Buying an apartment in Georgia without coming to the country is genuinely possible: a representative signs under a power of attorney and title is registered the same day. But remote purchases concentrate every risk on the market at once — you do not see the property, you do not see the seller, and you cannot inspect the building with your own eyes. Here is how it is done and what you must check.
- The power of attorney is the basis of the scheme. Issued abroad, it needs an apostille or legalisation, a translation and notarisation.
- With a PoA the contract must be notarised. When the parties sign in person at the House of Justice no notary is needed; in a remote deal one is.
- Check the registry extract twice: before transferring money and on the day of registration.
- Agricultural land is off limits to foreigners — the category is visible in the extract.
- The main risk is physical, not legal: the state of the building, noise, the view and the neighbourhood cannot be verified from photos.
Is it possible at all
Yes. The Georgian system does not require the buyer to be present: a representative signs under a power of attorney and the right is registered in the Public Registry. Foreigners may buy residential property with no citizenship restrictions — the one substantial exception is agricultural land, which foreigners cannot own.
That restriction is checked through the property's category in the extract — how to read one is in our article on the Public Registry.
The power of attorney: how to prepare it
This is the key document, and the one that most often costs time.
- Draft the PoA with specific powers: to sign the sale contract for a specific property (with its cadastral code), to file the registration application and to collect the documents. Vague wording such as "represent my interests" is bad for both sides here — for the registrar and for your own safety.
- Have it notarised in the country where you are.
- Get an apostille or consular legalisation, depending on the country.
- Translate it into Georgian and have the translation notarised in Georgia.
When the deal runs on a power of attorney issued abroad, the sale contract itself must be notarised. This differs from an ordinary transaction, where the parties simply sign at the House of Justice without a notary. Budget extra time and cost for it.
Whom to appoint as representative
It matters to keep the roles apart. A representative acts in your name and signs the contract — in effect making the decision for you at the moment of the deal.
| Who | Advantages | Risks |
|---|---|---|
| A lawyer | Professional document checks, liability under the service contract | Cost; choose by reputation rather than advertising |
| A friend in Georgia | Trust, low cost | Will not catch legal subtleties; may miss an encumbrance |
| The seller's agent | Fast and convenient | Conflict of interest: they earn a commission on this very deal |
Do not give a power of attorney to an agent who also represents the seller. If you are saving on a lawyer, at least split the roles: one person shows the property and negotiates, another signs on your behalf.
Checks you cannot skip
- The cadastral code and the property on the public map maps.gov.ge.
- A fresh extract: owner, legal area, encumbrances, category.
- Identity of the seller matching the owner in the extract; if a representative sells, check their power of attorney and its validity.
- A second extract on the day of the deal — an encumbrance can appear during negotiations.
- Layout matching the registered plan: an unregistered reconfiguration becomes your problem at resale.
The full buyer's checklist is in how to buy safely.
Money: how to pay
Payment usually goes by bank transfer, and proof of payment is part of the registration file. Practical points:
- a transfer from your own account directly to the seller leaves a clear trail — good both for your tax history and as proof of payment;
- a Georgian account makes the operation simpler; how to open one is in bank accounts;
- currency limits and transfer fees are covered in transferring money.
Do not transfer the full amount before a fresh extract has been checked and the owner's identity confirmed. "Money first, checks later" is unacceptable in a remote deal: you have no physical way to intervene.
Risks of a remote purchase
The legal side in Georgia is transparent, and that is precisely why the main risks lie elsewhere:
- The state of the building and the entrance. Photos show the apartment, not the lift, the roof or the cracks in the façade.
- Noise and surroundings. A construction site across the street, a night bar below the windows and traffic do not appear in photos.
- View and floor. A "mountain view" shot with a wide-angle lens is a classic.
- Actual area and layout versus what is advertised.
- Price. It is easier to sell above market to someone far away who is not comparing with the neighbours.
How to reduce the risk without travelling
A viewing cannot be fully replaced, but most of the risk falls away with simple steps:
- Check the price against market data, not the seller's word: the median for the district and room count is on the district pages, and the competition is in the sale search.
- Look at what is nearby. A radius search from a point on the map shows neighbouring listings and their prices — the best indicator of whether the price is reasonable.
- Ask for a live video walkthrough, not a recorded clip: including the entrance, the courtyard and the window with the curtain open.
- Hire an independent inspector — a lawyer or a technical specialist with no link to the seller.
- Check the documents before the deposit, not after.
If you are buying to rent out, it helps to assess district yields and typical time on market in advance — those figures are on the district pages, and the tax side is covered in renting out and property taxes.