Land in Georgia. Building plots yes, farmland almost never.

In short

Foreigners may buy land in Georgia that the registry lists as non-agricultural, including plots with a house on them. Under Article 19(4) of the Constitution, agricultural land may be owned only by the state, local authorities, Georgian citizens and their associations. A foreign individual can hold farmland only by inheritance; a company whose dominant partner is foreign needs an investment plan approved by the government. The registry extract shows which category a plot falls into.

The three cases compared

In law a house is part of the land it stands on. If that land is agricultural, the restriction covers the house too.

Reading a registry extract

The law

What the Constitution and statute say.

Three rules decide what a foreign buyer can own. Checked against the consolidated texts on matsne.gov.ge in November 2026.

Farmland is reserved for Georgians

The Constitution calls agricultural land a resource of special importance. Only the state, self-governing units, Georgian citizens and associations of Georgian citizens may own it. Exceptions may be set only by an organic law passed by two thirds of all members of Parliament. The Constitutional Court struck down an earlier ban in ordinary legislation in 2012. Today the rule sits in the Constitution itself.

Basis: Constitution of Georgia, Art. 19(4)
Exceptions: by organic law only

The statutory exceptions

The Organic Law of 25 June 2019 lets a foreigner hold agricultural land that he or she has inherited, and sets no deadline for selling it. A company registered in Georgia whose dominant partner is a foreigner may own agricultural land only under an investment plan approved by government decision. If it fails to meet the plan, it must sell the land within one year of a decision by the competent body, or the land passes to the state. The restrictions do not apply to international financial institutions.

Inheritance: Art. 4(2)(a)
Investment plan: Art. 4(2)(b), government decision
Duty to sell: Art. 5, if the investment plan is breached

House and land go together

Under the Civil Code, buildings are essential component parts of the plot. You therefore always buy a house together with its land. The Organic Law also counts homestead land as agricultural, with or without buildings on it.

Basis: Civil Code, Art. 150(2)
Homestead land: Organic Law 2019, Art. 3

Three cases

Apartment, building land, farmland.

What a foreign buyer may acquire and how to spot it on the registry extract. The apartment is there for comparison; the other two cases are about the land itself.

Apartment in a block

With a share of the plot.

For foreigners: no restriction
Your share of the land: your floor area as a proportion of all apartments
Note: The apartment and its share can be sold or mortgaged only together

Non-agricultural plot

Building land and house plots.

For foreigners: no restriction
On the extract: category: non-agricultural
Note: What may be built is set by the municipality, not the registry

Agricultural plot

Arable, pasture, homestead land.

Individual: by inheritance only
Foreign-controlled company: only with an investment plan and government decision
On the extract: category: agricultural
Change of use: reasoned NAPR decision, with a compensation payment to the state

A plot's category can change through a change of designated purpose. What counts is the extract on the day you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about land.

Building plots, coastal houses, inheritance and buying through a company.

Can a foreigner buy land in Georgia?

Yes, if the registry lists the plot as non-agricultural. Agricultural land is restricted by Article 19(4) of the Constitution. Foreigners acquire it only under the exceptions in the 2019 Organic Law, such as inheritance.

Can I buy a house with a garden in Gonio or Kvariati?

Yes, if the plot is non-agricultural in the registry. Ask for the cadastral code before paying anything and pull the extract yourself. If it says agricultural, the designated purpose must be changed before you buy. The National Agency of Public Registry decides. The law requires reasonable necessity, and turning farmland into non-agricultural land triggers a compensation payment to the state. Sign only once the new category has been registered.

How do I tell whether a plot is agricultural?

From the extract issued by the National Agency of Public Registry, which states the plot's category. The cadastral map shows its location and boundaries. A description in a listing is no substitute for the extract.

Can a foreigner inherit agricultural land in Georgia?

Yes. Article 4(2)(a) of the Organic Law allows a foreigner to hold inherited agricultural land. How the estate is administered and registered is governed by succession law, so take advice from a lawyer in Georgia.

Can I buy farmland through a Georgian company?

Only within tight limits. A company registered in Georgia may own agricultural land if its dominant partner is the state, a municipality or a Georgian citizen. If the dominant partner is a foreigner, the company needs an investment plan approved by government decision. Putting the land in a Georgian nominee's name does not protect you: the owner is whoever the registry shows.

Last reviewed on 2 November 2026. Sources: Constitution of Georgia, Art. 19(4) (matsne.gov.ge, consolidated version), Organic Law of Georgia on Agricultural Land Ownership No. 4848 of 25 June 2019, Arts. 3, 4 and 5 (matsne.gov.ge), Law of Georgia on Determination of the Designated Purpose of Land No. 4849 of 25 June 2019, Arts. 6 and 7 (matsne.gov.ge), Civil Code of Georgia, Art. 150 (matsne.gov.ge), Law of Georgia on Homeowners' Associations, Arts. 3, 5 and 6 (matsne.gov.ge), Constitutional Court of Georgia, judgment No. 3/1/512 of 26 June 2012 (constcourt.ge), National Agency of Public Registry (napr.gov.ge). This guide is not legal or tax advice.

Check the land before the house.

With the cadastral code you can check category, owner and encumbrances yourself before any money moves.

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