Updated:
- Buying through a representative is permitted: the contract is in writing and title arises on registration in the registry (Civil Code, Art. 183).
- A power of attorney from abroad: a notary in your country, an apostille, and a Georgian translation certified by a notary. Georgia, Russia, Israel and all 27 EU states are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
- Lawyers report that since October 2023 a Georgian notary must certify a deal made under a foreign power of attorney; we did not find the order itself. A fully online purchase for a foreigner is not officially confirmed.
Can you buy property in Georgia without travelling
Yes, through a representative. Foreigners buy residential property on the same terms as citizens (see How to buy property; agricultural land is the exception). Under the Civil Code, acquiring real estate requires a written transaction and registration of the right in the Public Registry (Art. 183). That article does not mention the buyer's physical presence.
The remote route rests on four pillars: the power of attorney with its apostille and translation, a Georgian notary, and registration at NAPR. Checking the property and paying can be done online.
The power of attorney: what it must contain
A power of attorney is a declaration by which you give a representative authority. It need not take the form required for the transaction unless the law prescribes a special form (Art. 107). For real estate it is in practice issued before a notary, and it is the notarised document that gets the apostille.
- Property and powers: the address and cadastral code of one apartment, not just any property; the right to sign the contract, file for registration and collect the documents.
- Term: write an expiry date. A power ends by expiry, renunciation, revocation, the grantor's death or performance (Art. 109). We found no single statutory term in the sources.
Apostille or legalisation: which countries
A Georgian notary accepts a foreign document only if it is legalised or apostilled (Law on Notaries, Art. 55). Georgia has applied the 1961 Hague Convention since 14.05.2007 (HCCH; the Notary Chamber says 15.05.2007). For a member state an apostille is enough; consular legalisation is not needed.
The competent authority of the issuing country applies the apostille (list at hcch.net). In Israel a court apostilles a notarised power of attorney (Decker, Pex, Levi, 2024).
Sources disagree: the law firm pbservices (2026) says Georgia does not require an apostille for documents from states of the 1993 Minsk Convention, which includes Russia. We found no official confirmation, so getting the apostille is safer; Russia and Georgia are both Hague parties.
| Country | Party | In force since |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | yes | 31.05.1992 |
| Israel | yes | 14.08.1978 |
| EU states | all 27 | varies |
| United Kingdom | yes | 24.01.1965 |
| United States | yes | 15.10.1981 |
Translation and the Georgian notary
Notarial acts are performed in Georgian, with an interpreter if a party does not speak it (Art. 6), and a notary certifies a translation's accuracy (Art. 38). According to Madloba (September 2026) the order is apostille, then Georgian translation, then its notarial certification; a translation made before the apostille often has to be redone.
The key rule. Lawyers report (Revera; Madloba, September 2026) that Ministry of Justice amendments dated 20.10.2023 require a deal under a power of attorney issued abroad to be certified by a notary as a public deed; before, the registry could do this. We did not find the order text: ask the notary and NAPR how it works now.
What can be done online and what cannot
| Action | Online? | What is known |
|---|---|---|
| Registry extract | yes | Electronic order at napr.gov.ge: ₾13 for 1 working day, ₾52 same day, +₾26 in English |
| Notarised power of attorney online in Georgia | conditional | Notary Chamber: possible from any country if the grantor is a Georgian citizen or known to the notary. Unclear for a new foreign client |
| NAPR Smart Contract | not confirmed for foreigners | Online sale registration with a virtual meeting. Announcements speak of Georgian citizens abroad; the form asks for a personal number and +995 phone |
| A foreigner's e-signature | not confirmed | We found no procedure for a buyer without Georgian ID |
| Bank account | partly | Video call or power of attorney; bank pages disagree |
Step by step: buying remotely
- Check the property and seller against a fresh NAPR extract (see How to verify a property in Georgia).
- Choose a representative, usually a Georgian lawyer, and check them independently: the Georgian Bar Association members registry at gba.ge.
- Agree the power of attorney text in Georgian and your language: property, powers, term.
- Sign the power of attorney before a notary in your own country, with your passport.
- Obtain the apostille from the competent authority of that country.
- Send the original to your representative in Georgia; order a Georgian translation and its notarial certification.
- A Georgian notary certifies the transaction and the representative signs the contract; pay by transfer to a party to the contract and keep the bank document.
- Register the title at NAPR: ₾150, ₾270 or ₾350. Order a fresh extract showing you as owner.
- 1
Check the property
Fresh NAPR extract: owner, mortgage, arrest.
₾13 / ₾52 - 2
Power of attorney
One apartment, powers, term. Signed before a notary in your country.
- 3
Apostille
Issuing country's authority. Russia, Israel and the EU are parties.
Hague 1961 - 4
Translation
Georgian translation, notarially certified, after the apostille.
- 5
Notary in Georgia
Public deed for a foreign power of attorney (as reported by lawyers).
- 6
Payment
Bank transfer to a party to the contract; keep the bank document.
- 7
Registration
Title arises on NAPR registration; a new extract in your name.
₾150–350
NAPR, Law on Notaries, HCCH, law-firm reviews; October 2026
The 2023 notary rule is as reported by lawyers; the primary text was not found.
Risks: forged powers of attorney and fake lawyers
Remote buying shifts risk onto intermediaries. Caspian Post (citing Sputnik Georgia; no year shown on the page) reports the detention of a suspect in a land fraud in Gamardjveba worth ₾2.6 million (about $996,000): a forged power of attorney, allegedly issued in Greece on behalf of a foreign owner, was shown to a notary.
- Check the lawyer and notary yourself in the registries (gba.ge, notary.ge), not through contacts supplied by the seller or agent.
- Notarial acts made in Georgia can be looked up in the Electronic Registry of Notary Acts at notary.ge.
- Pay only to an account of a party to the contract, never a representative's personal card.
- Grant the power for one apartment and a fixed term; send the original only to a verified address.
Costs and what still needs presence
Presence. The grantor signs the power of attorney in person before a notary at home. A bank may need a video call, a power of attorney or a visit (see the bank account guide). Smart Contract involves a virtual meeting with NAPR. The notary fee decree was amended up to 2022, so confirm figures with the notary.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Title registration: 4 working days / 1 day / same day | ₾150 / ₾270 / ₾350 | NAPR |
| Electronic extract: 1 working day / same day | ₾13 / ₾52 | NAPR |
| Notarising a power of attorney | ₾10 (Decree No 507, 2011 text); about ₾18 per a 2026 guide | matsne.gov.ge; Madloba |
| Certifying a translation | ₾1 per page (decree); from ₾2 per a 2026 guide | matsne.gov.ge; Madloba |
| The translation itself | from ₾10 per page, not an official tariff | Madloba |
| Notarising the sale contract | no exact figure | could not identify the decree article |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy property in Georgia without going there?
Yes, through a representative under a notarised power of attorney. The contract is in writing and title arises on NAPR registration. The representative signs the contract.
Does a power of attorney need an apostille for Georgia?
A Georgian notary accepts a foreign document with an apostille or legalisation (Art. 55). For Russia, Israel and EU states an apostille is enough.
Must the power of attorney be translated into Georgian?
Yes. Notarial acts are in Georgian. Apostille first, then translation and its notarial certification (Madloba, 2026).
How long is a power of attorney valid in Georgia?
We found no single term. Set one yourself: under Art. 109 a power ends on expiry, revocation or the grantor's death.
Can the whole purchase be done online?
Partly. The extract is ordered online and money moves by bank. NAPR describes its Smart Contract online registration for Georgian citizens; whether foreigners can use it is not confirmed.
How do I avoid fraud when buying remotely?
Check the property by extract, the lawyer in the gba.ge registry, pay only to a party to the contract, and limit the power to one apartment and a term.
Sources: HCCH: status of the Apostille Convention (30.06.2026) · Law of Georgia on Notaries (matsne.gov.ge) · Civil Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge) · NAPR: fees for registration of rights in real estate · NAPR: fees for information services (extract) · NAPR: Smart Contract (online registration) · NAPR: news on the Smart Contract launch (28.10.2024) · Notary Chamber of Georgia: answers to frequent questions · Government Decree No 507: notary fees (matsne.gov.ge, 2011 text) · Madloba: notary in Georgia for foreigners (22.09.2026, secondary) · Madloba: apostille and document translation in Georgia (22.09.2026, secondary) · Revera: new notary requirements for registered transactions (secondary) · pbservices: legalising foreign documents in Georgia (01.05.2026, secondary) · Caspian Post: forged power of attorney land fraud (secondary) · Decker, Pex, Levi: apostille from Israeli courts (21.12.2024, secondary)