How to Register Property in Georgia: A Clear Guide for Buyers of Primary Real Estate
For most foreign buyers, the first surprise in Georgia is how simple and fast the registration process is compared to many other countries. There is no labyrinth of authorities, no weeks of waiting and no dozen intermediaries. All actions are concentrated in one institution – the Public Service Hall – and a correctly prepared application often takes less time than ordering a coffee in a busy café.
At the same time, the procedure on the primary market has its own logic, which is worth understanding before you sign the first contract.
What You Actually Register on the Primary Market
When you buy an apartment from a developer, especially in a building that is still under construction, you are not registering a finished apartment with walls, doors and windows. Legally, this apartment does not yet exist as an independent object in the registry. Instead, you register your right: the agreement or the claim to a future property.
If the building is already completed and has an exploitation act, the purchase agreement itself is registered. If construction is ongoing, usually it is the preliminary right of claim or an investment or booking agreement that goes into the Public Registry. This is entirely normal: the vast majority of primary market deals in Georgia work this way.
Once the developer finishes the building and receives the exploitation act, the registry automatically converts your recorded claim into full ownership. You do not need to go through the entire procedure again for the same apartment: the system “ties” your right to the final cadastral unit. Sea Inside works with this model every day, which is why the process for properties under construction is packed into clear, predictable steps.
Documents You Need to Register Property in Georgia
Georgia deliberately minimized the list of documents for registration. There is no difference between residents and foreign buyers: the package is the same for everyone.
You will need a valid passport – a foreign passport if you are not a Georgian citizen, or a local ID if you are. Translations are not required; the Public Service Hall uses an internal recognition system and works directly with the original. This is one of the pleasant details that make the process less bureaucratic.
The second key element is the agreement with the developer. Depending on the project, this might be a full purchase agreement, a reservation agreement followed by the main contract, or a formal investment agreement for a unit in a building under construction. Reputable developers prepare these documents in advance in both Georgian and English, usually in PDF or on official letterhead, and Sea Inside reviews them before they reach the registry.
Sometimes, especially in fast-track registration or in transactions linked to mortgage financing, the operator at the Public Service Hall may ask to show proof of payment: a bank receipt or confirmation from the developer. The same applies if your representative registers the property on your behalf. In that case, a notarized power of attorney is required; if it was issued outside Georgia, it must be apostilled.
All technical data – developer details, cadastral codes, project references – in serious companies are already prepared and transmitted as part of the package. In practice, Sea Inside or the developer’s lawyer simply hands over a complete set where nothing needs to be “searched for on the spot”.
Step-by-Step: How the Registration Actually Happens
Imagine you are purchasing an apartment in a new building that is currently under construction. From the client’s point of view, the process looks very straightforward.
First, a Sea Inside specialist or the developer’s legal representative prepares the documents: the agreement, the application, the cadastral reference and your passport details. At this stage your main task is to carefully check the spelling of your name, passport number and object details. One letter missed in the surname may lead to formal refusal, so attention to detail here matters more than in any advertising brochure.
The next step is a visit to the Public Service Hall. This is a modern one-stop center where all state services are concentrated. You take an electronic ticket, wait for your number and then sit down with an operator. The entire interaction usually fits into ten to fifteen minutes: documents are scanned, data is verified on screen, you sign the application – either on paper or electronically – and pay the state fee at the cashier or via a terminal.
From this moment the “invisible” work begins. The Public Service Hall checks the documents legally, compares them with existing entries in the registry, makes sure there are no conflicts or overlapping rights and fixes the moment when your right arises. If the building is under construction, your right of claim is entered into the registry; when the complex is completed and accepted into operation, that entry becomes a full-fledged ownership record.
The result of the entire story is the extract from the Public Registry. It can be sent to you by email, appear in your personal online account or be issued on paper on request. This document is the main proof that you are now the legal owner. It contains the cadastral number, the type of right, any encumbrances if they exist and the registration date. Georgian registry extracts are accepted by banks and courts and recognized in international practice as a legitimate confirmation of ownership.
How Long Registration Takes and What It Costs
Georgia offers several processing speeds. They differ only in price and deadline, the content of the procedure is the same.
| Processing Speed | Approximate Time | State Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard registration | 4 business days | 50 GEL |
| Fast registration | 1 business day | 150 GEL |
| Same-day registration | About 3 hours | 200 GEL |
Even standard registration fits within one work week, and the express option – when needed for a resale, bank deadline or personal timing – often finishes before you have time for a full lunch break.
How Registration Differs on the Secondary Market
The logic of transactions with resale property is slightly different. Here you are registering not the right of claim, but an existing property and the transfer of ownership from the seller to you.
The seller must be present at the Public Service Hall personally or be represented by someone with a notarial power of attorney. The operator checks the seller’s current registry extract, makes sure they are indeed the registered owner, verifies that there are no unaddressed encumbrances and then records the transfer to the buyer.
The procedure itself is still fast, but the legal nuance is more sensitive because a chain of past transactions exists. That is why many clients prefer to go through a notary on the secondary market: the notary checks all the documents in advance, certifies the agreement and, if necessary, prepares powers of attorney. Their services cost extra, but for a resale apartment with a long history this is often justified peace of mind.
Notaries, Translations and When You Actually Need Them
In Georgia, notarization is not mandatory for property registration, but it is available for those who prefer maximum formal protection, especially in secondary deals. Notary certification of a sales agreement usually costs in the range of 80 to 150 GEL, issuing a power of attorney 40 to 90 GEL, and if a translation of the contract is required for your own understanding, you can expect 30 to 60 GEL for that service.
On the primary market, most of these costs disappear. Developers working with foreign buyers provide bilingual agreements, and Sea Inside ensures that contracts are clear enough that you do not need to chase translators and extra stamps just to understand what you are signing.
Remote Registration: Buying Without Flying In
One of the reasons Georgia became popular among foreign buyers is the ability to complete a deal and register ownership without being physically present in the country.
The most common scenario is registration via power of attorney. You issue a notarized and apostilled power of attorney to your trusted representative – a lawyer or Sea Inside specialist – and that person performs all steps on your behalf: signs the agreement if necessary, submits documents to the Public Service Hall and receives the registry extract. For clients who live in other time zones, this removes the need for repeated flights for each step.
For those who already have a Georgian SIM card and bank account, part of the process can be digitized even more. Electronic signatures via Mobile-ID or Bank-ID allow signing agreements and applications online. This is more relevant for residents and long-term stayers, but it shows how far the local system has moved towards a truly modern approach.
According to Sea Inside’s internal statistics, around half of all transactions of foreign clients are completed remotely. For the Georgian system, this is routine work, not an extraordinary scenario.
Typical Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them
Most problems with registration arise not because the procedure is complicated, but because someone treated it too casually.
The first classic mistake is incorrect passport data in the agreement or application. One extra symbol, confused letters, swapped date and month – and the Public Service Hall is obliged to refuse registration until the error is corrected. It is annoying, but it protects the integrity of the registry.
The second frequent misunderstanding concerns the primary market. Some buyers assume that once they have signed the contract and paid, they already have ownership. Legally, at the construction stage you have a registered right of claim; full ownership appears in the registry only after the building is put into operation. That is why the choice of developer and the wording of the agreement are so important.
The third mistake is procrastination. If you delay registration of the agreement or do not formalize your right on time, it may complicate getting a mortgage, refinancing or resale. For Sea Inside clients, this stage is tracked and handled as part of the service so nothing hangs in the air.
Finally, sometimes buyers rely entirely on the developer and do not double-check the completeness of the document package. Large, established companies usually manage everything correctly, but in less experienced projects omissions do occur. A quick professional check at the beginning is much cheaper than fixing mistakes after refusal from the registry.
What Clients Usually Ask About Registration
Foreign buyers tend to ask the same questions. Many want to know whether they can buy without a visa or residence permit. The answer is yes: Georgia does not restrict foreigners from owning apartments. Others ask whether translation of the passport is required. It is not; the Public Service Hall works directly with original documents.
The next question is how much time a visit to the Hall takes. In normal conditions, from five to thirty minutes, depending on the queue. Public Service Halls are located in all major cities – in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Telavi and other regional centers. You are not tied to one particular office; the system is unified.
As for timing on the primary market, ownership appears in the registry on the day the exploitation act is issued for the building. For projects with a two to three year construction cycle, this is usually clearly indicated in the contract and tracked by the developer and by Sea Inside.
A Short Summary for Those Planning to Buy
Registration of property in Georgia is one of the most streamlined parts of the entire purchase process. On the primary market you first register the agreement or right of claim; the registry then automatically converts it into ownership when the building is completed. On the secondary market you register the actual transfer of an existing apartment from seller to buyer.
The procedure is fast, the fees are modest, and in most cases it can be completed without your physical presence in the country. When the documents are prepared correctly, the entire registration stage takes minutes, not days of your time. Sea Inside accompanies clients from the moment of choosing a project to receiving the final extract from the registry, so for you this process looks exactly as it should: calm, predictable and without unpleasant surprises.
