and city parking and driving are stressful.

Low labour and fuel costs make ride-hailing one of the cheapest in Europe.

Source: Bolt Tbilisi

The no-test licence exchange at the Rustavi Service Agency is genuinely one of the easiest in the world — a major perk if you do want to drive locally and rent cars without an IDP.

Georgia's deliberately light-touch bureaucracy in this area.

Source: sa.gov.ge

If you bring or buy a car, note that local third-party MTPL insurance is not mandatory for Georgian-plated cars, but IS mandatory for foreign-plated vehicles entering the country.

A frequent source of confusion and fines at the border for those driving in.

Common mistakes to avoid

Driving past the one-year foreign-licence window without exchanging — you become unlicensed for local purposes
Assuming you need an IDP — for Latin-alphabet licences it isn't legally required (though some rental firms still ask)
Using Yandex Go without realising some residents avoid it on ownership grounds — Bolt is the mainstream choice
Bringing a foreign-plated car without buying the mandatory border MTPL insurance