Buying Property in Georgia

Buying property is a significant decision, and the right process depends on the specific property, its location, and your own circumstances. This guide walks through the typical stages of a purchase in general terms. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice — confirm the specifics of your situation with a qualified Georgian legal, tax, or property professional before relying on it.

Foreign buyers can generally acquire apartments and other immovable property that is not subject to Georgia's special agricultural-land ownership restrictions. Agricultural land is subject to a separate restrictive legal regime under the Organic Law of Georgia on Agricultural Land Ownership: a foreign individual may generally only own agricultural land acquired by inheritance, and a Georgian-registered entity with a dominant foreign partner may own agricultural land only via an approved investment plan and Government decision, subject to the statutory regime. This distinction matters — always verify a property's registered land designation before committing to a purchase. See our Foreign Buyer Guide for more detail, and confirm your specific situation with a qualified Georgian legal professional.

1. Search and shortlist properties, and view the ones that interest you — see our Property Viewing Checklist.

2. Carry out due diligence on your shortlisted property — see our Buyer Due-Diligence Checklist and Property Document Checklist.

3. Agree a price and terms with the seller (directly or through their agent/agency).

4. A deposit may be requested to secure the property — terms vary and should always be confirmed in writing before paying anything.

5. Finalise the sale agreement and arrange payment.

6. Register the change of ownership with Georgia's Public Registry.

7. Take handover of the property — see our Property Handover Checklist.

Georgia's Public Registry (National Agency of Public Registry, NAPR) is the official record of property rights and transactions. A property's cadastral code identifies it in the Registry. As of the source date below, NAPR's published fee for registering a change, origin, or termination of an immovable-property right is 150 GEL (4 working days), 270 GEL (1 working day), or 350 GEL (same day); confirming the parties' signatures on a transaction submitted for registration is a separate 7 GEL service. These are official fees, not agency/legal costs — see our Total Cost to Buy guide for the full breakdown. Fee schedules change; verify the current figure directly with NAPR before budgeting (source: napr.gov.ge, last verified 2026-09-16).

Before committing to buy, it's standard practice to confirm the seller's right to sell, check for any encumbrances (mortgages, liens, disputes) attached to the property, and verify that what's being sold matches the property's official registration. See our Buyer Due-Diligence Checklist for a practical starting point, and consider engaging an independent lawyer for this step.

If you cannot be physically present in Georgia for parts of the transaction, a power of attorney can authorise someone else (often a lawyer) to act on your behalf for specific steps. The exact requirements for a valid power of attorney to be used in a Georgian property transaction should be confirmed with a Georgian legal professional.

An off-plan purchase involves additional considerations specific to construction risk and payment timing — see our Developer Due-Diligence Checklist. Pay particular attention to the payment/instalment schedule, the distinction between target completion and target handover dates, and what recourse exists if either slips.

Listings on Access Home may indicate accepted payment methods: a single payment, bank-financed/mortgage-compatible, or a developer instalment plan. These reflect the advertiser's own stated terms, not a guarantee of financing approval. If you plan to use a mortgage, confirm your eligibility and terms with your bank before committing to a purchase.

Beyond the purchase price, a transaction typically involves official Public Registry registration fees (see above), and may involve agency fees, legal/translation costs, valuation, bank/financing costs, and — separately, as an ongoing ownership cost rather than a one-off purchase cost — annual property tax. See our Total Cost to Buy guide for the full category-by-category breakdown, with official fees source-dated and everything else clearly marked as an estimate or a cost you supply yourself.

Once registered, keep your ownership documents safe, set up utility accounts in your name if not already done at handover, and — if you plan to rent the property out — see our Landlord Guide (upcoming) and Rental Property Inventory & Condition Template.

Buying property in Georgia does not automatically grant residence. Georgian law provides a separate short-term residence-permit route for certain foreign owners of qualifying non-agricultural immovable property, subject to statutory eligibility and valuation requirements — the market-value threshold in the current consolidated legislation is USD 150,000 equivalent in GEL, effective from 1 March 2026. Residence rules and thresholds can change, so verify the current requirements with the responsible Georgian authority before relying on property ownership for immigration purposes (source: Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons, Matsne, last verified 2026-09-16).