How to Buy an Operating Hotel in Georgia (2026)

A foreigner can buy a hotel in Georgia in two ways. You can buy the building with its land. Or you can buy the company that owns the hotel.

Can a foreigner own a hotel

Yes. Foreigners and foreign companies can own commercial property and urban land. There is one restriction: agricultural land cannot be bought, and the exceptions are narrow.

Check the land category under the hotel in the NAPR registry extract. It must be non-agricultural.

Option 1: asset deal

You buy the building, the land and the hotel property. Ownership passes when the deal is registered at NAPR. Signing the contract alone does not transfer ownership.

Georgia has no property transfer tax. Registration costs a fixed fee:

• GEL 150 — within 4 working days;
• GEL 270 — within 1 working day;
• GEL 350 — on the day of filing.

If the seller pays VAT, the sale of the building is subject to 18% VAT. If the building is sold together with its land, VAT usually applies to the whole deal.

Employees usually continue working for the new owner. Their contract terms change only with written consent.

Option 2: share deal

You buy the shares of the LLC that owns the hotel. The transfer is made in writing and registered at NAPR. It takes effect for third parties from the date of registration.

Registering changes in the entrepreneurs registry has a fixed fee. It is GEL 200 within 1 working day or GEL 400 on the day of filing.

The main advantage: contracts, employees and accounts stay with the company. The main risk: you also take all its debts, including tax and labour debts.

Sometimes more than half of a company's value comes from Georgian real estate. Then the gain on a share sale is taxed in Georgia.

What to check before the deal

• NAPR extract: owner, mortgages, seizures, encumbrances.
• Cadastral plan: does the area in documents match the real one.
• Construction permit and the act of putting the building into operation.
• Permitted land use under the municipality documents.
• Seller's tax debts: ask the seller for confirmation.
• Court disputes and enforcement proceedings.
• Debts for electricity, gas and water.
• Employment contracts and unpaid salaries.
• In a share deal: entrepreneurs registry extract, shareholders and any pledge of shares.
• Lease contracts inside the hotel. Leases of legal entities longer than one year are registered at NAPR.

Ask a lawyer in Georgia which documents exist and how to obtain the certificates.

How to pay safely

You can place the money on a notary deposit account. Banks open nominal accounts for notaries. A seizure of the notary account does not affect client money.

In a share deal, 5–10% of the price is often held in bank escrow for 6–12 months. This protects against hidden debts.

Georgian banks have applied Western sanctions since 2022. Find out in advance whether the bank will accept your funds.

Is a notary required

Not always. A real estate sale contract is usually signed at a notary. But the law does not require it in every case.

If you act through a power of attorney issued abroad, a notary usually certifies the deal. Sign the power of attorney with a notary in your country and add an apostille. A Georgian translation is needed.

Requirements change. Confirm the procedure with a lawyer before signing.

What to do next

1. Decide what you buy: the asset or the company.
2. Order the NAPR extract and check the documents.
3. Hire a lawyer and a tax adviser in Georgia.
4. Agree on payment through a notary deposit or escrow.
5. Register the deal at NAPR.

This overview does not replace a legal check of the hotel.