The whole purchase on one screen
- Decide and viewPurpose, budget, shortlist, viewings
- ReserveOnly with a written refund clause
- CheckRegistry extract, seller, permits, contract
- SignWritten contract, notary optional
- PayBank to bank, tied to registration
- RegisterPublic Registry, GEL 150 / 270 / 350
A foreigner buys a house, an apartment or commercial premises in Georgia on the same terms as a Georgian citizen. The only exception is agricultural land, which the Constitution reserves for citizens. Ownership passes when the Public Registry records the transfer, not when the contract is signed or the money is paid, and the registration fee is GEL 150, 270 or 350 depending on how fast you need it. There is no separate transfer tax or stamp duty. Those four facts make Georgia one of the simplest property markets in the region for a foreign buyer, and the same simplicity is what makes careless purchases possible: a deal can be done in days, and a deal done in days can be done before anyone has read anything. This guide follows a purchase from the first decision to the first month of ownership, names the law, the office and the document at each step, and says where things go wrong. Every figure is sourced and dated; every legal statement comes from the text of the law or a named professional source.
Can a foreigner own property in Georgia?
Yes, outright, with one exception. Residential and commercial real estate can be acquired by foreign individuals and foreign-owned companies without restriction, and a foreign owner is registered in the Public Registry exactly as a Georgian owner is, with the same rights to use, let, mortgage, sell and bequeath the property. The exception is agricultural land. Article 19(4) of the Constitution of Georgia says that agricultural land, as a resource of special importance, may be owned only by the State, a self-governing unit, a citizen of Georgia or an association of citizens of Georgia, with exceptions to be set by an organic law. In practice that excludes foreign individuals and foreign-controlled entities from buying agricultural land except in narrow cases such as inheritance.
The exception matters more than it seems, because it is not about farms. A village house, a plot for a holiday home or a piece of land at the edge of a resort may sit on land registered as agricultural. The registry extract shows the category of every plot, and reading it is the first check for any purchase outside a city apartment building. For apartments in residential buildings the question rarely arises, because the land under an apartment building is not agricultural. For anything with a garden, it is the question to ask before the price.
When do you actually become the owner?
Article 183(1) of the Civil Code of Georgia makes the answer precise: acquiring ownership of immovable property requires a transaction in written form and the registration of the acquirer's title in the Public Registry. Both are needed. A signed contract without registration gives you a claim against the seller, not the property. A registration is only made on the basis of a written transaction. The moment you become the owner is the moment the registry records you as the owner, and the proof is the registry extract that names you.
The Law on the Public Registry adds three rules that shape how a careful buyer behaves. Registered data are presumed to be authentic until they are declared invalid (Article 5), which is why a buyer can rely on what the extract says. The registry is not responsible for the authenticity of the documents submitted to it (Article 3(6)), which is why the documents behind a transaction still need checking. And registry data are public and available to any person, with an extract issued to anyone who asks (Articles 6(1) and 10(3)), which is why there is never a good reason to pay before you have read the extract yourself.
How far the register protects a buyer who acts in good faith, and where that protection stops, is explained in the guide to property law in Georgia for foreigners.
How does the purchase work, step by step?
The steps below are the order of a careful purchase of a registered apartment or house. A purchase from a developer during construction follows the same order with different documents at steps four and five, explained further down.
Decide what the property is for
Your own home, a long-term rental, a holiday let, a residence permit or a combination. The purpose decides the city, the district, the building type and the budget, and it decides what you will check most carefully.
Shortlist and view
View in person or by live video, and ask for the cadastral code of every property you like. Without the code nothing can be checked, and a seller who will not give it is telling you something.
Order the registry extract
Any person can obtain an extract. Read who the registered owner is, the area, the category, shared ownership and every encumbrance: mortgage, seizure, tax lien or lease.
Check the seller and the paper
Confirm that the seller is the registered owner or holds a current, specific power of attorney; for a company, who may sign. For a new building, check the developer's land rights, the construction permit and the contract template.
Agree and sign a written contract
Price, payment route and timing, date of possession, condition, who clears which encumbrance, what happens if either side withdraws. Notarisation is not mandatory for the sale itself but is common; the registry requires the written transaction.
Pay through a bank
Pay from your account to the seller's, never in cash and never to a third person, in a way that ties the money to the registration: for example, paying after the registration application is filed or through an arrangement the bank or notary supports.
Register the transfer
The application is filed at the Public Registry, through a Public Service Hall, with the contract. The fee depends on the speed: GEL 150 for four working days, GEL 270 for one working day, GEL 350 for the same day.
Take the extract and the keys
The updated extract names you as owner. That is the document a bank, a tenant, the residence permit authority or a future buyer will ask for.
How do you read a registry extract?
The extract is the most important document in a Georgian purchase and the cheapest to obtain. It is issued for a cadastral code and states what the registry knows about that unit or plot. Reading it takes ten minutes once you know where to look.
| Cadastral code | The unique identifier of the plot or unit. Check that it matches the listing, the contract and the address you viewed. |
|---|---|
| Owner | The registered owner's name and identifier. The seller must be this person, or act for them under a valid power of attorney, or be authorised to sign for the company that owns it. |
| Shares | Whether ownership is shared and in what proportions. Every co-owner must sell or consent. |
| Area and use | The registered area and use: residential, non-residential, land, and the land category. Compare the area with the contract. |
| Encumbrances | Mortgages, seizures, tax liens, leases and other registered rights. Each must be cleared, or deliberately accepted, before you pay. |
| Basis of ownership | The document under which the current owner acquired the property, and its date. Recent or unusual transfers deserve a question. |
An extract is a snapshot. A seizure can be registered after the date on your extract, which is why the check is repeated immediately before signing and why payment should follow the registration application rather than precede it. The detailed guide on reading an extract, listed in the cluster below, goes through each section with an example.
Reservation, preliminary agreement, sale contract: what is the difference?
Three documents appear in most purchases, and confusing them is the most expensive vocabulary mistake a buyer can make.
The reservation agreement takes the property off the market for a short period in exchange for a payment. Its whole value lies in one clause: what happens to the money if the check reveals a problem or the seller withdraws. Without a written refund condition, getting the money back becomes a dispute rather than a clause. Insist that it is refundable if the title check fails and counts towards the price if the deal proceeds.
The preliminary agreement is a binding contract to buy and sell in the future, with obligations on both sides. It is used when the sale cannot complete yet: the seller has to clear a mortgage, the buyer has to arrange funds, or the apartment does not yet exist as a registered unit. For an apartment under construction, the buyer's right can be registered in the Public Registry as a preliminary ownership right, for which the registry's fee table charges the standard registration fee, GEL 150 in four working days. A registered preliminary right is public and protects the buyer against a second sale of the same unit; an unregistered contract does not.
The sale contract transfers ownership once registered. It states the parties, the property by cadastral code, the price, how and when it is paid, the date of possession, the condition of the property and what the seller warrants. The Civil Code obliges a seller to transfer a property free of third-party rights and free of defects (Articles 487 to 490 as summarised by MB Legal), but contracts commonly modify those duties, so read what your contract says rather than relying on the default.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm the procedure and effect of registering a preliminary ownership right for off-plan purchases, and the exact wording of Articles 487 to 490 of the Civil Code from the official text.
Do you need a notary, a lawyer or an agent?
Georgian law requires the sale to be in writing and registered; it does not make a notary mandatory for a sale of real estate, although notarisation is commonly used and is required for some related documents, such as a mortgage in favour of a lender that is not a bank and most powers of attorney. A notary certifies identity and signatures. A notary does not check whether the deal is good for you, whether a developer's permit matches the building or whether the contract protects you; that is a lawyer's job, and the law does not require one either. An agent finds and negotiates; an agent paid by the developer is not acting for you, which is why the question "who pays you?" belongs in every first conversation. The Public Registry's own remote Smart Contract service, which lets parties sign and register a purchase by video, is available only to Georgian citizens with a Georgian ID card or passport, so a foreign buyer completes the transaction in person or through a representative.
Can you buy without coming to Georgia?
Yes, through a representative acting under a power of attorney. The power of attorney is drawn up before a notary in your country, legalised by apostille if your country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention or through a Georgian consulate if it is not, and translated into Georgian by a certified translator. A good power of attorney names the property by cadastral code, lists the acts the representative may perform, and states whether the representative may pay or receive money; the safest form excludes money altogether, so that the price moves only between banks. Viewings are done by live video, documents are sent to you before and after each step, and the extract in your name is the end of the process. Our remote purchase service describes how we run it; the detailed guide in the cluster below explains each document.
What does buying cost apart from the price?
Georgia charges no separate ad valorem transfer tax or stamp duty on the purchase of real estate, which surprises buyers from countries where those taxes add several percent. The costs that remain are small and mostly predictable.
| Registry fee | GEL 150 (4 working days), GEL 270 (1 working day), GEL 350 (same day) for registering the transfer; registering a preliminary ownership right costs the same; the free entry in the fee table covers only the occupied territories. |
|---|---|
| Registry extract | Small fee per extract under the registry's information services tariff. |
| Notary | Optional for the sale; regulated state tariff where used; needed for most powers of attorney. |
| Translation and legalisation | For foreign documents and powers of attorney; charged by the translator and the authority abroad. |
| VAT | 18% applies only where the seller is VAT-registered and selling in a business capacity; check whether a developer's price includes it. |
| Professional fees | Lawyer, agent or both, by agreement; ask for the basis in writing. |
| Bank charges | Transfer and conversion charges at your bank and the Georgian bank. |
| Finishing | For a white-frame apartment, the cost of finishing, which is often the largest cost after the price. |
Sources: National Agency of Public Registry fee table; MB Legal, Chambers Real Estate 2026 Georgia; both accessed 11 October 2026.
The detailed guide on the hidden costs of buying, listed below, will give dated ranges for each line once they are sourced. For now, the rule of thumb is that the costs beyond the price are a small share of it for a finished resale apartment and a large share of it for a white frame, because of the finishing.
New build or resale: what changes?
Most foreign buyers in Batumi and many in Tbilisi buy from developers, often before the building is finished. The legal difference is fundamental: a resale is a transfer of a registered unit, while an off-plan purchase is a contract for a unit that does not yet exist in the registry. The checks shift accordingly. For a resale, the extract, the seller and the history carry most of the weight. For a new build, the developer's land rights, the construction permit and its match with the building being sold, any pledge of the land, the developer's delivery record and the contract's clauses on delivery date, penalty, specification and stage payments carry it. Registering a preliminary ownership right, where available, turns a private contract into a public record. The New builds section explains finishing levels, construction stages and how to check a developer; the cluster below has a dedicated comparison of new build and resale.
How do you pay safely?
Most losses in property purchases anywhere come from money that moved before the paper was right. In Georgia the safeguards are simple. Pay through banks, from an account in your name to an account in the seller's name, never in cash and never to a manager, a relative or an agent. Tie the payment to registration: pay after the registration application is filed, or use an arrangement in which the money is released when the registration completes. For a mortgage on the property, make sure the payment route clears it at the same moment, so that you do not become the owner of a mortgaged apartment. For a developer's stage payments, pay against the construction stages in the contract, not against a new schedule announced by email. Bring documents that show where your money comes from, because both your bank and the Georgian bank will ask. The detailed guide on safe payment explains the bank and notary arrangements available.
What happens after registration?
Registration ends the purchase and begins ownership. In the first weeks most owners transfer the utility accounts into their name, settle into the building's management or homeowners association, decide on insurance, and, if the property will be let, register with the tax authority. Three tax rules are worth knowing from the start, each to be confirmed by an accountant for your own case. Since 30 September 2026, an individual owes property tax on a flat or house only if last year's family income was above GEL 100,000. Rental income from Georgian property is taxable in Georgia whatever the owner's residence. And a gain on the sale of residential property owned for more than two years is exempt from personal income tax, with a reduced 5% rate in some cases and 20% otherwise, according to Andersen. If the purchase was made for a residence permit, the extract and an accredited valuation are what the complete guide to the residence permit by property builds on.
To be added by the team: the accountant to confirm the property tax rate band, the position of non-resident owners, the conditions of the 5% rate on residential sales, and the current tax on rental income for individuals, each with the official Tax Code reference.
Buying jointly, through a company or with a mortgage
Jointly. Two or more people can own a property together; the registry records each owner and their share. Spouses, partners and friends buying together should decide the shares, and what happens if one wants to sell, before signing, because the registry will record exactly what the contract says.
Through a company. A Georgian company owned by a foreigner can buy residential and commercial property. The choice affects tax, a later sale, letting and a residence permit application, which attaches to a person's property right, so it is a decision for a lawyer and an accountant before the contract, not after.
With a mortgage. Georgian banks lend to some foreign buyers on their own criteria. A mortgage is registered in the Public Registry, and a mortgage in favour of a lender other than a commercial bank, microbank or investment fund must be notarised. The dedicated guide on mortgages for foreigners will set out what banks ask for once we have documented it.
What does the market look like right now?
The two main apartment markets are large and active. Colliers Georgia counted over 59,000 apartment sales worth about $4.3 billion in Tbilisi and Batumi in 2025, 7% more than in 2024, and around 87,000 apartments under construction in Tbilisi. Average prices in the first quarter of 2026 were $1,300 to $1,500 per square metre in Tbilisi and above $1,600 in Batumi, by apartment type. About nine buyers in ten in Tbilisi are Georgian citizens, while foreign buyers made up 52% of developer sales in Batumi in 2025 according to Galt & Taggart. What these numbers mean for an investor, including the supply risk, is discussed in Invest & money; what they mean for a particular district is on the Places pages.
Twelve questions to answer before you sign
A purchase is safe when every one of these has a written answer. They are not legal advice; they are the questions a careful buyer, or that buyer's lawyer, asks, and the answers belong in the file.
- Is the seller named on today's extract, and if not, what document gives the person in front of you the right to sell?
- Does the cadastral code on the extract match the listing, the contract and the door you saw?
- Is any share owned by someone else, and has every co-owner, and a spouse where needed, consented in writing?
- What encumbrances are registered, and exactly how and when is each one cleared?
- What is the land category, and is any part of it agricultural?
- Does the registered area match the contract, and what happens if the measured area is smaller?
- For a new build: does the permit cover this plot, this use and this number of floors?
- For a new build: what is the delivery date, what is the penalty for missing it, and what is in the specification?
- When and how does the money move, from which account to which account, and what event releases it?
- What does the reservation or preliminary agreement say about refunds if the deal fails?
- Who pays which fee, and does the price include VAT where the seller is VAT-registered?
- Do I have the Georgian text and a certified translation of everything I am about to sign, and have I read both?
How long does each stage take in practice?
Only one stage has an official duration: registration, which the registry completes in up to four working days at the standard fee, one working day at the higher fee or the same day at the highest. Everything else depends on people. Choosing a property takes as long as the market and your travel allow. The legal check takes as long as the seller or developer takes to supply documents; a clean resale file is quick, a file with a mortgage to clear is not. Agreeing the contract text takes one or two rounds if both sides are prepared. Bank transfers take your bank's and the Georgian bank's processing time, and the compliance questions about where the money comes from are the most common delay of all. A buyer who comes to Georgia with documents ready and money already in place can complete a resale purchase within a short trip. A buyer who buys remotely should plan in weeks, because the power of attorney has to be drawn up, legalised and translated before anything can be signed. The detailed timeline guide in the cluster below sets out the stages week by week.
Ten terms you will meet
| Public Registry | The state register of rights to immovable property, kept by the National Agency of Public Registry under the Ministry of Justice. |
|---|---|
| Extract | The registry document showing the owner, area, category and encumbrances of a unit or plot. |
| Cadastral code | The unique number that identifies a plot or unit in the registry. |
| Encumbrance | A registered right of a third party, such as a mortgage, seizure, tax lien or lease. |
| Seizure | A freeze on the property imposed by a court or authority; nothing can be transferred until it is lifted. |
| Preliminary agreement | A binding contract to buy and sell later, used when the sale cannot complete yet. |
| Preliminary ownership right | A registered right of the buyer of a unit that does not yet exist, available for off-plan purchases. |
| Power of attorney | A document authorising a representative to act for you; for a purchase, notarised and, if issued abroad, legalised. |
| Apostille | The certificate that makes a public document from a Hague Convention country valid in Georgia. |
| White frame | A finishing level: walls, screed and services to the points, ready for finishing; not a ready apartment. |
Each term has, or will have, its own short entry in the Glossary, with its rendering in Georgian, Russian, Hebrew and Arabic.
Three typical purchases, and what to watch in each
These are patterns, not client stories.
A finished resale apartment in Tbilisi. The extract does most of the work: owner, shares, mortgage, the history of the unit. The usual issues are a mortgage that the seller intends to clear from the price, which is safe only if the payment route clears it at registration, and a co-owner, often a spouse, whose consent is needed. The purchase can complete in days once the paper is in order.
An off-plan apartment in a Batumi tower. The extract shows the developer's land, not your apartment. The checks are the permit, the developer's record, the contract and, where available, the registration of a preliminary ownership right. Payments follow construction stages. The handover inspection, years later, is the last chance to list defects before they become yours.
A house with a garden outside a city. The first question is the land category; agricultural land cannot be bought by a foreigner. The second is the boundary: the cadastral plan should match the fence. The third is access, water and utilities, which a city apartment takes for granted and a house does not.
Buying & law: the detailed guides
The process
- Buying timeline, week by week
- Buying remotely without coming to Georgia
- New build or resale
- Choosing an agent and the agency contract
- A three-day viewing trip
- Video viewing: what to ask and film
- Negotiating the price
- 15 mistakes foreigners make
- Scams and how to protect yourself
- 50-point checklist before signing
Contracts, payment and registration
Special cases
After the purchase
Risks and exceptions
- Paying before reading the extract. A reservation paid on a discount that "expires tonight" is the classic way to lose money.
- A seller who is not the owner. A representative must show a current, specific power of attorney; a company must show who may sign.
- An encumbrance discovered late. A mortgage, a seizure or a lease registered against the property and not cleared at the deal.
- Agricultural land. Excluded for foreign buyers, and easy to miss under a village house.
- A developer without the right permit. A permit for fewer floors than the building being sold, or none at all.
- Cash or third-party payments. Money paid to anyone other than the seller in the contract, outside a bank.
- A contract you cannot read. Sign a Georgian text only with a certified translation you have read.
- "Guaranteed" anything. Yield, completion date or residence permit: Georgian law gives none of these guarantees.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Georgian bank account to buy?
No. Ownership does not depend on it, and a single payment can go from your bank abroad to the seller's account through a Georgian bank. An account is convenient for instalments, utilities and rent.
Do I need a residence permit or a visa to buy?
No. Buying property does not require residence status. Citizens of many countries may stay in Georgia visa-free for a year; others need a visa to travel, or can buy remotely through a representative.
Is there a tax when I buy?
There is no separate transfer tax or stamp duty. The registry fee applies, and VAT is part of the price where the seller is VAT-registered and selling in business capacity. Ask a developer whether the price includes VAT.
How long does the purchase take?
Registration takes up to four working days at the standard fee, or less if you pay more. The checks, the contract and the bank transfer usually take longer than the registration; plan in weeks rather than days if you buy from abroad.
Can I use the Public Registry's Smart Contract service?
Not as a foreigner. The registry states that the remote Smart Contract service is available only to Georgian citizens with a Georgian ID card or passport. Foreign buyers sign in person or through a representative.
Is a notary required?
Not for the sale itself: the law requires a written contract and registration. A notary is commonly used and is needed for most powers of attorney and for mortgages in favour of lenders other than banks.
Can I buy land?
Non-agricultural land, yes. Agricultural land, no: the Constitution reserves it for the State, self-governing units, Georgian citizens and their associations, with narrow exceptions.
What protects me if I buy off-plan?
The developer's permits and record, a contract with a delivery date, a penalty and a specification, stage payments against construction, and, where available, registration of your preliminary ownership right in the Public Registry, at the standard registration fee.
Sources
- Civil Code of Georgia, consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on the Public Registry (Articles 3, 5, 6, 10), consolidated 1 April 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Constitution of Georgia (Article 19), consolidated 29 June 2020, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Immovable property registration: fees and terms, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Smart Contract: frequently asked questions, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Informational services: fees, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Government Ordinance No 255 on visa-free entry, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Real Estate 2026: Georgia, MB Legal for Chambers and Partners, updated 7 May 2026 (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Georgia: individual, other taxes, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Tax obligations upon sale of residential property, Andersen in Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Record year for Georgia's real estate market, Colliers Georgia via GBC (accessed 10 October 2026)
- There are currently 87,000 apartments under construction in Tbilisi, Colliers Georgia via CBW (accessed 10 October 2026)
- Batumi residential real estate market grows 15% in 2025, Galt & Taggart via GBC (accessed 10 October 2026)
- Georgia buying guide, Global Property Guide (accessed 10 October 2026)
- Apostille Convention status table, Hague Conference on Private International Law (accessed 11 October 2026)
- Official exchange rates, National Bank of Georgia (accessed 11 October 2026)
Change log
- - Complete guide published from the Civil Code, the Law on the Public Registry, the Constitution and the registry's fee table; legal points under review by the partner lawyer.