Updated:
- We found no shared-construction law, mandatory escrow or developer bank guarantee: protection rests on the contract and a Public Registry entry.
- Ownership arises only on registration with NAPR (Civil Code, Art. 183); until the building is commissioned you hold a preliminary agreement.
- “Frame” levels are not defined by law: list everything included in the price in a contract annex.
Black, white, green frame and turnkey
These are market labels, not legal terms: no law defines them and scope differs between developers (L&L Consulting, December 2025). A rough guide:
Sources disagree on black versus white frame, so trust only the contract annex. We do not quote per-metre prices: sources are undated and inconsistent.
| Level | Developer usually did | Left for you |
|---|---|---|
| Black frame | Concrete shell, windows, stubs for water and electricity | Plaster, screed, partitions, all wiring and plumbing, heating, floors, bathroom, kitchen |
| White frame | Plastered walls, electrical and plumbing runs | Final finish: floors, doors, paint, fixtures, kitchen |
| Green frame | Pre-finish, move-in after cosmetic work | Furniture, appliances, decor; sometimes paint and fixtures |
| Turnkey | Full renovation, often with sanitary ware | Usually furniture only, unless it is in the price |
- 1
Black frame
Left: plaster, screed, partitions, all wiring and plumbing, heating, floors, bathroom, kitchen
Most left - 2
White frame
Left: final finish: floors, doors, paint, fixtures, kitchen
- 3
Green frame
Left: furniture, appliances, decor; sometimes paint and fixtures
- 4
Turnkey
Usually furniture only, unless it is in the price
Least left
This guide, frame levels section; agency overviews (L&L Consulting, December 2025)
Market labels, not legal terms: scope differs between developers. Trust only the work list in the contract annex.
How instalments usually work
In a Galt & Taggart developer survey (November 2025), most primary-market sales in Tbilisi used developers’ own instalments; Chambers (2026) calls pre-sales and instalments the main funding model in Tbilisi and Batumi. No standard exists. Typical pattern:
- Booking: earnest money (“be”) or an advance, which differ legally. Earnest money from a party who then breaches stays with the recipient; if the recipient is at fault, it returns double (Civil Code, Arts. 421–423).
- A preliminary agreement with a schedule: first payment, then monthly or milestone payments during construction.
- The balance at commissioning, or in instalments after handover.
- Main sale agreement and registration, usually after commissioning and full payment (per lawyers).
What protects the buyer, and what does not exist
Not found: a shared-participation law (Just Advisors, April 2025, say none exists), mandatory escrow, developer insurance or guarantee, or a statutory penalty for late delivery. A new rule cannot be excluded: the Code was amended in June 2026 and we did not read that text. Not legal advice: use a local lawyer and official sources before any deal.
- Civil Code: written form and registration (Art. 183); preliminary agreement in the same form (Art. 327); withdrawal after an extra deadline (Art. 405); written penalty, reducible by a court (Arts. 417–420); defects: repair, termination or price cut (Arts. 487–492).
- Construction Code: permit and commissioning. A building may not be used before the commissioning act, and electricity and gas may not be supplied except for construction (Art. 139¹).
- Law on the Public Registry: pre-registration of a right (Art. 12) and of an obligation to transfer a future flat (Art. 15⁶).
Registration at NAPR before completion
Fee: ₾150 (4 working days), ₾270 (1 day), ₾350 (same day), Chambers 2026. The seller bears costs by default (Civil Code, Art. 479).
- Sign a written preliminary agreement (a foreign power of attorney needs notarisation and apostille).
- Pre-register the right (Law on the Public Registry, Art. 12) or the obligation on the land plot (Art. 15⁶, para. 10): this blocks other rights on the object, such as a double sale or new mortgage. It ends on registration of the main right, by agreement or expiry.
- The building is commissioned and divided into separate units (flats).
- Sign the main agreement and register ownership. A flat can be transferred as a separate unit only once its right is registered (Art. 15⁶, para. 5).
How to check the developer and the permit
- A registry extract for the land plot (by cadastral code): owner, mortgage, seizure. If the plot is mortgaged to a bank, get the bank’s written consent to release your flat once you pay.
- Company extract for the developer: partners, management, tax liens, debtor data (Law on the Public Registry, Art. 10).
- The municipality issues the permit (in Tbilisi, the City Hall Architecture Service; Class V, the Technical and Construction Supervision Agency). Check validity, holder, and that it covers your floor and area (L&L example: 10 floors built under a permit for 8). We could not confirm a public online permit register: ask for a copy and verify with the issuer.
- Past projects: delivered on time and commissioned?
Main risks
- Delay: no statutory penalty exists; without a contract sum only proven damages are recoverable (Just Advisors). Route: written demand, additional deadline, then withdrawal and refund (Art. 405).
- Stalled construction: a bank often holds a mortgage over the land and every unit; if the developer defaults, your flat can be auctioned (Georgian Bar Association, 2022).
- Developer debts: without a registry entry you are just one creditor (L&L, December 2025).
- No title or utilities before commissioning: violations (extra floor area, shifted outline) can block the act.
Contract clauses to check
| Clause | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Object | Floor, number, area, layout; list of works in an annex |
| Deadlines | Completion, commissioning, handover; no automatic extensions |
| Penalty | A daily sum, plus the right to terminate and get a refund |
| Force majeure | External events only, not price rises or the developer’s fault |
| Payments | Schedule, currency, account, VAT, buyer’s late-payment penalties |
| Area | Top-up or refund if actual area differs from the design |
| Encumbrances | Bank mortgage, release deadline, bank letter |
| Registration | Who files the future right and who pays |
| Assignment | Whether rights can be assigned, and whether consent is needed |
| Language | Georgian text prevails by default |
Acceptance and snagging
Limitation: 3 years, or 6 for immovable property (Art. 129); ask a lawyer which applies.
- Confirm the commissioning act exists, and measure the area against the contract.
- Bring an independent inspector (L&L: under 0.5% of the price).
- Put every defect in the handover act: it is the basis for claims (Just Advisors).
- Demand repair in reasonable time; otherwise price cut, repair costs or termination (Arts. 490–492). Defects known at signing cannot be claimed (Art. 494).
Resale before completion and mortgages
Before commissioning, the right is usually sold by assigning the preliminary agreement; without contractual permission the developer must consent, a three-party agreement is typical, and a registered future right is re-registered (Just Advisors, 2025). Lawyers cite 20% tax on the gain within two years; we did not verify this in the Tax Code.
Mortgage: Bank of Georgia (March 2024) says new builds can be financed from partner and non-partner developers, with the flat as security. How a bank registers a mortgage on an uncommissioned flat and pays the developer is unconfirmed: ask the bank. Developer instalments are not a mortgage. Whether an unfinished flat counts for residency is unconfirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are black, white and green frame in Georgia?
Market labels: black has almost no finishing, white has plaster and utility runs, green is pre-finished. No law defines them: write the works into the contract.
How do developer instalments work?
A first payment, then scheduled payments until or after handover; terms vary. Title is normally registered after commissioning and full payment.
Is there escrow or a developer guarantee in Georgia?
We found none in the sources checked. Protection is the contract, a written penalty and a preliminary registry entry.
Can I register a flat in a building under construction?
The law allows pre-registration of a right and an obligation (Arts. 12 and 15⁶, Law on the Public Registry). Ask NAPR what applies to your project.
What if the developer delays completion?
Send a written demand, set an additional deadline and, if missed, withdraw and claim a refund; a penalty applies only if contracted.
Sources: Code on Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities (matsne.gov.ge) · Law on the Public Registry, Arts. 10, 12, 13, 15⁶ (matsne.gov.ge) · Civil Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge) · National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR): about the agency · Chambers: Real Estate 2026, Georgia · Legal.ge: off-plan property purchase · Just Advisors: buying in a new development, April 2025 · Georgian Bar Association: sale contract for an unfinished building, 2022 · L&L Consulting: buying an off-plan flat, December 2025 · Galt & Taggart: Tbilisi Residential Real Estate, October 2025 · Bank of Georgia: mortgage for emigrants, March 2024 · PB Services: apartment prices and finish levels · sea-inside.net: financing a purchase, December 2025