Batumi for families: schools, kindergartens and healthcare

Moving to Batumi with children

Families who buy in Batumi ask practical questions first: where will the children go to school, can they get a kindergarten place, which hospital treats children, and what is there to do at the weekend? The answers differ from Tbilisi. Batumi has a large network of public schools, but almost all of them teach in Georgian; international schools are few and hard to verify; kindergartens are in demand; and the state health programme does not cover most foreign families.

This guide sets out what we could confirm from official sources and says plainly where we could not. For the residence side of moving with children, see our guide to children, school and residence; for day-to-day costs, our guide to living in Batumi all year.

Public schools

The education ministry's school map lists 27 public schools in Batumi, with about 32,600 pupils and 1,800 teachers. Several are large, with more than 2,000 pupils each, among them School No. 6, which specialises in physics and mathematics, and schools No. 8, No. 1, No. 9 and No. 2. Neighbouring Khelvachauri municipality, which includes the upland villages around Makhinjauri, has its own village schools.

All 27 schools teach in Georgian. According to the same map, only School No. 3 on Vakhtang Gorgasali Street and School No. 7 on Haidar Abashidze Street have a Russian-language section, and School No. 20 on Melikishvili Street a Ukrainian one. There is no English-medium public school. For children who do not speak Georgian, this is the single biggest decision a family faces.

The largest schools

Large schools are not necessarily better or worse, but they fill quickly. Outside the city, the Makhinjauri township school had 545 pupils on the same map, which matters for families buying on the northern coast.

How school places are given

Batumi is one of 12 cities where first-grade places are given first to children living in a school's area. In 2026 that stage ran online from 15 to 25 May, and the area was set by the address registered for the child as of 15 April 2026, under an order of the education minister. Other stages follow for siblings, children of staff, general online registration and remaining places. The usual age rule is 6 by 15 September; for the 2026-2027 school year only, children turning 6 by 31 December could also apply.

For a family buying a flat, the lesson is simple: the registered address decides the school, and the deadline for registering it comes weeks before the application. Since amendments adopted in June 2026, partial schooling completed abroad is recognised by the receiving school itself, while recognition of complete secondary education from abroad stays with the national centre for education quality.

International schools

This is the weakest point for foreign families. We found no school in Batumi authorised by the International Baccalaureate as of October 2026; Georgia's IB schools that we identified are in Tbilisi. A business newspaper reported around 2020 that the American International Academy "Progress" had opened in Batumi with an American diploma programme, but we could not reach its official site to confirm its current status, address or fees. Other names that appear on school directory websites had no official website we could find, so we do not list them.

Before buying with children, contact any school directly, ask for its licence or authorisation from the ministry, the curriculum it follows, the languages of teaching and the fees, and visit it. Our guide to international schools in Tbilisi shows the wider choice available in the capital.

Kindergartens

Municipal kindergartens are run by the Batumi Kindergartens Union, a city body. The city's draft budget amendment of August 2026 shows 1,686 staff and GEL 45.2 million planned for 2026, with children's meals paid from the city budget, and states openly that existing kindergartens struggle to meet demand. New kindergartens are being built at 188 Fridon Khalvashi Avenue, near 7 Ivane Meskhi 1st Lane and near 33d Niko Muskhelishvili Street, and in July 2026 the national development fund finished rehabilitating Kindergarten No. 26 for 300 children.

We could not confirm the total number of municipal kindergartens, how registration works or whether places are free for every family. In practice, ask at the nearest kindergarten as soon as you have an address, and be ready for a waiting list in newer districts.

Healthcare for children

Batumi's main public hospital is the Batumi Republican Clinical Hospital on Tbel Abuseridze Street. In July 2026 a new paediatric department there was nearing completion, and a new primary care centre and an emergency medical centre were planned, according to a meeting of the health minister with Adjara's government. We found no stand-alone children's hospital in Batumi; the national children's hospital is in Tbilisi. Several private hospitals in the city appear on embassy and insurer lists, among them the Batumi Referral Hospital on Bagrationi Street and the International University Hospital on Aslan Abashidze Street; check which ones your insurer works with directly.

The city also funds some children's health programmes for families registered in Batumi, according to its 2026 budget draft: hearing screening for newborns, rehabilitation for young children with hearing impairment or developmental delay, and a programme for hip dysplasia. Registration in Batumi is the condition, so ask whether a foreign family registered at a Batumi address qualifies.

The emergency number is 112, for police, fire and ambulance, staffed around the clock with operators who speak English and Russian as well as Georgian.

Under the government resolution that defines the universal healthcare programme, beneficiaries are Georgian citizens, holders of neutral documents and stateless persons with status in Georgia. Foreign families with residence permits are not on that list, so they need private health insurance. Since 1 January 2026, foreigners entering Georgia also need health and accident cover of at least GEL 30,000 for their stay; sources disagree on whether residence-permit holders are exempt, so check with your insurer. Our guide to family residence permits covers the permits themselves.

Weekends with children

• Batumi Dolphinarium: reopened in 2011, with ten dolphins, seats for 795 and shows six days a week, closed on Mondays.
• 6 May Park: the city garden around Nuri Lake, free and open all day, with pedal boats.
• Batumi Botanical Garden: founded in 1912, about 108.7 ha on the Green Cape, open 09:00 to 18:30.
• The boulevard: its children's playgrounds were renewed between March and May 2026, with new safety surfaces and rides.
• Aquapark: the official tourism listing we found is the hotel aquapark at Dreamland Oasis in Chakvi, outside the city.

The city's own budget draft admits there are too few sports pitches and almost no sports facilities in kindergartens, so families who value sport should look at what is near the building.

City support for families

The city's 2026 budget draft includes free travel on municipal buses for pupils, teachers and several other groups, and monthly payments for socially vulnerable families with several children, for orphans and for children with disabilities. Most of these depend on registration in Batumi and on a family's score in the national social assistance database, so in practice they reach Georgian residents. We could not confirm whether foreign families qualify.

Choosing a flat as a family

• School first: check which public school serves the address, its language sections and its size.
• Kindergarten: ask about waiting lists nearby before you buy.
• Green space: a flat near 6 May Park or the boulevard playgrounds makes daily life easier.
• Air: buildings away from main roads have cleaner air.
• Health: budget for private insurance from the start.

Batumi for families: pros and cons

Preparing a family move to Batumi step by step

1. Decide the school route

   Georgian public school or a private option.

2. Check the school area

   Before choosing the flat.

3. Register the address on time

   Before the cut-off date for first grade.

4. Ask about kindergartens

   Waiting lists near the building.

5. Buy health insurance

   For every family member.

6. Arrange residence permits

   For parents and children.

Frequently asked questions

How many public schools does Batumi have?

27, with about 32,600 pupils, according to the education ministry's school map.

Are there schools that teach in Russian or English?

Two public schools have Russian sections and one a Ukrainian section; none teaches in English.

How is a first-grade place given?

First by the registered address; in 2026 the address counted as of 15 April.

Is there an IB school in Batumi?

We found none as of October 2026.

Are kindergartens easy to get into?

The city says demand exceeds supply; new kindergartens are being built.

Is there a children's hospital?

No stand-alone one; a new paediatric department at the Republican Clinical Hospital was nearing completion in July 2026.

Does state healthcare cover foreign children?

Not if they hold only a foreign residence permit; private insurance is needed.

What is the emergency number?

112, with operators who speak English and Russian.

Sources

1. School map, Ministry of Education, Science and Youth (accessed 27 October 2026)
2. First-grade registration opens 15 May, First Channel, 14 May 2026, and Minister's Order No 47/n of 2 April 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia
3. One-time first-grade age extension, First Channel, and amendments to the Law on General Education, Parliament of Georgia, June 2026
4. American International Academy opened in Batumi, CBW
5. Kindergarten No 26 rehabilitated for 300 children, Municipal Development Fund, 22 July 2026
6. Health minister meets Adjara's government, Front News, 10 July 2026
7. About the 112 emergency service, 112 Georgia (accessed 27 October 2026)
8. List of hospitals in Georgia, Embassy of Israel, and providers in Georgia, Aetna International
9. Mandatory insurance for visitors, Georgia Today, 15 September 2026
10. Batumi Dolphinarium, Georgian National Tourism Administration, and Batumi Botanical Garden (accessed 27 October 2026)
11. Renewal of the boulevard playgrounds begins, Batumi Boulevard, 13 March 2026, and aquapark, Visit Ajara
12. Government Resolution No 36 of 21 February 2013 on the universal healthcare programme, Legislative Herald of Georgia

Change log

• 28 October 2026 - Guide published from the education ministry's school map, First Channel, a minister's order, Parliament, CBW, the Municipal Development Fund, Batumi City Council's budget draft, Front News, Resolution No 36 on universal healthcare, 112 Georgia, Georgia Today, the tourism administration, the Botanical Garden, Batumi Boulevard and Visit Ajara.