How to buy property in Georgia as a foreigner

Yes, you can buy property in Georgia as a foreigner, on the same terms as a citizen, with one major exception: agricultural land. Apartments, houses, commercial premises and non-agricultural plots can all be registered in a foreign buyer's name. There is no purchase tax, registration takes up to four working days, and ownership passes when the Public Registry (NAPR) records it. That was the position when we checked in October 2026.

Two rules changed recently, and many guides still show the old ones. Since 1 March 2026 a residence permit through property requires real estate worth more than USD 150,000, up from USD 100,000. And in September 2026 parliament raised the family-income threshold for the annual property tax from GEL 40,000 to GEL 100,000.

The market in numbers

Colliers Georgia counted about 59,000 apartment sales in Tbilisi and Batumi in 2025, worth USD 4.3 billion. Tbilisi had 42,267 of those sales (USD 3.3 billion). Batumi set a record with 17,052 sales, worth just over USD 1 billion. Average prices in 2025:

| City | New buildings | Old buildings | |---|---|---| | Tbilisi | USD 1,484 per m² | USD 1,244 per m² | | Batumi | USD 1,497 per m² | USD 1,196 per m² |

Prices are quoted in US dollars almost everywhere, even though the lari (GEL) is the legal currency. The National Bank's rate on 15 October 2026 was 2.599 GEL per USD.

Prices kept rising in 2026. Colliers' July 2026 data put the weighted average price of new-build flats in Tbilisi about 10% above July 2025 in both the primary and secondary markets (old buildings: up about 14%), and the city recorded 4,486 residential transactions in that month, 22.8% more than a year earlier (Colliers RECOV.GE, as reported by GBC).

Who is buying

Tbilisi is a local market: Colliers put the foreign share of apartment purchases at 10% to 14% in June to August 2026. Batumi is the opposite. In the projects of the developers Galt & Taggart surveys, foreign citizens bought 52% of apartments in 2025: Israelis 13% of sales, EU citizens 14%, Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians together 13%, Turkish buyers 10% to 11%. Colliers, which counts the whole Batumi market, also had foreigners at 52% of transactions in August 2026. A market with that much foreign demand moves with regional politics and travel, so Batumi prices can turn faster than Tbilisi prices.

Tbilisi or Batumi

• Tbilisi is the capital, with a year-round economy, and its resale and rental markets rest on local demand. Didi Dighomi, Saburtalo and Samgori made up 61% of supply and demand in 2025 (Colliers). Vake and the Old Town are the premium districts, priced well above the city average.
• Batumi is the Black Sea resort in Adjara: a summer season, high-rise apartment complexes, and many units bought to let by the night. The New Boulevard area alone had more than 6,800 sales in 2025. Prices vary widely: at the end of 2025 new turnkey flats averaged about USD 3,000 per m² in Old Batumi and under USD 1,500 in the peripheral zones (Galt & Taggart, March 2026).

Supply is the number to watch in Batumi. In the projects of the developers Galt & Taggart surveys, about 12,400 apartments were unsold at the end of 2025, 14% more than a year earlier. Galt & Taggart expects flat primary-market sales in 2026, with primary price growth slowing to 4% to 6%. A large unsold stock gives a buyer room to negotiate.

Listings on HomeNSearch

You can browse the Georgia catalog to compare asking prices with the market averages above.

What a foreigner can own

The Constitution guarantees the right to own and inherit property, and Georgian law does not split buyers into citizens and foreigners for ordinary property. The one carve-out is agricultural land. Article 19 of the Constitution reserves it for the state, municipalities, Georgian citizens and their associations, and leaves the exceptions to the 2019 Organic Law on Agricultural Land Ownership (text on matsne.gov.ge, checked October 2026).

| What you want | Can a foreigner own it? | Notes | |---|---|---| | Apartment or house | Yes, freehold | Registered in your name at NAPR | | Commercial premises, office, hotel | Yes | Taxed differently from housing | | Non-agricultural land plot | Yes | Check the plot's designated use first | | Agricultural land | No | Exceptions: inheritance, and a Georgian company on a government-approved investment plan |

Agricultural land: the trap for house buyers

The law defines agricultural land as land of the pasture, hayfield, arable (including perennial crops) or homestead category, used or usable for agriculture, with or without buildings on it (Organic Law, Article 3). That last part catches buyers. A village house, a plot with a mountain view or a "dacha" can stand on a parcel registered in one of these categories, and a foreigner cannot take title to it.

The category is shown as the designated use in the NAPR registry extract, in Georgian. Have your lawyer read it before you pay a deposit.

The exceptions are narrow (Article 4). A foreigner may acquire agricultural land by inheritance. A company registered in Georgia whose dominant partner is a foreigner may own it only if the Government of Georgia approves an investment plan, for example in agriculture, innovation or tourism infrastructure. If the plan is not carried out, the company must sell the land within a year (Article 5), and a change of partners that makes a foreigner dominant is also allowed only through a government-approved investment plan (Article 7). For an individual buyer this route is effectively closed. English translations on matsne.gov.ge can lag behind the Georgian text, so ask a Georgian lawyer to check the current wording.

Registration makes you the owner

Ownership of real estate passes when the right is entered in the Public Registry kept by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR). A signed contract and a paid price are not enough. Registration is done at a Public Service Hall or a NAPR office, and the registry extract that names you as owner is your proof of title.

Contract, language and powers of attorney

A notary is not required for a sale of real estate. The agreement can be signed at the Public Service Hall or a NAPR office, and many buyers still use a notary. Lawyers advise a bilingual contract. The Georgian text is what the registry and the courts read, so if a translation promises a sea view, parking or a delay penalty that the Georgian version omits or softens, the Georgian version decides.

You do not have to be in Georgia to buy. A power of attorney lets a representative sign and register for you. It can be certified by a notary in Georgia, at a Georgian consulate or by a notary abroad; a foreign one needs an apostille and a notarised Georgian translation. Allow a few extra working days for it.

What the registry extract shows

Order a fresh extract for the property from NAPR: 20 GEL with a one-working-day turnaround or 75 GEL the same day, and 13 GEL or 52 GEL if you order online. An English version costs 26 GEL extra (napr.gov.ge, checked October 2026). It names the owner and the cadastral code and lists mortgages, arrests and other encumbrances. For a new build, also ask the developer for the construction permit, the land title and the project's current stage, and find out whether a bank finances the project.

Money

Banks check the source of funds for larger transfers, so keep the paperwork behind the money: sale of a home, savings statements, a salary or dividend record. Pay by bank transfer to the seller's account and keep the transfer confirmation. Ask your lawyer what currency the contract should state and how the bank will treat a transfer in that currency.

On purchase

Georgia has no property transfer tax or stamp duty for a buyer. What you pay are fees (checked at napr.gov.ge, October 2026):

| Item | Cost | |---|---| | Registration of ownership, 4 working days | 150 GEL | | Registration, 1 working day | 270 GEL | | Registration, same day | 350 GEL | | Registry extract | 20 GEL (1 working day) or 75 GEL (same day) |

Some older guides quote 50 GEL and 200 GEL for registration. Those figures are out of date. Add your lawyer, the translator and, if you buy through an agent, the commission.

New buildings sold by a developer registered for VAT carry Georgia's 18% VAT. A resale by a private individual normally does not. Ask the developer to confirm in writing that the price in the contract includes VAT.

Annual property tax

Property tax on homes depends on family income, not on the price of the property (Tax Code of Georgia). Until this year the exemption stopped at GEL 40,000 of family income, with a rate of 0.05% to 0.2% of market value between GEL 40,000 and 100,000. Amendments adopted at the end of September 2026 removed the lower threshold, retroactively for the whole 2026 tax period. Families with income up to GEL 100,000 now pay no property tax on homes, cars and other taxable property except land, while those above it still pay 0.8% to 1% of market value (civil.ge, Georgia Today and RegFollower, September and October 2026). The Revenue Service says the 2026 tax is based on 2025 income. Returns for 2026 are due by 2 November, and the Tax Code sets payment for 15 November.

Many guides still show the old GEL 40,000 rule, so check the date on anything you read. Land is taxed separately and is payable regardless of income: land owned on 1 April is taxed, with payment by 15 November (PwC, September 2026).

PwC's summary describes the income test for resident individuals. For non-residents, tax advisers citing Revenue Service guidance say the family's worldwide income counts, and that if a non-resident files no return, the Revenue Service may calculate the tax at the maximum rate on the property's market value. Advisers therefore suggest that non-residents file even when no tax is due. Check your case with the Revenue Service or an accountant before the November deadline. A person becomes a Georgian tax resident after 183 days in the country within any continuous 12-month period (KPMG).

Rental income

Rent from housing let for residential purposes is taxed at a flat 5% of gross rent, with no deductions (PwC, September 2026). Tax advisers add that the landlord registers in the Revenue Service's register of landlords on rs.ge and files an annual return for the previous year by the end of March. Other rent, for example from commercial premises, is generally taxed at 20% of net income after deductions. Rent from Georgian property is taxable in Georgia even if you live abroad.

Letting by the night is a different matter. Tax advisers treat it as business activity, and the sources disagree on which regime applies: the 1% small-business status, the 20% regime or a company. Get an accountant's view before you rely on a yield figure that ignores tax.

Selling

Georgia has no separate capital gains tax. A gain on a home is part of personal income tax:

• Held for more than two years: the gain is exempt. The exemption still applies if you rented the home out to tenants as housing (Andersen in Georgia).
• Sold within two years: 5% of the gain for an apartment or a house with its land plot (PwC), and 20% for other property. The gain is the sale price minus the purchase price and directly related costs.
• Commercial use: letting commercial space or selling repeatedly can count as economic activity and cost you the exemption.

If you sell often, expect the Revenue Service to look at whether you are trading. Keep the purchase contract and proof of costs.

Owning property in Georgia gives no right to live there by itself. Most visitors do not need a residence permit anyway: citizens of more than 90 countries, including EU states, the UK, the US, Russia and Ukraine, can enter without a visa and stay up to one year (Government Ordinance No. 255; confirm for your passport at geoconsul.gov.ge). Since 1 January 2026 visitors without a residence permit must also hold health and accident insurance for the whole stay, with cover of at least 30,000 GEL. Property helps if you want a residence permit.

Residence permit for property owners

The Public Service Development Agency (SDA) issues a short-term residence permit to a foreigner who holds title to immovable property in Georgia, other than agricultural land, with a market value above USD 150,000 in GEL equivalent. The spouse and children can be included (SDA, checked October 2026).

• Threshold. USD 150,000 from 1 March 2026, up from USD 100,000, under amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons passed in June 2025. Law firms say several properties can be combined to reach it.
• Valuation. The value is the market value set by a certified assessor from a body accredited in Georgia, not the price you paid.
• Registered property only. Law-firm summaries say the title must already be registered, so an off-plan unit under construction does not count until you own it.
• Fee and timing. State fee of 300 GEL for processing in 30 days, 450 GEL for 20 days, 600 GEL for 10 days (SDA). The residence card is a separate fee, from 60 GEL.
• Term. One year, renewed annually. If you sell the property, the permit loses its basis.
• Old permits. Law firms say people who qualified at USD 100,000 can keep renewing as long as they own the same property. The rules for those who let a permit lapse are unclear, and the transitional provisions for purchases made close to 1 March 2026 are described differently by different firms. Ask the SDA directly if this affects you.

Work rights changed in 2026

Since 1 March 2026 most foreigners who work, freelance or run a business in Georgia need a separate permit for labor activity, issued by the State Employment Support Agency. A residence permit alone no longer gives that right. Holders of an investment residence permit or permanent residence are exempt; the property-based permit is not on that list. People registered as labor migrants before March have until 1 January 2027 to comply, and working without the permit costs a 2,000 GEL fine for a first violation (U.S. Embassy in Georgia and law-firm summaries). In April 2026 parliament widened the list of exemptions (Law No. 1509), and lawyers differ on whether letting your own flat counts as labor activity. If you plan to earn income in Georgia, check your case with a lawyer.

Investment permit

A higher tier exists: an investment residence permit for USD 300,000 invested in Georgia or title to property worth more than USD 300,000. It is issued for five years, and its holder does not need a work permit. According to the SDA, a holder who keeps the property for those five years can then apply for a permit for indefinite stay. If you plan a purchase around this route, discuss it with an immigration lawyer first.

Step by step

1. Set the budget and the finish level. In a new building, the price depends heavily on the finishing stage (see below). If you want a residence permit, the property has to be worth more than USD 150,000 on an appraiser's valuation.
2. Hire your own lawyer before you reserve anything, someone paid by you, not by the developer or the agent. Ask for the contract in Georgian and in a language you read.
3. Check the property. Registry extract with the designated use, mortgages and arrests; for a new build, the permit, the land title, the stage of construction and the developer's financing.
4. Reserve. Pay a deposit only after your lawyer has read the terms. A reservation or preliminary agreement should state the price, the currency, the delivery date and what happens to the deposit if the checks fail.
5. Sign the sale and purchase agreement at a Public Service Hall, a NAPR office or a notary, in person or through a power of attorney.
6. Pay by bank transfer against the signed agreement and keep the confirmation.
7. Register at NAPR. The fee is 150 GEL for four working days, 270 GEL for one, 350 GEL on the same day. Collect the extract that names you as owner.
8. Afterwards, transfer the utility accounts, declare the property for tax if the rules require it, and apply to the SDA if you want a residence permit.

Off-plan and finishing: black, white and green frame

Many new apartments are sold under construction and delivered unfinished. The finishing stage is described in trade terms, and none of them is a legal standard:

• Black frame: the concrete shell. No interior partitions, no plaster, no screed. Electricity reaches the door of the unit and not much further.
• White frame: plastered walls, floor screed, windows, an entrance door and utility connection points. You still add the kitchen, bathroom fittings, floors and paint.
• Green frame: developers use the term differently. Some mean white frame plus heating or energy-efficient materials. It costs more than white frame.

One developer's "white frame" may include much less than another's. Put the specification in an appendix to the contract, item by item, and do not rely on the brochure. Budget the fit-out separately, and get a written quote before you compare a black-frame price with a finished flat.

Developer risk

Escrow is not standard for new developments in Georgia, so most instalments go straight to the developer. Delays, project changes and developer insolvency are the main risks, and cases of the same unit sold to several buyers have been reported in the press. Before you pay, check the developer's earlier projects, ask which bank finances construction and at which stage it will give mortgages, read the delay-penalty clause, and ask how your payments are protected if the building is not finished. Georgian law also allows preliminary registration of a buyer's future right in the Public Registry; lawyers recommend it because it blocks the registration of competing rights to the same unit, the main defence against a double sale. For a purchase of this size, an independent Georgian lawyer is worth the fee.

Finance and bank account

Georgian banks lend to non-residents, among them TBC, Bank of Georgia and Liberty. Advisers' guides for 2026 put a non-resident's down payment at 30% to 40% of the bank's valuation, dollar rates from about 8% and lari rates of roughly 10% to 13%, usually for up to 10 years. Banks prefer finished buildings and want documented, stable income. Many developers also sell on their own instalment plans until completion, often interest-free; that is a private contract with the developer, so the developer risk above applies in full. Confirm terms with the bank, because they change often.

To open an account you need a passport, usually a source-of-funds statement, and a Georgian mobile number for SMS codes. Some banks want a branch visit for the first account, and policies differ from bank to bank. One adviser's guide says a notarised power of attorney can replace the visit at some banks, at the cost of two to four extra weeks.

Mistakes that cost the most

• Paying a deposit before reading the registry extract.
• Buying a village house without checking whether the plot is classed as agricultural.
• Taking the brochure's "white frame" as the contract's.
• Counting an unfinished off-plan unit toward the residence permit threshold.
• Working from a guide that still shows the old GEL 40,000 property-tax threshold or the USD 100,000 permit.

Georgia is cheaper than Western Europe, and Batumi is cheaper than Tbilisi. These are Numbeo's crowd-sourced figures from October 2026 (the Tbilisi rent outside the centre is from its July 2026 snapshot). They move between snapshots, so read them as ranges. Dollar conversions use the National Bank rate of about 2.6 GEL per USD.

| | Tbilisi | Batumi | |---|---|---| | Single person, monthly, excluding rent | about 1,700 GEL (USD 660) | about 1,600 GEL (USD 610) | | Family of four, monthly, excluding rent | about 6,300 GEL (USD 2,440) | about 5,800 GEL (USD 2,260) | | 1-bedroom rent, city centre | 1,750 to 1,850 GEL | 1,270 to 1,310 GEL | | 1-bedroom rent, outside the centre | about 1,160 GEL | 900 to 970 GEL |

A single person renting a central one-bedroom in Tbilisi therefore needs roughly 3,500 GEL a month, about USD 1,350. In Batumi the same lifestyle runs to about 2,900 GEL, around USD 1,100. For a family renting a three-bedroom in Batumi, a realistic budget is about 8,300 GEL, near USD 3,200. International schools and private medical insurance are the costs that change a budget most, so price them separately.

If you live in the property yourself and earn income inside Georgia, remember the work-permit rule from the residency section.

Yields

Global Property Guide put the average gross rental yield in Georgia at 7.25% in the third quarter of 2026 (Tbilisi 7.23%), down from 7.42% in the first quarter, when Tbilisi stood at 7.53% and Batumi at 7.31%. These are gross figures, before taxes, repairs, fees and vacancy. TBC Capital put Batumi's gross yield at about 7.2%, and after management, cleaning, platform fees, utilities and empty weeks, net yields there typically come to 3% to 4% (International Investment, February 2026). Galt & Taggart measured a Batumi yield of 7.4% in 2025, down from 8.8% in 2024.

Rents are not rising with prices. TBC Capital data cited by Global Property Guide show asking rents in Tbilisi down about 8% in 2024 and a further 11% in 2025, and TBC expects another 2.1% fall in 2026. That pulled yields back from their 2022 to 2023 peak. A yield calculated from today's price and last year's rent can be too high.

Long-term lets

A long-term let of housing for residential purposes is taxed at a flat 5% of gross rent, as described in the tax section, and the 5% is charged on rent before any costs. Agree the rent and the currency in a written contract, and check the building's service charges before you count the income.

Short-term rentals

Agency brochures often promise double-digit returns from short-term lets in Batumi. TBC Capital's figures are much lower: at an average nightly rate of about USD 34 and 31% occupancy, an apartment earns roughly USD 3,850 a year before costs. Galt & Taggart's average rate was USD 35.6 in 2025, flat on the year. In TBC's worked example, a 35 m² studio bought for USD 59,500 returns about 3% net a year let long-term (payback in about 32 years) and about 2.8% let by the night at 43% occupancy. Season matters: the Black Sea summer carries most of the income.

Before buying a flat to let by the night, check the building's rules, the licensing and tax treatment with an accountant, and the supply in the same complex. A tower with hundreds of identical studios is a crowded market.

What to do next

Decide first whether you want Tbilisi's local, year-round market or Batumi's resort market with its foreign buyers and its stock of unsold units. Then shortlist properties in the Georgia catalog, order the registry extract for each, and have an independent Georgian lawyer read the contract before you pay a deposit.