Currency risk: lari, dollar, euro
Why prices are in dollars and where exchange rates hit your return.
Risks of buying in Georgia. Ten points, each with a source and a remedy.
In short
Foreigners may buy flats in Georgia and be entered as owners in the public registry. The risks lie less in the law than in the individual project and in your own checks. The main ones are a developer who finishes late or not at all, fraud around payment and title, currency risk and a resale that can take longer than planned. Many of them can be checked against a public source, above all the NAPR registry.
The ten risksThe risks of an individual new-build project, from the permit to the payment plan, are covered in a separate guide.
Buying off-plan safelyRisk register
Ten risks, set out the same way.
Each entry says what is known, where to check it, what you can do and where to read on. It is current as of the review date at the top of this page.
Title and encumbrances
Known: who owns a property and which mortgages or attachments exist is recorded with legal effect in the public registry. Source: National Agency of Public Registry (napr.gov.ge). What to do: pull an extract before every payment and match it with the contract. More: reading a registry extract.
Permit and commissioning
Known: a new building needs a permit and, at the end, an administrative act of commissioning; only then are flats registered individually. Source: Government Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019 (matsne.gov.ge). What to do: ask for the permit number and date and check them with the city. More: checking a construction permit.
Delay and insolvency
Known: how well your payments are protected depends mainly on the contract with the developer. Source: Civil Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge). What to do: tie payments to progress, agree pre-registration in the registry, check the developer and its past projects. More: construction delays, developer insolvency.
Fraud
Known: in November 2025 Forbes Polska reported on Polish buyers defrauded when buying flats in Georgia, and on developers who advertise flats as white frame and sell them as black frame. Source: Forbes Polska, 16 November 2025 (forbes.pl). What to do: pay only to the company named in the contract, check the seller in the registry, refuse deadline pressure. More: spotting property scams.
Currency
Known: Georgia has a floating exchange rate, which the National Bank says is determined by macroeconomic fundamentals. Many new builds are priced in US dollars. Source: National Bank of Georgia (nbg.gov.ge), Optimal Exchange Rate Policy and official daily rate. What to do: work through price, rent and costs in your own currency. More: currency risk.
Resale
Known: after more than two years of ownership, an individual's sale of a flat in Georgia is tax-free; no law says how quickly a buyer will be found. Source: Tax Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge). What to do: choose location, size and finish for demand, not for the discount. More: selling a flat.
Letting
Known: individuals pay 5% on residential rent; occupancy and rent depend on location and season. Source: Tax Code of Georgia, Revenue Service (rs.ge). What to do: work with evidenced figures from comparable flats, not brochure numbers. More: rental yield in Batumi, rental guarantees.
Earthquake and natural hazards
Known: Georgia lies in a seismically active zone, and the seismic code PN 01.01-09 sets a design intensity for every settlement. The coast adds heavy rainfall and high humidity. Source: seismic code PN 01.01-09 (matsne.gov.ge), USGS; Climate Change Strategy of Ajara with UNDP Georgia (2013). What to do: ask about the building's structural design and year of construction, and choose insurance with an eye on the exclusions. More: earthquake risk, insuring your flat.
Country and politics
Known: the political situation can change. The FCDO and the German Federal Foreign Office publish travel advice on Georgia and update it. Source: that advice on gov.uk and auswaertiges-amt.de. What to do: read the advice before travelling and buying, keep a dated copy, and base decisions on that advice rather than on headlines. More: is Georgia safe.
Banks and anti-money-laundering checks
Known: banks in Georgia and abroad screen international transfers and may ask where the money comes from before releasing it. Source: Georgia's anti-money-laundering law No. 5226 of 2019, supervised by the National Bank (nbg.gov.ge). What to do: have bank statements, the purchase contract and tax documents ready in advance. More: proving source of funds, transferring the purchase price.
All risk guides
Every risk in detail.
Each page answers one question in depth and names its sources and the date it was last checked.
Spotting property scams
Seven schemes, each paired with the check that exposes it.
Construction delays in Georgia
What you can do when the developer misses the completion date.
Developer insolvency
What the law says when a developer can no longer pay its debts.
Disputes with a developer
Formal claims, mediation, courts and enforcement in Georgia.
Earthquake risk in Georgia
Hazard, building code and the questions to ask a developer.
Georgia's political situation
EU process, travel advice and property protection, from official sources.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the risks.
Safety, downsides, new builds, resale and politics.
Is it safe to buy property in Georgia?
Foreigners may buy flats in Georgia; agricultural land is restricted. Ownership is entered in a public registry. The risks lie mainly in the individual project, in payment and in your own checks. Checking the registry, the permit and the contract reduces many of them.
What are the downsides of property in Georgia?
The main ones are currency risk against sterling or the euro, a resale that can take time and, with a new build, dependence on the developer. Then there are natural hazards such as earthquakes, and a political situation you should follow.
What is the biggest risk when buying off-plan?
That the developer finishes late or not at all after you have paid. Tie payments to progress, check the permit and past projects, and secure your claim through pre-registration in the registry where possible.
Can I sell the flat again later?
Yes, to any buyer, foreigners included. After more than two years of ownership the sale is tax-free in Georgia for individuals. How quickly and at what price you sell depends on location, building and market.
Where can I follow the political situation in Georgia?
In the FCDO's travel advice or, for German readers, the Federal Foreign Office's. Both show when they were last updated. Our guide on the political situation summarises the position with a date.
Last reviewed on November 2, 2026. Sources: National Agency of Public Registry (napr.gov.ge): registry and extracts, Government Resolution of Georgia No. 255 of 31 May 2019 (construction permits and commissioning); Civil Code and Tax Code of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge), National Bank of Georgia (nbg.gov.ge): Optimal Exchange Rate Policy, official exchange rate and banking supervision; Law on Facilitating the Prevention of Money Laundering No. 5226 of 30 October 2019 (matsne.gov.ge), Forbes Polska (forbes.pl), 16 November 2025: report on Polish buyers defrauded in Georgia, Seismic code PN 01.01-09, Ministerial Order No. 1-1/2284 of 2009 (matsne.gov.ge); USGS Earthquake Hazards Program; Climate Change Strategy of Ajara (Autonomous Republic of Adjara with UNDP Georgia, 2013), FCDO (gov.uk) and German Federal Foreign Office (auswaertiges-amt.de): travel advice for Georgia. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
More risks in detail.
Three topics covered in depth elsewhere: currency, rental yield and source-of-funds checks.
Check before you pay.
Every project page shows the developer, the permit and the payment plan. The registry check is something you do yourself or with your lawyer.