Registering property in Georgia: NAPR and the Public Service Hall explained

Buying an apartment in Batumi is only complete once the right over it is registered. This guide sets out who registers it, where, what it costs according to published fees, and what still needs to be confirmed at contract stage for a unit bought off-plan or by a buyer based abroad. For the wider legal picture, see our guide on what Georgian law says about foreign property ownership; this one focuses on the registration step itself.

The agency behind every registration

Property rights in Georgia are registered with the National Agency of Public Registry, known as NAPR, a legal entity of public law operating under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. NAPR describes its role as registering immovable property rights, among other public registry functions, and it does this through a network of Public Service Halls and territorial offices across the country rather than through a single central desk. A buyer in Batumi registers locally rather than travelling to a different city for the purpose.

What NAPR's published fees actually cover

NAPR publishes a fee schedule for registering a change, creation or termination of a right over immovable property, tied to processing speed rather than to the value or type of the property:

Processing time	Published fee
4 working days	GEL 150
1 working day	GEL 270
Same day	GEL 350

These are the fees for the registration act itself. Who actually pays them, buyer, seller or a split between the two, is not fixed by statute; it is a contract-level point, settled in the sale agreement rather than assumed from these published figures. Document requirements beyond the standard application are also confirmed at contract stage with your lawyer rather than generalised here, since they can vary by property type and transaction structure.

Off-plan: when does the title actually register?

For a completed, delivered apartment, registration generally follows the sale itself in a fairly direct way. For a unit still under construction, the question is less straightforward: whether a registration happens at reservation, at a payment milestone, or only once the building is complete and handed over, is a matter the specific developer's contract settles, not something Georgian company or property law standardises across every off-plan project. Before you reserve a unit under construction, ask your developer or your lawyer directly what gets registered, and when, rather than assuming it mirrors a completed purchase.

Buying from abroad: the principle behind a remote registration

Many buyers in Orven's Batumi collection are based outside Georgia and cannot attend a Public Service Hall in person for every step. The usual mechanism is a power of attorney, drafted by a local lawyer, that authorises a named representative to complete specific registration steps on your behalf. The scope of that authority, which documents it covers, how long it remains valid, and whether it needs to be notarised or apostilled depending on where you sign it, is confirmed with your lawyer rather than assumed from a template used in another country. Our guide on power of attorney for a remote property purchase in Dubai sets out the underlying discipline for a different jurisdiction; Georgia's registration authority and process differ, but the principle of a narrowly scoped, well-documented power of attorney carries across.

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Documents to request and keep

Whatever the exact list your lawyer confirms for your transaction, a few categories of document are worth requesting and archiving as soon as they are issued, rather than only once you need them:

The sale contract itself, in its final signed form.
Any registration certificate or extract NAPR issues once a right is recorded.
Every payment receipt tied to the purchase price, kept in order.
A copy of the power of attorney, if you used one, and confirmation of its scope.

Keeping these from day one matters more for an off-plan purchase, where registration events can be spread across several years between reservation and handover, than for a completed unit registered in a single step.

What registration does not settle

Registering a right with NAPR confirms that the right exists and is recorded; it does not, by itself, confirm the land under the building is free of agricultural-land restrictions under article 19 of the Constitution, that the construction permit covers your unit, or that the contract terms protecting your deposits before handover are adequate. Those checks sit alongside registration, not inside it, which is why a local lawyer's review of title, land and contract matters even when NAPR confirms the registration went through cleanly.

Working with Orven

Orven helps you select a unit in Batumi and coordinates with a local lawyer on the registration steps above, including the power of attorney route for buyers based abroad. Message Orven on WhatsApp at +971 52 776 1939 or by email at sales@orvenproperties.com with the project you are considering, and your adviser sets out what registration involves for that specific unit.

FAQ

Which agency registers property in Georgia? The National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR), a legal entity under the Ministry of Justice, through its Public Service Halls and territorial offices across the country.

How much does registration cost? Published fees are GEL 150 for four working days, GEL 270 for one working day, and GEL 350 for same-day processing. Who pays is a matter for the sale contract.

When is the title registered for an off-plan unit? It depends on the developer's contract: at reservation, at a payment milestone, or only at handover. Confirm the exact timing with the developer or your lawyer before you reserve.

Can registration happen without me travelling to Georgia? Yes, in practice, through a power of attorney drafted by a local lawyer for the specific steps you delegate. Confirm its scope, validity and any notarisation requirement with that lawyer.

Does registration confirm the property is free of legal issues? No. Registration confirms a right is recorded; it does not by itself verify the land status, construction permit or contract terms, which a local lawyer should check separately.