Buying Georgian Property by Power of Attorney: How It Works and What to Watch
A power of attorney is how most remote purchases in Georgia actually happen. It is also the document that gives someone else authority over your money. Here is how to write one that does the job and nothing more.
A power of attorney lets someone in Georgia sign the purchase and register it in your name while you stay at home. It is the standard mechanism for a remote purchase, it is cheap, and it works. It is also the single document in this process with real potential to go wrong, because a badly drafted one hands over more authority than the job needs.
What is a power of attorney used for here?
In a Georgian property purchase, the person holding your power of attorney can typically be authorised to sign the sale contract, submit it to the Public Registry, collect the ownership extract, and — if you allow it — move money and sign utility or bank paperwork. Each of those is a separate authority. They do not have to travel together, and usually should not.
Not sure which authorities your purchase actually needs? Kavlian introduces you to a vetted local lawyer who drafts the narrow version — there is no charge for the introduction.
How do you make one from abroad?
The usual route has three steps:
- Draft it in Georgia first. Have the Georgian lawyer write the text, in Georgian, listing the exact powers. Do not start from a template found abroad — it will use terms the Registry does not recognise.
- Sign it in front of a notary where you live. Your local notary certifies your signature on the document.
- Legalise it for use in Georgia. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is enough. For others, consular legalisation through the Georgian embassy. Then it is translated into Georgian and that translation is certified.
Alternatively, if you are in Georgia at any point — even for two days — sign it there in front of a Georgian notary. That removes the apostille, the translation and about two weeks.
What should the document actually say?
This is where the money is. A good power of attorney for a purchase is narrow on every axis:
| Limit | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Name the specific property | Address and cadastral code, so it cannot be used to buy something else |
| Cap the price | "Up to USD X" — an uncapped mandate is an open cheque |
| Set an expiry date | Three months is usually plenty; an open-ended mandate outlives the deal |
| Exclude the power to sell | Buying and selling are different authorities. A purchase mandate has no reason to include the second |
| Exclude sub-delegation | Otherwise your agent can pass the authority to someone you have never heard of |
| Register the property in your name only | Stated explicitly, so ownership cannot land anywhere else |
The line most often missing is the fourth. A general mandate that says "to represent me in all property matters" includes selling the flat you just bought, to whoever the holder likes, at whatever price.
Who should hold it?
Not the seller. Not the seller's agent. Not the developer's lawyer. It should be a lawyer you instructed and pay, whose duty is to you — which is the whole reason the arrangement is safe when it is safe.
If the person offering to hold your power of attorney is also on the other side of the transaction, that is not a shortcut; it is the arrangement to walk away from.
Kavlian's network includes independent lawyers who act for the buyer only. Ask for one before you sign anything.
Can you cancel it?
Yes. A power of attorney can be revoked, and revocation should be notified in writing to the notary and to anyone likely to rely on it — the Registry, the bank, the agent. Cancel it the day the purchase completes rather than leaving it open "in case something else comes up". Something else can be a new document.
Quick answers
Can I buy property in Georgia without going there? Yes, by power of attorney, and it is common.
Does it need an apostille? If signed abroad in a Hague Convention country, yes. Signed in Georgia in front of a Georgian notary, no.
What does it cost? The Georgian side is inexpensive; the cost is usually your local notary, the apostille and the certified translation.
What is the biggest risk? A mandate that is too wide — no price cap, no expiry, and the power to sell.
Before you sign anything
A power of attorney is a short document that decides a lot. Have it drafted by someone acting for you, read the list of powers line by line, and ask what each one is for. Kavlian matches you with a vetted local specialist who works in your language.
Talk to a vetted specialist — free →
This is general information, not legal advice. Have your document reviewed by a qualified Georgian lawyer before signing.
Talk to an Expert
Free consultation, no obligation