Commissioning in Georgia: the act that allows a finished building to be used

Commissioning: the act that lets a finished building be used

Commissioning (ექსპლუატაციაში მიღება) is the administrative act by which the body that issued the construction permit recognises a finished Class II, III or IV building as fit for use, confirming that it was built in line with that permit.

Articles 139 and 139.1 of the Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code say which buildings are commissioned and what is forbidden before the act. The procedure is in Articles 26 to 31 of Government Resolution No 255 of 31 May 2019, whose Article 29(1) states the purpose: commissioning "confirms final compliance with the permit conditions". The formal Georgian phrase is ექსპლუატაციაში მიღებისათვის ვარგისად აღიარება, "recognition as fit for commissioning".

In everyday English, commissioning often means testing a lift or a boiler before it enters service. Israeli readers may think of טופס 4 and תעודת גמר, though that comparison is our own analogy, not a legal equivalence. Georgia has one public act for the whole building, and until it exists the building may not be operated or receive a permanent electricity or natural gas supply (Code Art. 139.1, for permits issued from 1 January 2022). Some English texts, including our page on Batumi towers, call it "acceptance into operation".

Class I, the lowest-risk class, is never commissioned (Code Art. 139(1)), and Resolution No 255 also leaves out exterior reconstruction, network reconstruction and demolition (Art. 29(2)). A tower over 22 m or 6,000 m² is Class IV under the Resolution as amended on 7 June 2019, so every buyer in such a tower depends on the act.

How Resolution No 255 runs the procedure

The developer applies, not the buyer. The table follows the 2019 text, the only version free to read on matsne.

Matsne lists consolidated versions up to 16 February 2026, the latest change being Resolution No 62 published on 17 February 2026, but those versions sit behind a login, so a lawyer should confirm the current wording before a dispute turns on it. The text we read mentions fines but no commissioning fee; we could not confirm whether any municipality charges one.

Decision deadlines and the silence rule

Under Article 31(4), if the authority issues nothing in time and the construction is lawful, the building "is considered fit for commissioning", and the act must be issued immediately on request. Silence helps only a lawful building, and the paper must still be issued before a buyer, bank or utility can see it.

The act also moves the registry. Article 16(10) of the Instruction on the Public Registry, Order No 487 of 31 December 2019, says the registered data of every unit change once a multi-unit building is recognised as fit for commissioning: preliminary records of units under construction become records of built units. Ownership still arises only on registration, under Article 183 of the Civil Code. For scale, Georgia Today reported Geostat data showing 1,459 objects commissioned in the first half of 2026, 925 of them residential buildings with 1,094,034 m².

Temporary commissioning and the 2021 ban on use

Article 139.1, titled "operation of a building without commissioning", was inserted into the Code by Law No 722 of 12 July 2021 and took effect on 28 July 2021. Under Article 2 of that law, it does not apply to buildings whose construction permit was issued before 1 January 2022. Its one exception is supply for construction, valid only while the permit runs. We found no fine for early use in the sanctions chapter, Articles 130 to 138, but could not confirm that none exists.

Buildings that broke their permit have a separate door, temporary commissioning:

• Tbilisi, Article 141.3: main structure and exterior finished by 18 August 2020; a 2-year application window; a decision within 6 months; an accredited body's opinion on structural stability and seismic resistance; Class V and heritage property excluded.
• Batumi, Article 141.7: finished by 26 September 2022, also a 2-year window, plus a fire-safety opinion for commercial facilities above Class II.

This is part of legalisation, explained in our guide to unauthorised construction and legalised floors.

Where commissioning shows up: the act, the extract, the listing

• The municipal act: titled "on recognition as fit for commissioning", 3 originals, with the certified as-built drawing attached. We could not confirm which Tbilisi body signs it for each class; the presumption is the permit issuer, the City Hall's Architecture Service.
• The extract: no line reads "commissioned: yes". Your unit's record changes instead, from მშენებარე (under construction) to აშენებული (built). See our registry extract entry.
• The developer contract: it should set one deadline for the act and another for registering you, as our guide to the developer contract explains.
• The listing: the ss.ge "Status" field, with values such as "Old built" (ძველი აშენებული), is chosen by the seller and proves nothing about the act.
• The meters: permanent gas or electricity in a block "awaiting commissioning" contradicts Article 139.1 if the permit dates from 2022 or later, and deserves a question either way.

Tbilisi City Hall's public map, launched on 27 November 2025 with Municipal Inspection data, marks buildings approved for operation and suspended sites; we could not find a direct link to it.

Worked example: a finished block that has no act yet

Our illustration; the building and dates are invented to show the rules.

A foreign buyer paid off-plan for a flat in a Tbilisi Class III building of more than 1,500 m². The permit term ended in January, and in May the developer offers keys "before the papers are ready".

1. Is the developer late? No: the 6-month window runs to July. After that, the file needs a fine receipt.
2. How long is the decision? 20 working days for this class and size.
3. And if the office is silent? A lawful building is then considered fit, and the act is issued on request.
4. Can the buyer move in now? Not lawfully, if the permit was issued in 2022 or later. On our reading of Article 139.1, the construction supply ended with the permit, and permanent supply must wait for the act.
5. After the act? The unit record changes, ownership can be registered, and household gas can be ordered: GEL 1,100 including VAT in self-governing cities since 1 July 2026 under GNERC Resolution No 14.

Keys before the act mean a flat without lawful permanent supply or registered title. Our handover checklist covers the inspection that follows the act.

Commissioning, handover, registration: easily confused

The construction permit opens the building years and commissioning closes them; our guide to checking a permit covers the opening. Registration in the Public Registry then follows for each buyer.

The term in five languages

In a Georgian contract, look for ექსპლუატაციაში მიღება or ექსპლუატაციაში მიღების აქტი; the act itself uses the longer legal form.

Warning signs before and after commissioning

• "Commissioned" with nothing to show. A verbal assurance or listing label is not the act.
• Gas cooking in an uncommissioned block. For a permit issued from 2022, permanent supply before the act breaks Article 139.1.
• An act for the next phase. In a multi-phase complex, check that the act names your block.
• Floors missing from the certified drawing. Extra floors point to legalisation, not ordinary commissioning.
• No application 6 months after the permit ended. Ask why, and whether the fine was paid.
• No contract date for the act. Then delay cannot be measured; see when the developer is late.

How to confirm a building has been commissioned

1. Find the class

   Class I is never commissioned; II to IV must be.

2. Note the permit term

   The application is due within 6 months of its end.

3. Ask for the act

   Title, date, issuer and the certified drawing.

4. Match your block

   The act must name your building, not a sister phase.

5. Check the extract

   Your unit should no longer show as under construction.

6. Only then take keys

   Move in and order permanent gas after the act.

Frequently asked questions

What does commissioning mean in Georgia?

The act by which the permit issuer recognises a finished Class II to IV building as fit for use, confirming it matches the permit.

Which law governs commissioning?

Articles 139 and 139.1 of the Spatial Planning Code and Articles 26 to 31 of Government Resolution No 255 of 31 May 2019.

Do all buildings need commissioning?

No. Class I buildings, exterior reconstruction, network reconstruction and demolition are not commissioned.

How long does the decision take?

15 working days for Class II and smaller Class III, 20 for Class III over 1,500 m², 30 for Class IV.

What if the authority does not answer?

A lawful building is then considered fit for commissioning, and the act must be issued on request.

Can I live in a flat before the act?

Not lawfully, if the permit was issued from 1 January 2022: Article 139.1 bars operating the building and permanent electricity or gas before commissioning. For older permits we could not confirm the rule.

Does commissioning make me the owner?

No. Ownership arises on registration in the Public Registry under Civil Code Article 183.

Is there a fee for commissioning?

The 2019 text of Resolution No 255 sets none, only fines for late filing.

Sources

1. Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code of Georgia (Articles 130 to 139.1, 141.3, 141.7), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
2. Government Resolution No 255 of 31 May 2019, original text (Articles 26, 29 to 31), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
3. Law No 722 of 12 July 2021 amending the Spatial Planning Code (Article 139.1), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
4. Instruction on the Public Registry, Order No 487 of 31 December 2019 (Article 16), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
5. Civil Code of Georgia (Article 183), Legislative Herald of Georgia
6. Permissions granted for construction and completed objects, 2025, Geostat, 30 January 2026 (accessed 28 October 2026)
7. Georgia commissions 1.5 million sq m of facilities in first half of 2026, Georgia Today, 30 July 2026 (accessed 28 October 2026)
8. Tbilisi launches map to verify construction project status, Georgia Today, 27 November 2025
9. GNERC Resolution No 14 of 4 June 2026 on gas connection fees, Legislative Herald of Georgia

Change log

• 28 October 2026 - Glossary entry published from the Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code, Government Resolution No 255, the Instruction on the Public Registry, the Civil Code of Georgia, Geostat, Georgia Today and GNERC.