White, black and green frame
What the three handover stages of a Georgian new build include.
Georgia property glossary. 37 terms, two sentences each.
In short
NAPR, the National Agency of Public Registry, keeps Georgia's public registry, in which every plot and every flat has its own cadastral code. A Public Service Hall is one place to apply for registration. You become the owner only when you are entered in the registry, not when you sign a contract. White frame and black frame are market terms for the state of finish, not legal ones.
All termsWhere many of these terms appear on an actual registry extract is shown field by field in our guide to the extract.
Reading a registry extractTerms by topic
The terms, briefly explained.
Grouped by registry, contract, construction, building, tax and money. Where it helps, the Georgian term is given.
NAPR
The National Agency of Public Registry keeps the public registry of land, buildings and flats. It registers ownership and encumbrances and issues extracts.
Public Service Hall
A government service centre in Georgian cities where, among other things, you apply for registration and collect registry extracts. A representative with a power of attorney can go for you.
Public registry
The official record of rights in property in Georgia. The owner is whoever is entered there, not whoever has signed a contract.
Cadastral code
The unique number of a plot or unit in the registry. You use it to order an extract and to find the plot on the public map at maps.gov.ge.
Registry extract
NAPR's document showing owner, shares, area, basis of acquisition and encumbrances. Anyone can order one; online it costs GEL 13 and is ready after one working day.
Registration
The application that enters a right in the registry, such as your ownership after a purchase. The standard procedure costs GEL 150 and takes 4 working days.
Pre-registration
An entry that secures a future acquisition, such as a flat under construction. It blocks the registration of other rights in the property unless the parties agree otherwise.
Preliminary contract
On a new build, usually the first contract with the developer, covering the flat, price and payment plan. It does not make you the owner; that happens only on registration.
Purchase contract
The contract on which ownership passes. Under Article 183 of the Civil Code it must be in writing, and the buyer becomes the owner on being entered in the registry.
Ipoteka
The Georgian mortgage: the property secures a loan, usually from a bank. If it appears on the extract, the contract should say when it will be discharged for your flat.
Seizure
A registered attachment, for example at the request of a creditor or a court. While it stands, the property generally cannot be transferred freely.
Construction permit
The city's permission to build to specific plans, issued in Batumi by City Hall. It names the plot, the use and the number of floors.
Permit classes I to V
The construction code sorts projects into five classes by risk. Class I needs no construction permit; a residential building in class III or IV does.
Commissioning
The act by which the authority confirms after completion that the building matches its permit. Only then are new-build flats usually registered individually.
K-1
The site coverage coefficient: how much of a plot may be covered by buildings. Defined in Government Resolution No. 59 of 15 January 2014.
K-2
The coefficient for floor area relative to plot area. It caps the building's volume and so how tall and dense it may be.
K-3
The green space coefficient: the minimum share of the plot that must stay planted. It belongs to the same building rules as K-1 and K-2.
Black frame
A market term for a flat that is little more than a shell, usually without plaster, screed or services. What exactly is included is set out in the contract's specification.
White frame
A market term for a prepared interior with plaster, screed, windows and services. Floors, bathroom, kitchen and paint are still missing.
Green frame
A market term for the level between white frame and move-in ready, typically with skimmed and primed walls. It is even less uniform than white frame.
Off-plan
Buying a flat before the building is finished, usually in instalments. Until registration you hold contractual rights, not ownership.
Payment plan
The split of the price into a deposit and instalments up to completion or beyond. Instalments tied to construction progress are safer.
Assignment
Reselling a new-build flat before registration by transferring your contract to a new buyer. It usually needs the developer's consent.
Service charge
The monthly fee for cleaning, security, lifts and common areas of a building. It is usually charged per square metre.
Amkhanagoba
The homeowners' association of a residential building under the 2007 law. It exists as soon as a building has more than two flats in separate ownership, and every buyer becomes a member.
First line
A marketing term for buildings with nothing between them and the beach or promenade. It has no legal definition, so check the position on the cadastral map.
Apostille
Certification of a public document under the 1961 Hague Convention, to which Georgia, the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland are parties. A power of attorney signed abroad needs an apostille and a Georgian translation.
Power of attorney
Notarised authority for a representative to sign or apply on your behalf. It should identify the flat by cadastral code and state a minimum price and an end date.
Identification number (TIN)
Foreigners without a Georgian personal number are entered on the Revenue Service register as taxpayers and given an identification number. You need it, for example, to declare rental income.
Revenue Service
Georgia's tax authority, with its portal at rs.ge. That is where you register a letting and declare a year's rent before 1 April of the following year.
Rental income tax
Individuals pay 5% on residential rental income, with no deduction for costs. If a company is the tenant, it usually withholds the tax.
Property tax
Since 30 September 2026 individuals pay it on flats only if household income in the previous year exceeded GEL 100,000. The rate is then 0.8 to 1% of market value.
Tax residency
You are resident in Georgia if you spend at least 183 days there in any continuous twelve-month period. A residence permit alone does not make you resident.
GEL (lari)
Georgia's currency and legal tender. It is not pegged to any other currency, yet new builds are mostly priced in US dollars.
NBG rate
The official daily lari exchange rate published by the National Bank of Georgia. It is the benchmark for checking your bank's rate.
Policy rate
The interest rate the National Bank of Georgia uses to steer monetary policy. It influences the cost of lari loans for buyers and developers alike.
RPPI
Geostat's Residential Property Price Index, a quarterly price index for housing. It is based on asking prices for new flats and houses in Tbilisi and does not cover Batumi.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the terms.
Terms that buyers often ask about.
What does NAPR mean?
NAPR stands for the National Agency of Public Registry. It keeps the public registry, records ownership and encumbrances and issues registry extracts, online at napr.gov.ge or at a Public Service Hall.
What is a cadastral code in Georgia?
The cadastral code is the unique number of a plot or flat in the public registry. You use it to order a registry extract and to find the plot on the map at maps.gov.ge.
What is a Public Service Hall?
A government service centre where, among other things, you can register ownership and collect registry extracts. There are halls in the larger cities, including Tbilisi and Batumi.
What does white frame mean for a new build in Georgia?
White frame is a market term, not a legal one. It usually means a prepared interior with plaster, screed, windows and services, but no floors, bathroom, kitchen or paint. What exactly is included is set out in the specification attached to your contract.
What is a preliminary contract when buying in Georgia?
On a new build, the preliminary contract is usually the first agreement with the developer. It sets out the flat, price, instalments and completion date. You become the owner only later, on registration.
Last reviewed on November 3, 2026. Sources: National Agency of Public Registry (napr.gov.ge): fees and processing times for registration (standard GEL 150, 4 working days) and extracts (online GEL 13, 1 working day), as of 3 November 2026, Civil Code of Georgia, Art. 183; Law on Public Registry; Law No. 5277 on Homeowners' Associations of 11 July 2007, Art. 11 and 19 (matsne.gov.ge), Spatial Planning, Architecture and Construction Code No. 3213 and Government Resolution No. 59 of 15 January 2014; Government Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019 on construction permits (matsne.gov.ge), Tax Code of Georgia as amended by Law No. 1874 of 30 September 2026 (Art. 202(5), Art. 206(1)(a)), and Revenue Service (rs.ge), National Bank of Georgia (nbg.gov.ge) and Geostat (geostat.ge): Residential Property Price Index, methodology. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
The terms in context.
The finishing levels in detail, the clauses in the purchase contract and the overview of the whole purchase.
Know the terms, then plan the purchase.
With the terms in hand you can read listings, contracts and extracts with more confidence. The overview shows the order in which they come up.