How a foreigner can buy an apartment in Georgia: step by step

Buying residential property in Georgia doesn't require a residence permit, a tax number or a local company — a passport is enough. The only restriction concerns agricultural land, which foreigners cannot own; apartments, units and commercial premises have no such limits.

If the buyer attends in person, the original passport is required. If the deal goes through a representative, a notarised power of attorney is needed — it can be issued either in Georgia or at a Georgian consulate abroad, but it must carry an apostille and a Georgian translation.

A company registered in Georgia buys property in exactly the same way as an individual; the only difference is the set of corporate documents presented at the deal.

Before paying a deposit, order an extract from the Public Registry (via napr.gov.ge or through an agent) — it shows the current owner and any mortgage, seizure or transfer restriction on the property. The extract is cheap and takes minutes to generate online.

Also check whether the building has a completion permit, whether the actual layout matches the technical passport, and whether the plot falls under any construction restrictions. For an under-construction unit, review the building permit and, if the project is bank-financed, the developer's agreement with the lender.

If the apartment is bought through an assignment (from the first buyer), both contracts — with the developer and between the buyers — need to be checked, and the developer must be notified of the change of party.

A contract can be signed in simple written form, but most deals in Georgia go through a notary — this speeds up registration and reduces the risk of a later dispute. The notary verifies the parties' identity, the seller's legal capacity, and that the property matches the registry data.

The contract must state the exact address and cadastral code of the property, the price in GEL (even if payment is made in another currency), the payment schedule, and who covers the registration costs.

A deposit or advance payment is best formalised in a separate preliminary agreement stating the amount, the deadline for the main deal, and the consequences if either party withdraws.

Ownership transfers to the buyer only once it is registered in the Public Registry, which is handled at the House of Justice (Public Service Hall). The application can be filed by the notary, an agent with power of attorney, or the parties themselves.

Standard registration takes 4 business days and costs 50 GEL; expedited same-day service costs 200 GEL, and there's an even faster hourly tariff at a higher fee. Payment is accepted in GEL, in cash or by card, directly at the House of Justice.

After registration, the buyer receives a registry extract naming them as the new owner — this is the only document confirming ownership of property in Georgia.

Payments are most commonly made in USD or GEL, either in cash or by bank transfer to the seller's account at a Georgian bank. A non-resident can open an account in a single bank visit with just a passport, no residence permit required.

For a large transfer from abroad, check the bank's limits and source-of-funds requirements in advance — Georgian banks run compliance checks, especially for amounts above $30,000.

It's worth getting a separate receipt for funds received from the seller, even if the payment is already mentioned in the sale contract itself.

The biggest risk is buying without checking the registry, when the seller isn't the sole owner or the property is already under seizure. A second common issue is a mismatch between the actual layout and the technical passport, which later complicates resale or renovation.

For off-plan purchases, the risk is a developer delaying handover or changing the design specifications. Check the developer's track record on completed projects and confirm the building permit actually covers that specific plot.

Working with a licensed agent and having documents independently checked before paying a deposit removes most of these risks at no extra cost to the deal.