Selling Your Property in Georgia as a Foreigner: Tax, Timing and Process

If you have owned the property for more than two years, the gain on sale is normally exempt from Georgian income tax. Sell within two years and the gain is taxable — commonly at 5% for an individual selling residential property. That single date is the most consequential thing about selling in Georgia, and it is easy to miss by a month.

How does the two-year rule work?

The clock runs from the date ownership was registered in your name at the Public Registry — not the date you paid, not the date you signed, and not the date you were handed the keys. On a new build bought off-plan those dates can be a year apart, and it is the registration date that counts.

If you are close to the line, the arithmetic is usually simple: waiting a few weeks can be worth more than the price difference you are negotiating over. Check your extract before you agree a completion date.

Not sure which date is on your extract? A Kavlian-vetted local agent will pull it from the Registry and read it with you, free of charge.

What does selling actually cost?

What does selling actually cost?

Item	Typical cost	Notes
Income tax on the gain	0% after two years; commonly 5% before	On the gain, not the sale price
Agency commission	Negotiated, commonly 2–4%	Agree in writing, including who pays what
Registry fee	Small, fixed	Faster tiers cost more
Notary	Modest	Often used even when not strictly required
Translation	Small	If your buyer or you need certified translations

Compared with most of Europe, the transaction cost of selling in Georgia is low. The two things that cost real money are the tax, if you sell inside two years, and the commission, which is negotiable and often is not negotiated.

Can you sell without coming back to Georgia?

Yes, by power of attorney — the same mechanism many buyers use to purchase remotely. The document should name the property, set a minimum acceptable price, carry an expiry date, and be held by a lawyer acting for you rather than by the buyer's agent.

Set a floor price rather than a fixed one. A mandate that says "sell at not less than USD X" leaves your representative able to accept a good offer without another round of apostilles, and unable to accept a bad one.

What about the money afterwards?

This is the step sellers plan for last and should plan for first. Moving the proceeds out of Georgia is ordinarily straightforward, but banks want to see where the money came from — which, for a property sale, means the sale contract and the Registry extract. Keep both. If your Georgian account was opened years ago with a thin file, expect questions.

Selling from abroad and unsure how the money gets home? Ask Kavlian for an agency that has done it for foreign owners before.

How long does a sale take?

The legal part is fast: agreeing terms, signing, and registering the transfer can be done in days. Finding the buyer is the slow part, and in 2026 it is faster than it was — Tbilisi sold 4,484 apartments in June 2026, a third more than the year before. A liquid market cuts both ways, and this is the side of it that helps a seller.

Quick answers

Do foreigners pay tax when selling property in Georgia? Normally not, if they have owned it for more than two years. Within two years the gain is usually taxed at 5% for individuals.

Is the tax on the sale price or the profit? On the gain — the difference between what you paid and what you sold for.

Can I sell remotely? Yes, by power of attorney with a minimum price written into it.

When does the two years start? From registration of your ownership at the Public Registry.

Before you agree a completion date

Check your registration date, then decide the timing. Kavlian matches you with a vetted local agency who will price the property honestly, tell you what it will actually sell for, and work in your language.

Talk to a vetted specialist — free →

Tax rules change and individual circumstances differ. Confirm your position with a qualified Georgian tax adviser before selling.