Where to ask
In Tbilisi permits are issued by the City Hall's Architecture Service, in Batumi by Batumi City Hall. Get the number and date from the developer and have your lawyer confirm them with the issuing office.
Building permits and commissioning. What to see before you buy.
In short
In Georgia a Class III or IV residential building needs a construction permit from the municipality. It is issued in two or three stages: land-use conditions for the plot, approval of the architectural design if requested, and the permit itself. Once the building is finished, the authority confirms by administrative act that it was built as permitted. On that basis the registry enters the finished flats.
The stages in detailIf a developer changes the building's volume, or the use of a Class III or IV building, Government Resolution No. 255 treats that as reconstruction. Ask for the amended permit.
Match the permit to the brochureProcedure
From plot to commissioning.
How the procedure works under the Spatial Planning, Architecture and Construction Code and Government Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019.
- 1
Land-use conditions
The municipality sets whether and how the plot may be built on. Where a detailed development plan covers the area, this stage falls away.
- 2
Architectural design
On application the municipality approves the architectural design before the permit itself. The procedure then has three stages rather than two.
- 3
Construction permit
The permit is issued by the municipality's executive body or an entity it has set up. A Class III or IV building may be built only once it is granted.
- 4
Commissioning
After completion the competent authority confirms by administrative act that the building matches the permit conditions. With that act and the title document, the flats are entered in the registry.
When documents are missing
Under the registry law, if the construction documents, the commissioning act or a legalisation for a building or part of it are missing, ownership of it cannot be registered. The registry then records the building only on an information card and notifies the building authority. For a buyer, that means the flat cannot be registered in their name.
Cross-check
Five details that must match the brochure.
Put the permit next to the sales material. We do not rate individual projects here; the list applies to any of them.
Stage
Check which stage has been reached. Approved land-use conditions are not a construction permit. A developer selling on that basis is selling a plan.
Plot and developer
The cadastral code in the permit must match the registry extract. The permit holder and the registered owner should be the same company or bound by contract.
Floors and area
Compare the permitted number of floors and total floor area with the brochure and floor plans. A flat on the 20th floor of a building permitted for 18 is a warning sign.
Function
The permit states the building's function, such as residential or hotel. A different use affects registration, tax and letting. If the brochure and the permit describe different uses, ask in writing.
Amendments
Permits get amended, for example to add floors. Ask for the current version with every amendment, not only the original permit.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about building permits.
Checks in Batumi and Tbilisi, building classes and commissioning.
How do I check whether a new build in Batumi has a permit?
Ask the developer for the permit with its number and date. Your lawyer can have Batumi City Hall confirm that it exists and is valid. Then match the cadastral code, floors and function against the registry extract and the brochure.
What is the difference between a construction permit and commissioning?
The permit allows construction. Commissioning confirms after completion that the building was built according to the permit. Without that act or a legalisation, the registry will not register ownership of the finished flat.
What do the building classes mean?
The construction code sorts buildings by risk into Classes I to V. Class I generally needs only a simple building notice, and Classes III and IV need a construction permit. Class V covers buildings with increased technical risk, and Government Resolution No. 255 does not apply to it. The permit states which class a project is in.
Can I buy a flat before the permit is issued?
It is not prohibited, but the risk is then yours. Without a permit it is open whether and in what form the building goes up. Pay nothing in that situation that you cannot afford to lose.
What happens if more floors are built than permitted?
Then the permit does not cover the extra floors. The developer needs an amended permit or, later, a legalisation. Without either, ownership of a flat up there cannot be registered.
Last reviewed on 2 November 2026. Sources: Spatial Planning, Architecture and Construction Code of Georgia, Arts. 94 and 96 (matsne.gov.ge, 2025 version) and Arts. 100, 101 and 102 (matsne.gov.ge), Government Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019 on construction permits and commissioning, Arts. 1, 2 and 4 (matsne.gov.ge), Law of Georgia on Public Registry, Art. 15⁶ (matsne.gov.ge, version of 1 April 2026), Tbilisi Municipality Architecture Service (tas.ge): permit department for Class III and IV buildings. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
More on checking a new build.
The developer checklist, the registry extract and earthquake safety.
Documents first, deposit second.
Ask for the permit and every amendment before you reserve. Whatever the developer has already published is on the project page.