Can foreigners buy property in Georgia?
Flats and commercial property are open to foreign buyers. Agricultural land is not, and that exclusion also decides the residence-permit routes.
Last verified 2026-10-20Next review 2027-01-204 official sources
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Can foreigners buy property in Georgia? Yes for flats, houses and commercial property, and no for agricultural land. You do not need a residence permit, a visa or a Georgian company to buy. The farmland ban is the one hard limit, and it also shapes the residence permit routes.
Georgia is unusually open about this. There is no foreign-buyer tax, no approval step for ordinary property, and no requirement to live here. The title goes into the Public Registry in your own name.
Can foreigners buy property in Georgia without residency?
Yes. Buying and holding residency are separate things, and most buyers do the first without ever doing the second.
What a foreign buyer can own:
- Flats and houses, new build or resale
- Commercial property, offices and retail
- Non-agricultural land, including plots inside towns
What a foreign buyer cannot own is agricultural land. That restriction sits in the constitution and in the organic law on the ownership of agricultural land, which limits ownership to Georgian citizens and Georgian-registered entities (GRATA International).
The farmland ban, and the ways around it
Two routes exist, and neither is a loophole.
A long lease. Agricultural land can be leased long term, reported at up to 49 years, which gives you the use of it without ownership. This is the normal route for a foreigner who wants to farm or run a business on rural land (Nakvo).
A government-approved investment. Reports describe a narrow exception where a Georgian-registered legal entity with foreign ownership may hold agricultural land if the Government approves it on the basis of an investment plan (legal.ge). This is for major projects, not for buying a few hectares.
Sources disagree on whether a Georgian company helps at all. One says a Georgian company qualifies to own farmland only when it is wholly owned by Georgian citizens, so a single foreign shareholder puts it outside the rule. Another describes the government-approval exception above. Do not form a company on the assumption it solves this.
If you inherit farmland
A foreign heir can receive agricultural land but is expected to dispose of it afterwards, reported as within six months of taking title, with the state able to auction it if that does not happen. Inheritance is the one way a foreigner holds farmland lawfully, and only for a short while.
What this means if you are buying for residency
The farmland exclusion is not only an ownership rule. It is written into the residence permit thresholds too, so a rural plot does not qualify you however much it cost.
| Route | Threshold | Agricultural land |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term residence permit | Property above USD 150,000 | Excluded |
| Investment residence permit | USD 300,000 invested, or property above USD 300,000 | Excluded |
Both thresholds are measured on a valuation by an accredited certified valuer, not on what you paid. The short-term permit runs a year at a time and ends when the ownership ends. The investment permit runs five years and is the one that leads to permanent residence.
The threshold for the short-term route rose from USD 100,000 to above USD 150,000 on 1 March 2026, so older guidance quotes a figure that no longer works. More on that route on buy property in Georgia and get residency.
Two things worth knowing before you sign
The valuation is not the price. If you are buying to reach a permit threshold, the number that counts is the assessed market value from an accredited valuer. A flat bought at USD 155,000 can be valued below the line.
Check the land classification, not the description. Whether a plot is agricultural is a matter of its registered classification in the Public Registry, not of what is growing on it or how the seller describes it. This is the single check worth doing before a deposit changes hands.
What buying does not give you
- It is not residency on its own. Ownership makes you eligible to apply above the threshold. The permit is still decided by the Public Service Development Agency.
- It is not a right to work. Since 1 March 2026 that is a separate permission. See Georgia work permit.
- It is not tax residency. That is counted in days of presence, not in property.
What is not yet established. The position of a Georgian-registered company with foreign shareholders is reported two different ways, as set out above, and we have not seen the organic law text that settles it. If your plan depends on a company holding agricultural land, take Georgian legal advice on that specific point rather than relying on this page.
Common questions
- Do I need residency to buy property in Georgia?
- No. Buying a flat or commercial property does not require a residence permit, a visa or a Georgian company. The purchase is registered in the Public Registry in your own name.
- Can foreigners buy agricultural land in Georgia?
- No. Ownership of agricultural land is restricted to Georgian citizens and Georgian-registered entities. Limited exceptions exist for major investment projects approved by the Government.
- What if I inherit farmland?
- A foreign heir can take the inheritance but is expected to dispose of the land, reported as within six months of acquiring title. Reports say the state may auction it otherwise.
- Is there a way to farm in Georgia as a foreigner?
- A long-term lease, reported at up to 49 years, is the usual route. You get the use of the land without owning it.
- Does buying property get me residency?
- It can. Property above USD 150,000, excluding agricultural land, qualifies for the short-term residence permit. Above USD 300,000 it qualifies for the investment permit, which leads to permanent residence after five years.
Not sure which permit fits you?
Georgian law has several residence permit types, and each one has its own conditions and renewal rules. Send us your nationality and how you earn. We reply with the permit that fits, or we tell you if none of them does.
Sources
Every legal, fee and procedural statement on this page is taken from the sources below and was checked on 2026-10-20. Where they change, this page changes.
- Law of Georgia on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons (Legislative Herald of Georgia) — Residence permit types, conditions, validity and refusal grounds
- GRATA International: foreign ownership restrictions in Georgia — Agricultural land ownership is restricted to Georgian citizens and Georgian-registered entities
- legal.ge: can foreigners buy land in Georgia, agricultural rules — Constitutional ban on foreign ownership of agricultural land, limited investment exceptions
- Nakvo: can foreigners own land in Georgia — Long-term lease up to 49 years; inherited farmland must be disposed of
Related
This page is general information about Georgian rules as published by the authorities named above. It is not legal or tax advice for your circumstances, and immigration outcomes depend on your nationality, documents and individual case. See our legal and tax information disclaimer.