1. Can foreigners buy property?
Foreigners can generally acquire apartments and other non-agricultural real estate in Georgia. Agricultural land is subject to a much more restrictive regime, so the cadastral classification of any plot attached to a house should be checked before purchase.
2. Restrictions and property types to check
New-build apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi require developer due diligence as well as title checks. Confirm construction permits, registration of the unit, completion obligations and what happens if the developer is delayed or the final area differs from the preliminary contract.
3. From offer to registered ownership
A typical purchase in Georgia moves from an offer or reservation into legal review, a binding contract and final registration, but the sequence and the moment at which a deposit becomes non-refundable vary. Use an independent local professional and make finance, ownership eligibility and document checks explicit conditions whenever the local contract structure allows it.
Ask who is legally responsible for each stage in Georgia: lawyer, notary, conveyancer, land-registry official, tax office or licensed agent. Never let the seller's representative become your only source of legal advice. Before transferring a large deposit, confirm the client-account or escrow mechanism, the refund conditions and the documents that must exist before completion can occur.
4. Legal and title due diligence
Use the Public Registry record to verify ownership, mortgages, seizures and cadastral boundaries. For construction-stage property, review the developer, land title, permits, handover terms and registration mechanism before paying most of the price.
5. Taxes, fees and the real purchase budget
Acquisition costs can be comparatively straightforward, but buyers still need to model registration, legal, financing and later rental or capital-gain taxation. Do not treat a low headline transaction cost as a substitute for legal due diligence.
Ask for a written completion budget in Georgia that separates taxes from professional fees and from money that is merely prepaid on account. Then model one normal year of ownership as well: local property charges, insurance, building or community fees, maintenance and tax compliance. This avoids judging affordability only from the cash needed on signing day.
6. Mortgages, banking and currency
A cash buyer still needs a banking and currency plan. A buyer seeking a mortgage in Georgia should check whether lenders accept non-residents, what deposit they require and how they treat income earned abroad. Model exchange-rate risk if savings or income are in another currency, and do not sign an unconditional purchase contract merely because a bank has issued an initial indication.
Source-of-funds and anti-money-laundering checks can also slow an international purchase. Keep bank statements, sale agreements for assets used to fund the purchase, tax records and identity documents ready. If money will cross currencies, compare the exchange rate and transfer costs separately from the mortgage rate; a poor conversion on a large completion payment can outweigh a small legal-fee saving.
7. Property ownership and residency are different
Since March 2026, qualifying ownership of non-agricultural real estate can support a short-term residence route when the independently assessed market value meets the statutory threshold. The residence application is separate from the purchase and the current value requirement should be verified before relying on it.
8. Owning, renting and eventually selling
After completion, keep a local calendar for property tax, insurance, building or community charges and any rental declarations. If the home will be let, confirm licensing and short-term-rental rules before assuming tourist income is legal. Also plan the eventual sale: a non-resident owner can face different withholding, capital-gain or banking procedures from a resident seller.
Remote ownership deserves an operating plan before the keys are handed over. Decide who can enter the property after a leak or storm, who receives official notices, how utilities are monitored and how major repairs are approved. A reliable local contact and properly scoped power of attorney can be useful, but authority should be limited and documented rather than granted informally.
9. A practical pre-purchase checklist
Before making a non-refundable commitment in Georgia, confirm five things in writing: that you are eligible to own the exact asset, that the seller can transfer clean title, that the physical property matches its legal records, that your intended use is permitted, and that you understand the full acquisition and annual cost. Rules change, so recheck current official requirements at the point of transaction.
Planning your trip?
Compare flight options and travel offers with SY.com.
Search flights