Updated:
- Israeli citizens enter Georgia visa-free and may stay up to one year; non-citizen permanent residents of Israel get 90 days in any 180
- Foreigners can buy apartments; the main restriction is on agricultural land
- A property at the $150,000 threshold, as valued by an accredited appraiser, gives the owner and family a short-term residence permit
- The Israel–Georgia tax treaty has been in force since 22 November 2011: Israel credits tax paid in Georgia under its own rules
- 0% capital gains tax in Georgia after two years does not mean 0% in Israel — reporting and an accountant’s advice are needed
The Batumi figure comes from an analytical review (investor.ge, April 2026), not official statistics.
Entry and stay
Israeli citizens may stay in Georgia visa-free for a full year; non-citizen permanent residents of Israel for 90 days in any 180 (per the website of Georgia’s embassy in Israel). You do not need to buy property to enter, and buying does not by itself give a right to stay.
If you want a residence permit based on property: a short-term permit is issued to the owner of a property (other than agricultural land) at the $150,000 threshold, expressed in lari; it extends to a spouse and children and is renewed yearly. The value is set by an accredited appraiser, not by the purchase price. The latest version of the law is dated 25 June 2026. Details are in the residency-through-property guide.
Buying and costs
Apartments and commercial property are open to foreign buyers. The restriction is mainly on agricultural land, which is reserved for Georgian citizens and the state, with exceptions (per legal reviews).
Ownership is registered by the National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR). The fee is 150 lari for 4 working days, 270 for 1 working day and 350 on the day of filing. The full procedure, including signing by power of attorney, is in the buying process guide.
Moving money from Israel
According to the Bank of Israel, currency controls on buying property abroad were lifted in 1998 and replaced by reporting. Your bank will ask about the source of funds and the purpose of the transfer, so prepare proof of the source of your capital in advance. Any thresholds or exemptions should be confirmed with the bank; we could not verify them.
Before paying a developer, check the recipient and the account, and keep the contract and the payment records.
Financing
In Georgia: in February 2025 the National Bank raised the maximum LTV for borrowers with income from abroad by 10 percentage points, to 80%. Actual terms, rates and the banks that work with foreigners are in the mortgage guide.
In Israel some banks offer a purpose loan for buying abroad secured on property in Israel. Terms differ by bank and we have not verified them; ask directly.
Tax in Georgia
- On purchase: no separate tax, only a registration fee.
- On ownership: annual property tax. On 30 September 2026 a single income threshold of GEL 100,000 a year was adopted: below it no tax, above it 0.8–1% of market value. How this applies to non-residents is not clarified in the sources we checked.
- On renting out a home: 5% of gross income with no expense deduction (per the PwC summary, September 2026).
- On sale: 0% if you held the property for more than two years; before that, 5% of the profit (per PwC and the Georgian Revenue Service ruling).
Full rates and caveats are in the tax guide.
Tax and reporting in Israel
As a rule, an Israeli tax resident is taxed in Israel on worldwide income, including rent and the profit from selling an apartment in Georgia. The tax treaty between the two countries took effect on 22 November 2011. Under the treaty text (Articles 6 and 13), rental income and capital gains from real estate may be taxed in the state where the property is located; that means Georgia is entitled to tax, not that Israel gives up its claim. Under Article 22, Israel credits tax paid in Georgia up to the Israeli tax on the same income, subject to Israeli law on foreign tax credits.
The individual annual return (Form 1301) comes with Form 1324 for foreign income and the tax paid on it, and Form 1399י (notice of sale and tax calculation) for selling an asset. Form 1301 for 2025 shows a threshold of ₪2,086,000 for mandatory reporting of foreign assets (the individual, spouse and children under 18); it is updated every year, so check the value for the relevant year.
Risks
- Oversupply in Batumi. According to investor.ge (April 2026): foreigners accounted for 52% of apartment sales in 2025 and Israelis for 13% of all sales. Unsold apartments in projects rose by about 14% to around 12,400, and rental yield fell from 8.8% in 2024 to 7.4% in 2025. The review does not disclose its data source.
- Buying off-plan. According to the law firm Klein Law (2023), development in Georgia is not fully regulated and buyers have no guarantees or escrow. Check whether that has changed. Check the developer, the project’s financing and any court cases, and in the contract the deadlines and compensation for delay.
- Yield is not guaranteed. The average nightly rate in Batumi is flat, and high figures from marketing are not verified data.
What to ask your accountant or lawyer
- Which rental tax route in Israel suits me (flat rate or brackets), and how is the Georgian tax credited under the treaty?
- If I sell after two years and Georgia charges nothing, what is the Israeli tax and at what exchange rate is the purchase price calculated?
- Which forms and deadlines apply for the relevant year (1301, 1324, 1399י) and what is the current foreign-asset reporting threshold?
- Do I have any benefits as a new immigrant or returning resident?
- What documents will the bank require for a transfer to a developer’s account?
- How do I check the developer, and what contract and security should I demand when buying off-plan?
- Are the terms of Georgian banks (TBC, Bank of Georgia, Liberty, Credo) available to me?
FAQ
Do Israelis need a visa for Georgia?
Israeli citizens enter visa-free and may stay up to a full year. Non-citizen permanent residents of Israel get 90 days in any 180 (website of Georgia’s embassy in Israel).
Is there a tax treaty between Israel and Georgia?
Yes. The double taxation treaty took effect on 22 November 2011 (Georgian Ministry of Finance website). It lets Georgia tax rent and capital gains from real estate in its territory, and Israel credits the tax paid under its own rules.
If I sell in Georgia after two years with no tax there, will I pay in Israel?
As a rule, an Israeli resident must report and pay tax on capital gains from a foreign asset even if Georgia charges none. The rate and calculation follow Israeli law: ask your accountant.
Can I get a residence permit by buying an apartment?
Yes, at the $150,000 threshold as valued by an accredited appraiser (not the purchase price), for the owner and family; agricultural land does not qualify. See the residency guide.
Sources
Official: government and bank websites. Secondary: analytical and legal reviews, not confirmed against an official source.
Official
- Georgian Ministry of Finance — tax treaty with Israel
- Embassy of Georgia in Israel — visa-free entry
- Matsne — Law on the Legal Status of Aliens (version of 25 June 2026)
- Public Service Development Agency — residence permits
- NAPR — property registration fees
- National Bank of Georgia — Financial Stability Committee decision (February 2025)
- gov.il — individual annual tax report
Secondary
- PwC Tax Summaries — Georgia, individual income
- investor.ge — Batumi residential market snapshot (April 2026)
- Georgia Today / Klein Law — buying in an unfinished development (2023)