The starting point: this is not a regulated off-plan sale
Many jurisdictions regulate off-plan sales — they frame the payment schedule, require a completion guarantee and organise handover. None of that applies in Georgia. A Georgian construction contract is a contract under Georgian law: it protects what it stipulates, no more.
That is not a rhetorical warning. It has an immediate practical consequence: your protection does not come from the law of your home country. It comes from the documents you obtain and from the independent lawyer who reads them before you do.
The land: who actually owns it
The National Agency of Public Registry maintains the register of real-estate rights, from which an extract can be obtained. That is the starting document.
What the extract must let you establish:
who is the registered owner of the land — and if that is not the seller, on what basis the seller is building and selling;
which charges, mortgages, easements or restrictions encumber the property;
the exact cadastral description of the plot concerned.
A decisive limitation: an extract describes a situation on a given date. It says nothing about a later entry. Ask for a recent one, and for a second one before signing.
The building permit and conformity
A permit either exists or it does not. If it does, it covers a specific project: a number of storeys, a footprint, a use. Check that the project being marketed matches the project authorised, not an enlarged version of it.
At handover the question becomes whether what was built conforms to what was authorised, and then whether your right is entered in the register. A unit handed over but not registered in your name is not, legally, yours.
The contract: the clauses that decide
Have each of the following read by an independent lawyer — not by the developer's counsel:
The payment schedule, and above all which verifiable event each instalment is tied to.
Who receives the funds, and any safeguarding mechanism. Absent a statutory one, everything rests on the clause.
The delivery date, the contractual definition of completion, and what happens on delay: penalty, cap, termination.
The technical description: floor area, materials, fittings, common parts, and the tolerance allowed.
What becomes of sums already paid if the site stalls or the developer fails.
Governing law, the authoritative language and the competent court. A bilingual contract almost always states which version prevails on divergence: read that clause first.
Assignment terms if you may want to sell your position before handover.
Key takeaways
Statutory off-plan protections from your home country do not apply.
The public registry extract is the starting document, and it is dated.
The permit must be checked against what is actually being marketed.
The safety of your payments comes from the contract, not from the law.
An independent Georgian lawyer is not an optional comfort.
Risks to be aware of
Paying before the land is checked. A deposit paid against an encumbered plot is a sum to recover, not a right acquired.
A schedule tied to dates rather than progress. Paying on fixed dates regardless of site status removes your only leverage.
A single adviser. The developer's lawyer defends the developer. That is the job.
The language version. Signing a courtesy translation without knowing which text prevails.
Handover without registration. Receiving keys is not a transfer of registered title.
Checklist of documents to demand
A recent public registry extract for the plot concerned.
The seller's title, or a document establishing on what basis they are marketing it.
The building permit and the authorised drawings.
The full contract, in its authoritative version, with technical annexes.
A detailed payment schedule with a verifiable event tied to each instalment.
The receiving account details and any safeguarding mechanism.
A statement of construction progress as at the payment date.
Identity and registration of the building company and of the selling entity.
A report from a lawyer you appointed yourself.
Illustrative example
This example is fictional and illustrates the method.
A buyer receives a contract in English and a translation in their own language. The final clause states that the Georgian version prevails — a version they were never sent. They request it, have it translated by a sworn translator, and find that its definition of completion is broader than in the version they had been shown.
Nothing unlawful occurred. The version binding them simply was not the version they were reading. The cost of that check bears no comparison to the cost of the mistake.
Can I buy without travelling to Georgia?
It is practically possible, notably by power of attorney. But someone has to see the site, and that person must be independent of the seller. A virtual tour arranged by the developer does not replace an independent inspection.
Is there a completion guarantee as in some European countries?
We have not confirmed an equivalent mechanism as at 26 July 2026. Do not assume any automatic statutory protection: have a Georgian lawyer confirm what your contract actually provides if the site stops. To be confirmed with a qualified professional.
What is a reservation worth if signed without these documents?
It is worth whatever its refund clause says. Before signing a reservation, read first what happens if you withdraw — and what happens if the developer does.
Going further
The 21 checks to run before paying anything.
The most common mistakes made by overseas buyers.
Our audit method: what we verify project by project, and what we mark "to be confirmed".
Get a selection
For each project we pass on the verification level actually reached — including the points that remain unverified.
Sources
Every regulatory statement in this guide rests on the official sources below. They were consulted on the date shown; check they have not changed since.
National Agency of Public Registry (Géorgie) — Real Estate Registry. https://www.napr.gov.ge/en/service/registers/real-estate-register (consulté le 2026-07-26)
Legislative Herald of Georgia (Matsne) — Tax Code of Georgia. https://www.matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/1043717?impose=translateEn (consulté le 2026-07-26)
Disclaimer
This guide is general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice and takes no account of your personal circumstances. Capital, rents and liquidity are not guaranteed. A purchase in Georgia is governed by Georgian law and does not carry the French protections that apply to off-plan sales at home. Engage independent counsel in Georgia and, for your French obligations, a tax adviser.