Power of attorney: what Georgian law means by it
A power of attorney is the authority a principal gives a representative, by a declaration of intent, to make transactions in the principal's name, so that what the representative signs within that authority binds the principal and not the representative.
The rules sit in the Civil Code of Georgia. Art. 103(1) says a transaction "may be made through an agent as well", and that the agent's power arises "either by operation of law or out of a mandate (power of attorney)". Art. 104(1) says a transaction made within the authority and in the principal's name "shall give rise only to the rights and obligations of the principal". Art. 107 explains how the power is granted. For real estate the paper is made before a notary: Order No 487 of 2019, the Instruction on the Public Registry, lists the power of attorney in Art. 56 among the documents whose signatures the registry may not certify, so it can be certified "მხოლოდ სანოტარო წესით", only by notarial procedure.
Buyers from abroad are often surprised that Georgian law keeps this outward authority apart from the private deal between principal and agent, which is a separate contract of mandate.
The authority and the mandate: two separate layers
The Code treats the "power" and the job behind it as different things. The power, governed by Arts. 103 to 114, is what the notary, the registry and the seller see. The contract of mandate, Art. 709, is the deal between the two people: "the mandatary shall be obligated to perform one or several actions mandated (entrusted) to him/her on behalf and at the expense of the mandator". Either can exist without the other.
| Point | Power of attorney | Contract of mandate |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Third parties: notary, registry, seller, bank | Only the principal and the agent |
| What it settles | Whether the agent can bind the principal | Duties, expenses and any fee |
| Payment | Not addressed | Only if agreed or provided by law (Art. 710) |
| Death of the principal | Ends the power (Art. 109(d)); the Code gives no exception | Does not end the mandate unless agreed (Art. 721) |
How the power is granted, and when it binds
Art. 107(1) allows two routes. The principal may declare the authority to the representative, or directly to the third person the representative will deal with. Art. 107(2) adds that the declaration need not take the form of the main transaction unless a special form is prescribed. For a power used at the registry, Order 487 Art. 56 leaves only the notarial route.
Some acts cannot be delegated at all. Art. 103(2) excludes agency where the nature of the transaction requires a particular person, or where the law forbids it; a will is the usual example. Art. 104(3) covers a quieter risk: if an agent signs without saying that he or she acts for someone else, the deal binds the principal only if the other party ought to have presumed agency. A representative should therefore sign expressly "on behalf of" the principal, and the contract should name both.
The rest of the toolkit, notice to third parties when a power is revoked (Art. 108), return of the document when the authority ends (Art. 110) and the ban on self-dealing (Art. 114), is set out in our guide to the power of attorney for buying property.
The notary's role and powers issued abroad
The Law on Notaries, No 2283-II of 4 December 2009, supplies the machinery. Art. 38(1) lists the notarial acts, among them authenticating transactions (a), verifying signatures (g) and verifying translations (h). Arts. 42 and 43 let Georgian diplomatic and consular officials perform notarial acts. Art. 55 accepts a foreign document if it is legalised or carries an apostille. The tariff for certifying a power is GEL 18 for an individual, GEL 10 for registered socially vulnerable persons or veterans, and GEL 30 for a legal entity (Resolution 507 Art. 31, as amended in 2022).
| Rule | Source | Effect on a power |
|---|---|---|
| Only notarial certification | Order 487 Art. 56 | The registry will not certify the principal's signature itself |
| Deals under a power issued abroad | Order 487 Art. 56, consolidated | The registry may not certify the deal |
| Foreign document accepted | Law on Notaries Art. 55 | Apostille or legalisation needed |
| Georgian translation | Order 487 Art. 57 | Translator's signature certified by a notary |
| Consular notarial acts | Law on Notaries Arts. 42 to 43 | A Georgian consulate can certify the power |
For a power issued abroad there is a second step. A law firm, Revera Legal, reports that the deal itself must then be certified by a Georgian notary as a public deed, so it cannot simply be signed at a Public Service Hall. We could not confirm the exact act and article behind that rule; the notarial instruction, Order No 71 of 2010, was last amended on 28 September 2026 by Order No 1254, and a lawyer should check its current text.
Online notarisation by video call also exists, and the Notary Chamber says "Georgia is the only country worldwide, where notary services are performed on-line". Two Chamber pages describe different eligibility for an online power, one naming Georgian citizens and holders of a temporary residence certificate, the other Georgian citizens or persons known to the notary, so ask the notary which applies to you. The Chamber's recruitment page, which is undated, gives 248 acting notaries and a ceiling of 300 positions; its report for 2013 counted 1,345,158 notarial acts in that year.
What a Georgian power of attorney looks like
The document is headed "მინდობილობა". A power certified by a Georgian notary normally shows:
- the notary's name and office, the date, and the unique number from the Electronic Notary Registry (Law on Notaries Art. 51(2));
- the principal's and the representative's identity data: name, and personal number or passport;
- the specific powers granted, for a purchase naming the property by cadastral code and address;
- the term of the power;
- whether the representative may pass the power on to someone else (substitution).
A power made abroad reaches Georgia as a bundle: the original, the apostille or consular legalisation, and a Georgian translation whose translator's signature a Georgian notary has certified (Law on Notaries Art. 55; Order 487 Art. 57). Drafting advice, clause by clause, is in our guide to buying property in Georgia remotely.
Worked example: a buyer in Tel Aviv
This case is illustrative. A buyer living in Tel Aviv wants a Tbilisi flat and cannot travel. The buyer signs a special power before an Israeli notary, naming a representative in Tbilisi and the flat by cadastral code and address.
Israel has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 14 August 1978 and Georgia since 14 May 2007, so the Israeli notary's signature receives an apostille instead of consular legalisation. In Tbilisi a translator renders the power and the apostille into Georgian, and a notary certifies the translator's signature: GEL 6 for a one-page document, plus the GEL 5 electronic register fee.
Because the power was issued abroad, the registry may not certify the sale, so the representative and the seller sign before a Georgian notary rather than at a Public Service Hall. The notary checks the bundle, the representative signs "on behalf of" the buyer, and the registered owner becomes the buyer, not the representative (Art. 104(1)).
Easily confused: mandate, trust management and consent
| Term | In whose name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Power of attorney (მინდობილობა) | The principal's | Lets the representative bind the principal towards third parties |
| Contract of mandate (დავალების ხელშეკრულება, Art. 709) | Internal only | Sets the agent's duties and any fee |
| Trust management (მინდობილი მართვა, Arts. 724 to 729) | The manager's own | Hands property to a manager to administer for the owner's benefit |
| Consent (თანხმობა) | The consenting person's | Approves another's own act, such as a spouse's or co-owner's approval; appoints nobody |
Note the near-twin Georgian words: მინდობილობა is the power, მინდობილი მართვა is trust management. Whether to use a special or a general power is explained in the power of attorney guide. The glossary entries for the apostille and the notarised translation cover the two papers that travel with a foreign power.
Power of attorney in five languages
| Language | Power of attorney | Contract of mandate |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian | მინდობილობა | დავალების ხელშეკრულება |
| English | power of attorney | contract of mandate |
| Russian | доверенность | договор поручения |
| Hebrew | ייפוי כוח | חוזה שליחות |
| Arabic | وكالة رسمية | عقد الوكالة |
Georgian notarial powers carry the single word "მინდობილობა" as their title. Russian readers should not mix up "доверенность", the power, with "поручение", the mandate; Arabic readers should note that the two Arabic terms share a root, yet only وكالة رسمية is the notarised power.
Warning signs and common mistakes
- A power certified by the registry. Order 487 Art. 56 rules this out; a power for property work comes from a notary or a consulate.
- Planning a Public Service Hall signing on a foreign power. The registry may not certify that deal; book a Georgian notary.
- An agent who signs in his or her own name. Under Art. 104(3) the principal may not be bound; insist on "on behalf of".
- Assuming the power survives the principal. The principal's death ends it (Art. 109(d)), and so does recognition of the principal as a recipient of support where that support covers representation or disposal of property (Art. 109(f)).
- Leaving the agent's fee unwritten. Under Art. 710 a mandate is paid only if agreed or provided by law.
- Translating before the apostille. The apostille goes on the original first, and the translation covers both.
To be added by the team: scans for the team to add: a redacted Georgian notarial power with the Electronic Notary Registry number visible and personal data blacked out, a foreign power with its apostille and certified Georgian translation, and a photo of the bound bundle. Mark each one "sample".
How to grant a power of attorney for a Georgian purchase
Choose the representative
Someone you trust, named with passport data.
Agree the mandate
Duties and any fee, in writing.
Draft the powers
The flat by cadastral code, a term, and whether substitution is allowed.
Sign before a notary
A Georgian notary, a consulate or a notary abroad.
Apostille and translate
Only for a power made by a foreign notary.
Book the right signing
A Georgian notary if the power was issued abroad.
Frequently asked questions
What is a power of attorney in Georgia?
The authority a principal gives a representative to make transactions in the principal's name (Civil Code Arts. 103, 104 and 107).
Must a power for property be notarised?
Yes. Order 487 Art. 56 allows its certification only by notarial procedure.
Can a Georgian consulate certify a power?
Yes. Arts. 42 to 43 of the Law on Notaries let consular officials perform notarial acts.
What does a notary charge for a power?
GEL 18 for an individual, GEL 30 for a legal entity.
Can I sign at a Public Service Hall under a power issued abroad?
No. The registry may not certify a deal made under a foreign-issued power; use a Georgian notary.
Does a power end if the principal dies?
Yes, under Civil Code Art. 109(d); the current Georgian text gives no exception.
Is a power the same as a contract of mandate?
No. The power faces third parties; the mandate (Art. 709) sets the agent's duties and any fee.
Who owns the flat when an agent buys it for me?
You do. A transaction within the authority gives rise only to the principal's rights and obligations (Art. 104(1)).
Sources
- Civil Code of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Instruction on the Public Registry, Order No 487 of 31 December 2019 (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Notaries, No 2283-II (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Instruction on notarial acts, Order No 71 of 2010, with its list of amendments (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Power of attorney, Notary Chamber of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Become a notary of your district, Notary Chamber of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Report on the activity of the Notary Chamber for 2013, Notary Chamber of Georgia
- Apostille Convention status table, HCCH (accessed 28 October 2026)
Change log
- - Glossary entry published from the Civil Code, Order No 487, the Law on Notaries, Order No 71, the Notary Chamber of Georgia and HCCH.