The short answer
A foreign citizen can buy and register an ordinary apartment or commercial unit in Georgia without a local partner or residence permit. There is no minimum purchase price. Agricultural land follows a different regime, and owning property does not automatically give the owner a right to live in Georgia.
01 · Apartments
For an apartment, foreign status changes very little.
A foreign buyer can hold registered title to a standard apartment or commercial unit. Citizenship, Georgian residency and a Georgian co-owner are not normally required for the purchase itself.
What matters is the legal identity of the asset. A brochure may say “apartment”, “villa” or “hotel residence”; the Public Registry may describe a different object or include a land parcel. The cadastral code and registry extract, not the marketing name, decide what is being acquired.
02 · Land
Agricultural land is the real exception.
Georgia applies a special ownership regime to agricultural land, including land classified as a homestead. A foreign individual may own it only in limited cases, including inheritance.
Creating a Georgian company is not an automatic shortcut. Where a foreign person controls the company, agricultural-land ownership may require an investment plan and a decision of the Government of Georgia. A house with land therefore needs a category check before any deposit is paid.
03 · Registration
Registration is fast — and separate from the quality of the deal.
The National Agency of Public Registry records the transfer of title. As of 8 September 2026, the official fee is GEL 150 within four working days, GEL 270 within one working day or GEL 350 on the filing day. An online registry extract costs GEL 13 within one working day or GEL 52 on the same day.
Before filing, match the seller, registered owner, cadastral code and object description. Check mortgages, seizures and restrictions. If the unit is still under construction, the deeper review belongs to a separate off-plan due-diligence process; fast registration alone does not replace it.
04 · Residence
There is no purchase minimum. The USD 150,000 threshold is about residence.
A buyer may purchase property below USD 150,000. The threshold becomes relevant only when property ownership is used as the basis for a Georgian short-term residence permit.
The current rule requires non-agricultural property with a market value exceeding USD 150,000 equivalent in GEL. The value must be confirmed by a certified assessor of an accredited body. A qualifying owner’s spouse and children may also apply, subject to the official requirements.
Price in the contract and assessed market value are not automatically the same. Treat the property purchase and the residence application as two connected but separate procedures.
05 · Tax
Taxes depend on use and income, not on the sales pitch.
Georgia’s Tax Code provides a 5% rate for certain residential rental income when a natural person rents residential space for residential use without deductions. Short-term accommodation, business activity, VAT and management structures may produce a different result.
A 5% rate generally applies to a natural person’s surplus from selling residential property; a qualifying residential property held for more than two years may be exempt. Annual property tax depends on family income and other statutory rules. A foreign owner should also check reporting obligations in the country of tax residence.
06 · Remote purchase
Buying remotely is possible, but convenience needs boundaries.
A representative may complete a transaction under a power of attorney, provided the document, certification, translation and scope of authority meet the applicable requirements. The mandate should identify the property and limit permitted actions, payment authority and duration.
Property ownership does not guarantee a Georgian mortgage, bank account or frictionless international transfer. Banking and source-of-funds checks should be tested before the signing date, not after it.
Practical check
The foreign buyer’s six checks
Confirm that the asset is an apartment, commercial unit or other non-agricultural property.
Match the seller, registered owner, cadastral code and object description.
Separate the purchase price from the USD 150,000 residence-permit threshold.
Check Georgian tax treatment and home-country reporting before renting or reselling.
If buying remotely, use a precise power of attorney and verified translation.
For an off-plan unit, move to the full developer, land, permit and contract review.
The BUC view
Easy registration is not the same as an informed purchase.
Georgia is open to foreign apartment buyers. The useful question is not simply “Can I buy?” but “What exactly will I own, what does it trigger, and what remains a separate legal or tax process?” Clear answers to those three questions turn an easy registration into an informed purchase.
First define exactly what will become yours.
How BUC can help
BUC helps international buyers compare projects, understand the commercial logic of a unit and coordinate the purchase and transaction process with relevant specialists in Georgia. Send us the project name, cadastral code, unit plan and proposed terms; we will identify the questions to resolve before money moves.