What does a power of attorney do in a Georgian purchase?
A power of attorney lets someone else act in your name. Under Article 103 of the Civil Code, a representative holding a mandate may conclude a transaction on your behalf, and under Article 104 whatever they sign inside the limits of that mandate binds you, not them. In a property purchase, it is the document that lets a lawyer or a trusted person order extracts, sign the contract, file the registration and collect the extract and keys while you are elsewhere. It is also the most powerful document you will sign in the whole purchase, because it can commit your name and, if you let it, your money.
This guide is about the document itself: how it is structured, where and how it is made, how long it lasts, how it is cancelled, and how to check one that a seller's representative shows you. Buying without travelling, step by step, is covered separately in our guide to buying remotely.
Special or general: which kind do you need?
| Point | Special power, for one purchase | General power, for many acts |
|---|---|---|
| What it allows | The acts needed to buy one named property | A wide range of acts, often including selling and borrowing |
| Risk if misused | Limited to that property and those acts | Potentially everything you own in Georgia |
| Third parties | Can see exactly what is allowed | May rely on wide wording; if your words suggested a wider authority, you may be held to them |
| Suitable for | A purchase from abroad | Long-term management by a person you trust completely |
For a purchase, a special power is almost always the better choice. Article 104 is the reason: if your document creates the appearance that the representative may do something, a counterparty acting in good faith may rely on it. The narrower the wording, the smaller the room for surprises.
How should the document be structured?
A well-drafted power of attorney for a purchase reads like a short checklist. The sections below are the order a notary and a registry official will expect to find, with the content each should carry.
The parties
Your full name, date of birth and passport details; the same for the representative. Spell names exactly as in the passports and as the Georgian translation will render them.
The property
The cadastral code and address of the property, or for an unfinished flat the project, the building and the unit number on the floor plan.
The authority
A list of permitted acts: obtain extracts and documents; negotiate and sign the sale contract at a stated maximum price; sign before a notary; file the registration and pay its fee; receive the extract and the keys.
The limits
No authority to receive or pay the price, or a strict limit; no authority to sell, mortgage or lease; no acting for the other party; no further delegation unless you choose it.
The term
An end date, or an end on completion of the purchase, whichever comes first.
The signature and certification
Signed before a notary, then legalised for use in Georgia as described below.
Where can the power be made?
| Route | What it involves | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| A notary in your country, with an apostille | Signed before your notary; an apostille is added if your country is a party to the Apostille Convention | Then translated into Georgian with a certified translation |
| A notary in your country, with consular legalisation | For countries outside the Convention, legalised through the consular route | Ask the consulate in advance how it works and how long it takes |
| A Georgian notary, in Georgia | Signed before a notary while you are in the country | The tariff for certifying a power of attorney is GEL 18 from an individual (Resolution No 507, Article 31, as amended in 2022) |
| A Georgian notary, online | Certified through an internet session | According to the Notary Chamber, only Georgian citizens, or people the notary already knows, can grant a power this way |
Whichever route you use, the document that arrives in Georgia must be readable by the Georgian side: in Georgian, or with a certified Georgian translation. Under the tariff, a notary charges GEL 6 to certify the translator's signature on a one-page document and less per signature on longer ones, on top of the translator's own fee. And because, as Revera Legal notes, a Georgian notary formalises a purchase signed on the strength of a foreign power as a public deed, that notary will read your power closely; send them the draft before you sign it at home.
How long does it last, and how do you end it?
The Civil Code lists the ways authority ends (Article 109): the term for which it was given expires; the representative renounces it; you revoke it; you die; the task is performed; or you are placed under support in circumstances the article describes. The code sets no maximum duration, so a power with no end date can last for years. That is why an end date matters.
Revoking a power has a practical side. Under Article 108, a change or revocation must be notified to the third parties the representative deals with; if it is not, it does not bind them, unless they knew or should have known. In practice, write to the notary who certified the power and to anyone the representative is negotiating with, and request the original, which Article 110 obliges the representative to hand back once the authority has ended.
How do you check a power shown by a seller's representative?
- Is the grantor the registered owner? Compare the name and personal details with the registry extract.
- Does it cover this sale? The property, the act of selling and, if relevant, receiving the price must be within its wording.
- Is it current? Check the date, any end date and whether it has been revoked; ask the certifying notary to confirm.
- Is it properly legalised and translated? A foreign power needs an apostille or legalisation and a certified Georgian translation.
- Can the representative receive money? If not, the price goes only to the owner's account.
- Is the representative also acting for you or the agent? Article 114 restricts an agent from transacting with themselves for the principal without consent.
Using the power at the notary, the registry and the bank
The same document will be read by three kinds of reader, each for a different purpose. The Georgian notary who certifies the deal reads it first, to confirm who the representative is, whom they represent and whether the sale falls within the authority. The registry then receives the registration application with the power among its documents. A bank, if your representative needs to deal with one, may have its own requirements for accepting a representative; ask the bank in advance which form and wording it accepts, rather than discovering it at the counter.
Because each reader checks a different point, a power that satisfies one may not satisfy another. Sending the draft to the Georgian notary and, where relevant, to the bank before you sign it at home is the simplest way to make one document work everywhere it is needed.
One power or several?
A purchase often leads to other tasks: filing a residence permit, letting the flat, paying building charges, later selling. It is tempting to put all of them into one document. It is usually safer to give separate powers for separate purposes, each with its own representative if needed, its own limits and its own end date. A power to buy one flat that expires on completion can then sit alongside a power to manage the rental for a year, and neither gives anyone authority to sell. If a relationship with one representative ends, you revoke one document and the others continue.
Risks and exceptions
- Wide wording. "To buy and sell property in Georgia" covers far more than one purchase.
- Money in the representative's hands. The single largest avoidable risk in a remote purchase.
- No end date. A forgotten power can be used years later.
- A revocation nobody was told about. Unnotified third parties are not bound by it.
- A translation that does not match. The Georgian text is the one the notary and registry read.
Frequently asked questions
Does the power of attorney have to be notarised?
For a property purchase, yes in practice: it is made before a notary and, if made abroad, legalised and translated, so that the Georgian notary and the registry can rely on it.
Can I give a power of attorney to two people?
Yes. Say whether they may act separately or only together, and keep the same limits for both.
Can my representative also file my residence permit?
The procedure order for residence permits allows an application through a representative. If you want that, include it expressly in the power.
How long does a power last if no date is written?
The Civil Code sets no maximum duration; it ends on one of the grounds in Article 109, such as revocation or performance. Write an end date to avoid the question.
Can the representative appoint someone else?
Only if the power allows it. Decide in advance and write it down either way.
What does it cost in Georgia?
A Georgian notary's tariff for certifying a power of attorney is GEL 18 from an individual; certifying a translator's signature costs GEL 6 for a one-page document and less for longer ones, plus the translator's fee.
If the whole purchase is to be run from abroad, see our remote purchase service; the property your power names is identified by its cadastral code.
Sources
- Civil Code of Georgia (Articles 103 to 114), consolidated 25 June 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 507 on tariffs for notarial acts (Article 31), consolidated 30 May 2022, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Answers to hot topics: notarial acts via the internet, Notary Chamber of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- New notary requirements for transactions subject to public registration in Georgia, Revera Legal (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 520 on the procedures for residence permits (Article 3), consolidated 26 August 2026, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 12 October 2026)
- Apostille Convention status table, Hague Conference on Private International Law (accessed 11 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from the Civil Code's rules on representation, the notarial tariff and the Notary Chamber; being reviewed by the partner lawyer.