Buying property in Georgia as a foreigner: registration, not payment, makes you the owner

HomeRadar has published a practical guide for foreign buyers in Georgia. Foreigners can generally buy an apartment without first obtaining a residence permit, but paying the seller and signing a contract is not enough: the purchase must be registered in the Public Registry. Read the full guide on HomeRadar.

Four points from the guide

What a foreigner can own. Ordinary apartments and urban commercial units are generally open to foreign buyers. Agricultural land is the main exception, with a restricted regime, and setting up a Georgian company is not by itself a way around it. If a house comes with land, check its registered category before signing.

Registration and costs. The Public Registry lists a title registration fee of 150 GEL for four working days, 270 GEL for one working day and 350 GEL for same-day service. Legal review, translations, bank charges and valuation come on top. Buyers abroad should note that the Registry's remote Smart Contract service is limited to Georgian citizens.

Tax. Individuals letting residential space for residential use without deductions pay 5% income tax under Article 81 of the Tax Code. Short stays and hotel-style management may be taxed differently. Gains on a residential apartment held for more than two years are generally exempt, subject to conditions.

Residence is a separate question. The short-term property route requires a certified market value above $150,000, and the investment route above $300,000. A $155,000 contract price does not by itself prove the threshold is met.

Before a deposit

The guide's checklist: the cadastral number, a current ownership extract, the seller's title documents, permits for off-plan projects, independent legal review and a payment mechanism that protects you if registration fails. It also lists warning signs, such as pressure to pay an unrelated third party or residence promised regardless of the asset.

Read the guide on HomeRadar →

HomeRadar.ge is a property research project affiliated with EstateScope. This is research, not legal, tax or immigration advice.