How to buy a flat in Georgia from abroad
A flat in Georgia can be bought entirely from abroad: listings and documents in English from us, signature at a notary in your country, transfer from your bank, registration of ownership in the Georgian Public Registry. Below are six steps in the order they happen — and what you need to know along the way.
1. Choosing a listing and writing to us
The listing number from this site is enough, or two sentences: city, budget, number of rooms and what the flat is for — living, renting out, or both. We reply in English, on working days the same day: whether the flat is available and exactly where it stands.
2. Viewing and checking the documents
We view the flat for you — also on live video, with your questions along the way. Before any payment we obtain the extract from the Public Registry (NAPR): who the owner is, whether the property carries a mortgage or other encumbrances, and for a new development — who owns the land and whether there is a building permit. It is an official document, not a statement by the seller. You receive the result in writing, in English.
3. Power of attorney — no flight to Georgia
The contract is signed on your behalf by an attorney-in-fact. You draw up the power of attorney at a notary in your country; a document signed outside Georgia needs an apostille or certification at a Georgian consulate. A flight is not needed for the purchase — if you still want to see the flat in person, we arrange a viewing on site.
4. Contract and transfer
The sale contract is drawn up in Georgian; we go through the key clauses with you in English before signing. When buying from a developer, we look at three clauses that decide what happens to your money:
- payment schedule against the construction schedule — Georgia has no escrow account of the kind known from some European developer laws: the developer builds with the buyers' payments;
- registration of the preliminary contract in the Public Registry — it gives priority of claim to the flat, not a refund of the money paid;
- assignment and withdrawal — whether, and after which payment, you may sell on the rights under the contract before handover, what the penalty for withdrawal is and whether the reservation fee is refunded. Developer contracts usually exclude assignment or make it subject to the developer's consent.
The money for the flat goes only to the seller's account — the developer's or the owner's — never to us. A transfer from a bank abroad is possible; a bank in Georgia may ask for a document confirming the origin of the funds, which is why we raise this before the first payment, not after.
5. Registration of ownership in the Public Registry
In Georgia, ownership arises at the moment of registration in the Public Registry (NAPR), not at the notary — a notarial deed is not required to transfer ownership. The attorney-in-fact files the application. After registration you receive an extract from the registry in your name — this is your proof of ownership.
6. Taxes and costs after purchase
- Purchase tax: Georgia has no tax on the purchase of real estate.
- Property tax: annual, depending on the household's income.
- Renting out: a natural person registered in the landlords' register of the Georgian tax administration pays 5 % of rental income.
- Selling: profit on a sale within 2 years of ownership is taxed at 5 %; after 2 years — exempt.
- Residence: property worth more than 100 000 USD according to an accredited appraiser's valuation is grounds for an application for a one-year, renewable residence permit; above 300 000 USD — for a 5-year investment residence permit.
A foreigner can buy a flat, a house and commercial premises in Georgia without restrictions; restrictions apply to agricultural land — we check a house with a plot for this separately, before reservation.
Where are you now — still choosing, or do you already have a specific flat in mind? Please write: contact.
Sources: Civil Code of Georgia (brokerage art. 744–754, assignment art. 199–200), Tax Code of Georgia, information of the Public Registry (NAPR) — legal position as read in September 2026. This text describes the procedure and does not replace legal or tax advice in your case.