International Movers to and from Georgia
Moving to or from Georgia means a Georgia driver’s license soon after you settle, tests for a UK license holder, a police or tag-office inspection of a car from abroad and the Port of Savannah.
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
What should you know before moving to Georgia from the UK?
Georgia had 11,302,748 residents on the Census Bureau’s estimate for 1 July 2025. Its Department of Driver Services (DDS) tells a newcomer from abroad to get a Georgia license quickly, its Department of Revenue handles the title for a car that arrives from another country, and the Georgia Ports Authority runs the Port of Savannah.
We introduce; the partner-network removal company you hear back from checks that it covers Georgia and says what it needs from you. The customs guide deals with duty on the household goods and the UK to USA guide with the steps before leaving.
How soon do you need a Georgia driver’s license, and which tests apply?
The DDS defines the moment you become a resident in a way that catches most movers. A non-US citizen counts as a resident of Georgia if, in its words, “a person has been present in the state for 30 or more days”; the alternative is a job or trade in the state with children enrolled in school within ten days of starting work. Once a resident, the person must hold a Georgia license within thirty days.
A UK license holder takes the tests. A driver from “a nation that does not have a reciprocal agreement with DDS” must pass the written, road and vision tests. Georgia recognises licenses from countries with a reciprocal agreement, and the pages we read name South Korea and Taiwan.
Two practical points. The applicant must be a US citizen or have lawful status: “The driver must be a United States citizen or have lawful status in the United States”. And Georgia gives the foreign license back: “All Foreign/International Licenses will be returned with the following exceptions”, the main one being a commercial license or permit.
How do you title a car in Georgia that arrives from the UK?
The Department of Revenue sets the paperwork in a separate list for a vehicle from a foreign country, filed at the Motor Vehicle Division or the county tag office. For a used car it asks for the registration certificate “issued by the country where the vehicle was last registered”.
Proof of the chain of ownership is strict: the page asks for bills of sale from the registered owner up to the applicant, and says that invoices are not acceptable. A Georgia inspector then looks at the car. The list asks for a Certification of Inspection, Form T-22B, completed after a visual check of the vehicle serial plate by a law enforcement officer or a county tag agent’s employee.
The title fee is $18, and a $10 penalty applies to a new vehicle if the title is not applied for within ninety days of the Department of Transportation certification. A car that cannot meet the federal safety and emissions rules cannot be titled whatever the paperwork, so read the car guide first.
What does the Georgia Ports Authority say about the Port of Savannah?
The Georgia Ports Authority’s home page describes the Port of Savannah as working “with 40 ship calls a week, 42 doublestack trains per week”. The page carries no date, so treat the figures as a description, not a current timetable.
The same page reports a permit for another terminal: “Construction will start in 2028, bringing Port of Savannah’s future total capacity to 12 million TEU”. That is future capacity, not a service your shipment can use today. Ask your removal company which terminal and which sailing it books.
Which Georgia cities of 50,000 or more are covered here?
The Census Bureau’s July 2025 figures give Georgia 18 places of at least 50,000 residents: Albany 66,907; Alpharetta 66,921; Atlanta 529,110; Brookhaven 59,643; Columbus 202,171; Dunwoody 51,792; Johns Creek 80,401; Mableton 78,820; Macon-Bibb County 157,556; Marietta 63,574; Roswell 91,505; Sandy Springs 105,013; Savannah 149,440; Smyrna 57,513; South Fulton 112,820; Stonecrest 61,337; Valdosta 56,186; Warner Robins 87,761.
Atlanta has no guide of its own: its parking pages would not open for us when we read them, so no kerb rule for the city is stated. Savannah’s city site did not open for us, and no council page we read for the others sets a kerb-space rule. Other states are set out in the state-by-state guide.
Questions about moving to or from Georgia
How long do you have to get a Georgia driver’s license after moving?
The DDS says a non-US citizen who establishes residency must obtain a Georgia license within thirty days, and counts a person present in the state for thirty days or more as a resident.
Do UK license holders skip the driving test in Georgia?
The pages we read name South Korea and Taiwan as the reciprocal countries, so a UK license holder takes the written, road and vision tests.
What is Form T-22B in Georgia?
A Certification of Inspection completed by a Georgia law enforcement officer or a county tag agent after a visual check of the serial plate, needed with the title application where a foreign registration replaces the manufacturer’s certificate.
Does Georgia keep your foreign license?
The DDS says foreign licenses are returned, except where the applicant is applying for a commercial license or permit.
Send us the details of your Georgia move
Include the Georgia address and ZIP code, the floor, whether a car is coming, dates and the bulkiest pieces.
About International Removals Companies
International Removals Companies is an enquiry and introduction service run by DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, in partnership with AGM Group. We don't move goods ourselves: the removal company quotes for your move and carries it out, so check its credentials and terms before you book. Our service is free. Discuss the quotation and booking terms directly with the removal company.
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- In partnership withAGM Group (agm.group)