Selling an apartment in Georgia is simpler than in most countries: the deal is registered in a day, a notary is not required, and most often there is no tax at all. But there are two places where sellers lose money: the wrong asking price, and the tax that applies if you sell before owning the property for two years. Let us take them in order.
- Owned for more than 2 years — no tax. Less than two years — 5% on the difference between the sale and purchase price, not on the whole amount.
- Registration: 150 GEL for 4 working days, 270 for one day, 350 for the same day. VAT included.
- A notary is not required if both parties sign at the House of Justice. It is needed only for a power of attorney issued abroad.
- The agent's commission is negotiable — the market range is usually 1–3%, and the seller normally pays it.
- The main risk is the price. An overpriced property sits for months and eventually sells for less than it would have at the start.
Tax on the sale: the two-year rule
Check this first, because the purchase date decides whether you pay nothing or several thousand dollars.
| Holding period | Tax | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| More than 2 years | 0 — full exemption | — |
| Less than 2 years | 5% personal income tax | the gain: sale price minus purchase price and directly related costs |
Two points that are often missed. First, the 5% is charged on the gain, not on the whole transaction — on the difference between what you paid and what you sold for. Second, directly related expenses, including renovation, are deductible: if you bought for $60,000, spent $10,000 on finishing and sold for $75,000, the taxable base is $5,000 and the tax on it is $250.
If the two-year mark is a month or two away, do the arithmetic: wait and sell tax-free, or sell now. With a meaningful gain, waiting almost always pays — 5% of the appreciation is usually more than the price moves in a couple of months.
The 5% is a special reduced rate for residential property and personal vehicles; the general personal income tax rate in Georgia is higher. The tax side of ownership is covered in our article on property taxes, and the question of where you pay tax at all in tax residency.
Setting the price without losing months
The seller's most expensive mistake is not the tax — it is the price. The mechanics are simple: a listing collects most of its views in the first two weeks. If the price is too high, those weeks are wasted, the property becomes a familiar sight, and you end up cutting the price anyway — but now with the reputation of a listing that has been hanging around.
Pricing "like the neighbour" is risky: a neighbouring listing shows the asking price, which can be far from what the deal actually closes at. Three things are worth looking at:
- the median for your district and number of rooms, rather than the most expensive listings;
- time on market — how long similar properties typically stay listed before they are removed;
- price dynamics over recent months: in a rising market you can leave some headroom, in a falling one that headroom turns into idle time.
If your apartment has been rented out and listed before, check whether old duplicates of it are still around with a different price. Buyers find them, and inconsistent numbers weaken your negotiating position.
Documents and the transaction itself
The transaction takes place at the House of Justice (Public Service Hall) and is registered in the Public Registry (NAPR). Both parties — or their representatives — come to any branch, sign the contract and file the registration application on the spot.
What to bring:
- Passports of the seller and the buyer.
- The sale and purchase agreement in Georgian or bilingual.
- An extract from the registry confirming your title — proof that the property is yours and free of encumbrances.
- Proof of payment — a bank receipt.
- Spousal consent or a power of attorney, if that applies to you.
A notary is not required when both parties sign the contract in person at the House of Justice. Notarisation is needed when the deal runs on a power of attorney issued abroad.
After registration, the new extract with a QR code is available electronically straight away — the buyer uses it to confirm that title has passed.
What the paperwork costs
| Registration time | State fee |
|---|---|
| 4 working days | 150 GEL (about $55) |
| 1 working day | 270 GEL (about $100) |
| Same day | 350 GEL (about $128) |
All amounts include 18% VAT. Who pays — buyer, seller or half each — is a matter of agreement; the law does not prescribe it. You may also need a translator if you do not speak Georgian: accredited translation costs $5–10 per page. Tariffs change from time to time and depend on the service: sources also quote other figures (for example 50 GEL for four days and 200 for one), so confirm the current fee at the House of Justice or on napr.gov.ge before the deal.
Agent or on your own
An agent's commission in Georgia is negotiable: the market range is usually 1–3% of the price, normally paid by the seller. There is no fixed tariff, and it is as much a subject of negotiation as the price itself.
Selling on your own is realistic here: the transaction is simple, registration takes a day, no notary is needed. An agent earns the commission in three cases — if you are abroad and cannot show the apartment, if the property is unusual and needs a buyer to be found, or if you want someone to negotiate on your behalf. For a standard apartment in a liquid district, priced sensibly, the difference is more often in speed than in the final figure.
What slows a deal down
- Hidden encumbrances. A mortgage or a freeze that surfaces during the title check delays registration by weeks. Order a fresh extract for your property before going to market, not once a buyer is found.
- Errors in documents. A misspelt name or a wrong cadastral code sends the application back for resubmission.
- A power of attorney from abroad. It requires the contract to be notarised and usually an apostille; budget extra time for that.
- Agricultural land. Foreigners cannot buy agricultural land — if your property falls into that category, the pool of buyers narrows sharply.
Tools on this site
Check the price against actual market data rather than intuition. Everything you need is here:
- District pages — median $/m², 30-day dynamics and the median time on market for your district.
- The "sales in this district" landing pages — prices by number of rooms and the usual spread, so you can see where your apartment falls.
- The sale search — see exactly what you are competing with right now.
- Radius search — comparison with neighbouring buildings rather than the whole city.
If you plan to buy again after selling, it is worth reading how to check a property when buying in advance — the same checks, seen from the other side of the deal.