Georgia and Turkey introduce electronic permits for international road haulage
Anyone who regularly transports goods between Georgia and Turkey knows the bureaucratic effort involved in cross-border transports. Paper permits, manual checks, administrative delays. That is now changing.
Georgia and Turkey are working together on a system for the digital exchange of entry permits in international road haulage. Instead of issuing paper forms as before, transport companies are to apply for and receive their permits entirely electronically in future. Both countries use a joint digital platform that enables fast and secure data exchange between the competent authorities.
What specifically changes
Until now, permits for international journeys between Georgia and Turkey were issued, exchanged and presented at the border as paper documents. The new system digitises this process completely. Permits are applied for and issued electronically and stored in a joint system to which the border authorities of both countries have direct access.
This has practical consequences for everyday transport operations. The processing time for permits is shortened. Errors caused by manual data entry or illegible documents are reduced. And border control can run faster, because all relevant information is already available digitally and does not have to be checked on the spot.
ECMT as the existing basis
The project does not stand in isolation. Georgia has already introduced the ECMT system, which enables multilateral permits for international road haulage on the basis of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport. ECMT permits allow haulage operators to carry out journeys between several member states without having to apply for a separate bilateral permit for each individual route. This saves time and money.
The digitisation of the bilateral permit exchange with Turkey is now the next logical step in this direction. According to the Georgian transport authority, the switch to digital permit systems is to take place gradually in cooperation with further partner countries.
What this means for transport planning
For transport companies that regularly operate on the Georgia–Turkey route or through Georgia towards Turkey and beyond, this is a relevant development. Shorter processing times for permits mean more planning reliability. Fewer administrative hurdles mean less idle time. And more transparent digital administration means that the permit status can be traced at any time.
At the same time, the transition to a new system always means a transitional phase in which existing processes have to be adapted. Anyone active on this route should keep an eye on the development and find out about the new requirements early on.
Our assessment
The digitisation of permit processes in international road haulage is long overdue. Paper permits that are physically handed over, transported and manually checked at the border are a relic from a time before networking. The fact that Georgia is actively leading the way here and building bilateral digital systems with important trading partners is a positive signal for the entire region.
The Caucasus corridor is gaining importance as a transit route between Europe and Central Asia. More efficient permit processes are part of the infrastructure that makes this corridor more attractive.
We are following these developments closely, because they have a direct impact on our transport planning along these routes. Anyone with questions about current permit requirements for transports to the Caucasus or through Georgia can contact us at any time.
