Georgia eSIM: Mobile Data in Tbilisi, Batumi and the Caucasus Mountains

How to install your Georgia eSIM

Install the eSIM before you fly, then leave it off until you are ready to use it in Georgia. Georgia plan validity starts only when the eSIM first connects to a network there, and the eSIM must be installed within 180 days of purchase.

Before buying, check two things: your phone must support eSIM, and it must be unlocked. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look for Carrier Lock. If it says No SIM restrictions, a travel eSIM can be used. On Android, look for Add eSIM, Download a SIM, or Add mobile plan in mobile network settings. If the phone came from a carrier contract, confirm unlock status before the trip.

Keep the QR code on another screen or print it. If the QR code is in email on the same phone, you may not be able to scan it with that phone’s camera. Use a laptop or tablet, or enter the manual SM-DP+ details from your order.

For iOS 17/18

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings > Cellular. In some regions this appears as Mobile Service.
3. Tap Add eSIM.
4. Choose Use QR Code. If scanning is not possible, tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code exactly as shown.
5. Label the line Georgia data.
6. Keep your home line as the default for calls and messages if you still need it.
7. Keep Cellular Data on your home line while still at home. Switch it to the Georgia eSIM only after arrival.
8. Leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off if you do not want the iPhone to fall back to your home SIM for data.

When you land, go to Settings > Cellular > select the Georgia eSIM, then turn on Turn On This Line and Data Roaming. Enable roaming on the eSIM line, not on your home line.

For Android 14/15 with Samsung

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
3. Tap Add eSIM or Add mobile plan.
4. Scan the QR code, or choose the manual option and enter the activation details.
5. Name the line Georgia data.
6. In Preferred SIMs, keep calls and messages on your regular SIM if needed.
7. Before arrival, do not set the eSIM as the data SIM unless you are already in Georgia.

After landing, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager and set Mobile data to the Georgia eSIM. Then open Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and turn Data roaming on for the eSIM line. If your Samsung has Auto data switching, leave it off unless you deliberately want the phone to switch data lines.

For Android 14/15 with Pixel and Xiaomi

On Pixel, use Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Download a new eSIM. Scan the QR code or enter the details manually, then give the line a clear name. On arrival, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, select the Georgia eSIM, turn it on, set it as the mobile data SIM, and enable Roaming for that line.

On Xiaomi, the path varies by MIUI or HyperOS version. Start with Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks and look for Manage eSIM, Add eSIM, or Use eSIM. If you do not see an eSIM option, use settings search and search for eSIM. After installing, set the eSIM as the data line only when you are in Georgia, and check that roaming is enabled for that line.

If installation fails, do not delete the eSIM and retry repeatedly. Check Wi-Fi, set the phone’s date and time to automatic, restart the phone, and try again. If the QR code says it has already been used, contact support by email from the site before removing anything from the device.

How it leaked

For a Georgia eSIM, the usual leak is not the plan validity starting early. The validity starts at the first connection to a network in Georgia, and the eSIM must be installed within 180 days of purchase.

The leak travellers need to prevent is mobile data slipping back to the home SIM. On iPhone, that can happen if Allow Cellular Data Switching is on. On Samsung and other Android phones, similar settings may be called Auto data switching, Switch mobile data automatically, or a backup data option. Leave those off unless you intentionally want the phone to choose another line when coverage changes.

After landing, open SIM settings and confirm the Georgia eSIM is the mobile data line. Then open the home SIM and keep data roaming off. This keeps maps, messaging and browsing on the travel line instead of the domestic carrier’s roaming path.

How the codebase fits together

There is no codebase a traveller needs to inspect. The useful pieces are the eSIM profile, the plan rules, the data line setting, and the partner networks.

The profile is installed by QR code or by manual SM-DP+ entry. The plan rule that matters most is timing: Georgia validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a network there, not when you scan the code at home. The data line setting tells the phone which SIM handles internet access. If that still points to your home SIM, the eSIM can be installed correctly and still not carry data.

The network layer is separate. BeeSim plans for Georgia connect through Beeline 5G, Magti 4G, and Geocell 5G as listed in the catalog. If one available network is weak, manual network selection can help before you contact support.

What eSIM plans are available for Georgia?

The BeeSim catalog lists six fixed-data plans for Georgia: 1 GB for 7 days, 3 GB for 15 days, 3 GB for 30 days, 5 GB for 30 days, 10 GB for 30 days, and 20 GB for 30 days. Fixed-data plans give you one allowance to manage across the trip.

Plan size	Duration
1 GB	7 days
3 GB	15 days
3 GB	30 days
5 GB	30 days
10 GB	30 days
20 GB	30 days

For a short city break in Tbilisi, a smaller fixed plan can work if you mainly use maps, messaging, ride-hailing, restaurant searches and browsing. Video calls, streaming, cloud photo backup and laptop use change the calculation quickly. If the plan page states that hotspot or tethering is available, choose more data than you would for phone-only use and turn off laptop cloud sync before connecting.

The catalog also includes 14 daily plans for Georgia. They provide 500 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, 3 GB, or 10 GB of full-speed data per day, for 1 to 30 days. After the daily allowance is used, the speed drops.

Daily full-speed allowance	Available duration range	What happens after the allowance
500 MB per day	1 to 30 days	Speed drops
1 GB per day	1 to 30 days	Speed drops
2 GB per day	1 to 30 days	Speed drops
3 GB per day	1 to 30 days	Speed drops
10 GB per day	1 to 30 days	Speed drops

A daily plan suits uneven use: light messaging on one day, heavy maps or uploads on another. A fixed plan gives more control if you want to save unused data for later in the trip. If you are working from cafés in Tbilisi or Batumi, check your accommodation Wi-Fi and keep the eSIM for backup, navigation and app calls.

Georgia is also covered by a Global regional plan that works in 130+ areas. Use that route when Georgia is part of a wider trip and you want one plan across borders. For live prices, check the Georgia destination page rather than relying on an article, because plan prices change.

To reduce background use, change settings before departure. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > select the eSIM > Data Mode and choose Low Data Mode. Also check Settings > Photos > Cellular Data if you take many photos. On Android, open Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver and allow exceptions only for apps you need in real time.

Download offline maps before mountain travel. In Google Maps, tap your profile picture > Offline maps > Select your own map, then save Tbilisi, Batumi, Kazbegi, Svaneti, Tusheti, or the region you are visiting.

What should you know about mobile coverage in Georgia?

Georgia’s networks are Magti, Silknet and Cellfie. Tbilisi, Batumi and the main highways are covered; mountain valleys in Svaneti and Tusheti can drop to 3G or nothing.

For BeeSim Georgia plans, the available partner networks are listed as Beeline 5G, Magti 4G and Geocell 5G. Network names may look different on the phone because operators can rebrand or the device may show a partner name. If data works, the displayed name matters less than the actual connection.

In Tbilisi and Batumi, mobile data is the right tool for maps, messaging, banking apps, ride-hailing and browser searches in normal conditions. On roads between major cities, signal usually follows the main transport corridors, but tunnels, steep valleys and remote side roads can interrupt service.

Mountain travel needs different planning. Svaneti and Tusheti are exactly where signal becomes least predictable. Do not rely on mobile data as your only safety tool for hiking or remote driving. Save your route offline, keep accommodation addresses available without internet, and tell someone your plan before leaving town.

If data is slow in a city, try manual network selection. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > select the eSIM > Network Selection, turn off Automatic, wait for the list, then try another available partner network. On Android, open the eSIM under SIMs or Mobile networks, choose Network operators, disable automatic selection, and test another listed network. Turn automatic selection back on after testing if you want the phone to move between networks as you travel.

Are there any roaming traps to be aware of?

The main roaming trap is your home SIM quietly using data while you think the eSIM is handling everything. Before takeoff, open SIM settings and disable data roaming on the home line. After landing, make the Georgia eSIM the only line used for mobile data.

On iPhone, check Settings > Cellular. Under Cellular Data, select the Georgia eSIM. Open the home line and keep Data Roaming off. Also turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching unless you want the iPhone to use another line when the selected data line has weak service.

On Android, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs or Settings > Connections > SIM manager, depending on the phone. Set Mobile data to the eSIM. Then open the home SIM and turn roaming off. If the phone has Switch mobile data automatically, Backup calling, or similar wording, read it carefully before enabling it.

There is also a messaging trap. If you remove or disable your home SIM completely, some bank confirmations or two-factor text messages may not arrive. A safer setup is to leave the home line active for calls and SMS, keep its data roaming off, and let the eSIM handle mobile data. If your home carrier charges for incoming calls or texts abroad, check that before travel.

Local SIM cards in Georgia are cheap and sold at the airport with passport registration. That can be useful if you need a local phone number. A travel eSIM saves the airport stop and works from the moment you land, which matters when you need maps, a ride, or a message to your host before reaching the city.

Daily plans have one more edge case: after you use the day’s full-speed allowance, speed drops for the rest of that day. If maps still load but video calls fail, you may have hit the daily allowance. Use Wi-Fi for heavy tasks and keep mobile data for messages and navigation until the next daily cycle.

What to do upon arrival in Georgia?

When the aircraft lands, change settings in order so you know which step fixed the connection if something goes wrong.

1. Turn off airplane mode and wait a minute for the phone to find a network.
2. Turn on the Georgia eSIM line.
3. Set mobile data to the Georgia eSIM.
4. Enable data roaming on the Georgia eSIM line.
5. Keep data roaming off on your home line.
6. Open a browser and load a plain webpage, not only a messaging app.

If data works, open maps and save the address of your hotel or apartment. If you use ride-hailing, sign in before leaving airport Wi-Fi in case the app asks for a code. Keep the destination written down or pinned on a map so you are not dependent on live search at the curb.

If there is no connection after several minutes, restart the phone first. Then check the same three settings: the eSIM is on, mobile data is assigned to it, and roaming is enabled for it.

If the phone connects to a network but pages do not load, switch networks manually. Try the available partner networks one by one, waiting after each selection for the data indicator to appear. If the phone falls back to 3G in a city, manual selection may improve the connection.

If you are outside Tbilisi, Batumi, or a main highway and the phone shows no service, move before deeper troubleshooting. Step outside, walk away from thick walls, or wait until the road leaves a narrow valley. In Svaneti and Tusheti, no setting can create coverage where the local networks do not reach.

If the eSIM still will not work, take screenshots of the SIM settings, the error message, and the network selection screen. Do not delete the eSIM unless support asks you to. Use airport, hotel, or café Wi-Fi to email support from the site with your phone model, operating system version, arrival city, and the steps you already tried.