Public Service Hall in Georgia: the one-window office that files your case but does not decide it

Public Service Hall: Georgia's one-window front office for state services

A Public Service Hall is an office of the Justice House, a legal entity of public law under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, where people file applications and collect documents for many state and private bodies, while those bodies decide.

The Georgian name is იუსტიციის სახლი, literally "Justice House"; Russian and English guides often write "House of Justice" (Дом юстиции). Its statute, Order No 85 of the Minister of Justice of 25 July 2015 (Matsne), gives the official English name "Legal Entity of Public Law - Public Service Hall" (Art. 1(2)). Article 2(a) sets its goal as delivering the services of state and private institutions on a one-window principle. Under Article 3(a) it carries out the steps other bodies need to exercise their own powers.

Abroad, a "hall of justice" is often a courthouse. The Georgian Hall decides no disputes. Under one roof a foreign buyer can order an extract, sign and file a purchase, and lodge a residence application, but the rights are granted elsewhere.

A separate legal entity since 2012, re-founded in 2014

The Hall is not a department of the registry or the migration agency. It acts in its own name, with its own budget, seal and accounts, under the state control of the Ministry of Justice (Art. 1(4)-(6)), and may receive, issue or deliver any document (Art. 1(7)).

Matsne lists 47 publications of the statute, the latest of 19 October 2026, but only the 2015 original is free, so we could not check whether "community centres" survive. The 2021 order sent mobile halls to settlements without a branch, with six regional units from Kakheti to Adjara. Wikipedia says 2011; we cite the 2012 decree.

How big the network is, by the Hall's own figures

These are psh.gov.ge's figures on 2 November 2026. Its directory listed 127 branch names that day, so the two counts differ.

Opening Adjara's 9th hall in Khelvachauri on 13 March 2026, Prime Minister Kobakhidze spoke of 127 locations against 11 in 2012; in June 2026 First Channel called the Mtskheta hall the future 128th. Property registration is the third most requested service. The National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) said on 5 June 2026 that 331 of its services can be used through Halls, its own offices and authorised persons.

The Hall accepts, the agency decides and sets the fee

Every service at the counter belongs to another body, and so does the fee. For buyers that means NAPR, for property, and the Public Service Development Agency (სახელმწიფო სერვისების განვითარების სააგენტო), for residence and apostilles. sda.gov.ge used that English name on 2 November 2026; the Georgian reads literally "State Services Development Agency".

We found no separate Hall charge, but no official statement rules one out. The apostille works one way: Georgian documents are apostilled at the Hall for use abroad, foreign ones in their home country (see apostille). Order 487 Art. 12 lets you file at any Hall, so a Batumi flat can be registered from Tbilisi; ownership passes only on NAPR's entry (Civil Code Art. 183). Residence filing is in our guide to applying at the Hall.

Signing a sale at the Hall instead of a notary

Under Civil Code Article 311-1(2), when the parties sign a deal at the registration authority in an authorised person's presence, no further certification is needed for validity. Order 487 sets the counter rules:

• One visit. The parties sign with the application, before the officer; one copy is certified (Art. 55(6)-(8)).
• Narrow check. The officer confirms identity and the fact of signing, not the content (Art. 58(1)).
• Language. Georgian, or a Georgian translation attached; the translator signs first (Art. 57).
• Excluded. Deals under a power of attorney issued abroad, homeowners' association protocols, joint-activity partnership deals, powers of attorney, wills, lifetime maintenance and marriage contracts (Art. 56).
• Video. A remote party must be a Georgian citizen or permanent residence permit holder, until 1 January 2028 (Art. 58-1).

The signature confirmation costs GEL 7 plus registration. Nobody at the counter will flag an unfair payment clause; that check is yours or your lawyer's. See the notary in property deals and power of attorney.

Where the Hall shows up on your paperwork, and where it does not

The Hall only receives and hands over, so its name is missing from most papers:

• Queue ticket. From the electronic queue, with self-service, quick-service and long-service zones.
• Application number. განცხადების რეგისტრაციის ნომერი, given on acceptance; see Public Registry.
• Extract and decision. Issued by საჯარო რეესტრის ეროვნული სააგენტო, even if collected at a Hall; see registry extract.
• Counter-signed contract. The officer's certification covers identity and signing only.
• Residence decision, card and apostille. In the Public Service Development Agency's name; apostilles are checked at apostille.cra.ge.

A developer clause promising registration "at the House of Justice" means filing at a Hall with NAPR deciding (our reading, not a quoted contract). In Batumi adverts, "near the Public Service Hall" points to the De Lucchi tower at 7 Sherif Khimshiashvili Street, built in 2010-2011; see Khimshiashvili and Angisa.

Worked example: Hall or notary on a USD 150,000 resale

A buyer agrees a USD 150,000 resale and must choose where to sign. At the National Bank rate of 2.5979 GEL per USD on 20 October 2026, the declared value is GEL 389,685 (our calculation).

A sale needs no notarial form, so Resolution No 507 Art. 3(2) lets the notary apply the tariff or agree a fee. Our tariff calculations: the whole deal (Art. 23, band GEL 100,001 to 500,000) GEL 362.50 + 0.2% x 289,685 = GEL 941.87; two signatures on a 2-10 page contract (Art. 31) 2 x GEL 4 = GEL 8. Add VAT (Art. 2) and a GEL 5 register fee (Art. 39); the notary converts at the payment-day rate (Art. 6). Ask for a quote.

The Hall price applies only if both parties sign at the counter, in person or through a power of attorney certified in Georgia. A buyer abroad with a foreign power of attorney is shut out by Article 56 of Order 487 and needs a notary.

Hall, registry agency, migration agency or notary?

A dispute with a seller goes to court, never to a Hall. my.gov.ge, launched in 2012, had 700 fully digital services in a World Bank count of about 2020; we could not confirm today's figure.

The Public Service Hall in five languages

Orders name each office "[town]-ის იუსტიციის სახლი", such as ხელვაჩაურის იუსტიციის სახლი. Georgian sale contracts rarely name the Hall: they speak of registration in the საჯარო რეესტრი. Hebrew pages add "(Public Service Hall)" on first use, as on the sign.

Warning signs and common mistakes at the Hall

• Paying on a receipt. Filing is not registration; wait for the new extract.
• Arriving with a foreign power of attorney. The officer may not certify the deal (Art. 56); book a Georgian notary.
• Expecting a legal review. Price, payment terms and penalties go unchecked.
• Bringing only an English contract. Georgian text or translation required.
• Assuming fixed hours. Hours are set per branch; one page showed 09:00 to 18:00, but we could not confirm general, weekend or holiday hours.
• Blaming the Hall for a refusal. Refusals, and appeals, belong to NAPR or the agency.

How to use a Public Service Hall for a purchase

1. Pick the branch

   Any Hall accepts a property filing, wherever the flat is.

2. Check hours by phone

   Call 032 2 405 405 or read the branch page.

3. Prepare a Georgian contract

   Attach the translation; the translator signs first.

4. Bring both parties

   In person, or with a power of attorney certified in Georgia.

5. Sign and file together

   Pay GEL 7 plus the registration fee you choose.

6. Wait for NAPR

   Release the final payment once the new extract shows you.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Public Service Hall in Georgia?

A one-window office of the Justice House, a legal entity of public law under the Ministry of Justice.

Is the Hall part of the Public Registry?

No. NAPR is a separate entity; it registers and issues extracts.

Does the Hall decide my residence permit?

No. The Public Service Development Agency decides.

Can I buy a flat at a Hall without a notary?

Yes, signing before a registry officer (Civil Code Art. 311-1(2)); GEL 7 plus registration.

Can I sign there with a power of attorney from abroad?

No. Order 487 Art. 56 rules it out.

How many Halls are there?

128 branches per psh.gov.ge on 2 November 2026 (directory: 127), plus 20 mobile halls.

Does the Hall add its own charge?

We found none, but could not confirm that none exists.

What are the opening hours?

Not confirmed; check the branch page or call 032 2 405 405.

Sources

1. Statute of the Justice House, Order No 85 of 25 July 2015, Matsne (accessed 2 November 2026)
2. Order No 148 of 22 August 2012 and Government Resolution No 227 of 13 March 2014, Matsne
3. Order No 756 of 1 September 2021 and Order No 1195 of 12 March 2026, Matsne
4. About us and Statistics, Public Service Hall (accessed 2 November 2026)
5. Branches and Services, Public Service Hall
6. Khelvachauri opening, Frontnews, 13 March 2026; Mtskheta hall, First Channel, 10 June 2026; Sagarejo hall, Rustavi 2
7. NAPR services, National Agency of Public Registry, 5 June 2026
8. Civil Code of Georgia, Arts. 183 and 311-1, and Order 487, Arts. 12 and 55-58, Matsne
9. Registration fees, NAPR
10. Residence permits, Public Service Development Agency
11. Resolution No 507, Arts. 2, 3, 6, 23, 31 and 39, Matsne
12. World Bank document on my.gov.ge and my.gov.ge app
13. Bank of Georgia in Hall premises, BM.ge, and Public Service Hall, Wikipedia (accessed 2 November 2026)

Change log

• 2 November 2026 - Glossary entry published from the Justice House statute and Orders No 148, 756 and 1195 (Matsne), Government Resolution No 227, the Public Service Hall, Frontnews, First Channel, Rustavi 2, NAPR, the Civil Code, Order 487, Resolution No 507, the Public Service Development Agency, the World Bank, BM.ge and Wikipedia.