Below is what the registry shows, what sits outside it, and the order in which to check a property.
What the Public Registry actually holds
The National Agency of Public Registry, NAPR, is not one list but several separate registries. Knowing the structure matters in practice: if you request only the extract, you do not get everything that is available.
The agency maintains and issues:
- The real estate registry and the extract from the public register
- The ownership and leasing registry
- The restrictions registry, along with information from the register of restrictions, liens and leases
- Information from the archives of the Technical Bureau
- Access to a document and a request for its copy
These are requested separately. This is the key practical point: information from the register of restrictions, liens and leases and data from the Technical Bureau archive are standalone requests, not sections of a single extract.
The Technical Bureau archive answers questions on area and alterations
This source is usually ignored. It holds the technical data on a property, and it is where a gap between the actual layout and the registered one becomes visible. For resale flats in Tbilisi's older housing stock this is a common problem: an enclosed balcony or a merged bathroom is not reflected in the registry, and the buyer is the one left to legalise it.
What the extract shows
By cadastral code, the extract gives a set of data points against which the property is checked against the contract and the seller:
| What to check | Why |
|---|---|
| Cadastral code | the property in the contract and in the registry must match |
| Current owner | the seller under the contract must be the owner on record |
| Area and designated use | residential or non-residential, and whether the size matches |
| Registered encumbrances | mortgage, pledge, seizure, easement, registered lease |
| Basis of title | sale, gift, inheritance, privatisation |
Check all five lines, not just the owner. A mismatch in designated use, for example buying a flat used as a home that is registered as non-residential, affects both address registration and obtaining a residence permit through property, where the property has to meet value and type requirements.
Take the extract twice, not once
Registry data changes. An extract taken while you are choosing a property may be out of date by the signing date: in the meantime a pledge may be registered against the property or a seizure imposed. The practical rule: the first extract when you select the property, the second one immediately before signing the contract.
Which encumbrances the registry does not show
This is the main way legal due diligence differs from checking a cadastral code yourself. Our page on legal support in real estate transactions splits encumbrances explicitly into two kinds: those reflected in the registry and those that are not.
The second group is what causes problems after the deal. It includes:
- Unregistered claims by third parties, including heirs
- People actually living in the property whose right is not registered
- Disputes that have no registered security yet
- Unauthorised alterations to the property that have not been legalised
- Debts attached to the property rather than to the owner
None of these will surface in a check by cadastral code. They need separate requests, a review of the documents underlying the title, and an analysis of the history of title transfers by the dates of the entries.
The chain of title matters more than the last entry
The extract shows dated entries, and the chain of title can be traced through them. A gap in the chain or an unregistered transfer is a warning sign: the current owner's title may be open to challenge. Looking only at the latest entry is not enough, because a defect may have arisen at an earlier link and been passed on.
Source note
> The check covers assessment of the property, identification of the owner and verification of the seller, together with analysis of encumbrances, both those reflected in the registry and those not reflected in it.
Source: Legal support in real estate transactions, Legalese Georgia
A new build is checked differently
For a flat in a building under construction, an extract on the finished flat does not exist yet, and what has to be checked is the developer and the permit documentation. The minimum set: the construction permit, the developer's right to the land plot, and whether the project matches the permit issued.
Check separately whether the building has been commissioned. Until it is, the property is not registered as a separate unit, and the buyer receives not ownership of a flat but a claim against the developer.
If you are buying from abroad, the mechanics of a deal through a representative are covered in the guide to buying or selling property in Georgia remotely.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check a property myself by cadastral code?
Partly. The extract is available by cadastral code, and it will show the owner, the area, the designated use and registered encumbrances. It does not cover unregistered claims, unauthorised alterations or defects in the chain of title. Those risks need separate requests and an analysis of the documents behind the title.
What if the owner in the extract is not the seller?
Do not sign until it is resolved. A mismatch can arise in a sale under power of attorney, an unfinished inheritance, or an unregistered transfer of title. In the first case the power of attorney itself and its scope are checked. In the others the deal should not proceed until the seller's title is registered.
Is one extract enough for the whole deal?
No. Registry data changes, and between choosing the property and signing, a pledge may be registered or a seizure imposed. The extract is taken twice: when you select the property and immediately before signing. The second extract protects you against changes that happened during negotiations.
Is a check needed when buying from a developer?
Yes, but different things are checked. Instead of an extract on the flat, you look at the developer's right to the land plot, the construction permit, whether the project matches the permit, and whether the building has been commissioned. Until commissioning the buyer holds a claim against the developer, not ownership of the flat.
Can the check be done remotely?
Yes. Registry information is requested by cadastral code, and the deal itself can be carried out through a representative under a notarised power of attorney. A power of attorney executed abroad needs an apostille. The scope of authority should be worded precisely, otherwise the representative will not be able to sign the contract or file documents for registration.
How Legalese handles this
We check the property before any payment is made: we request information from the registries, including the restrictions registry and the Technical Bureau archive, reconcile the data with the contract and the seller's identity, and analyse the chain of title.
We separately work through encumbrances not reflected in the registry: the part that a self-check by cadastral code does not cover.
Then, at the client's choice, we either deliver a risk report or run the whole deal: drafting or reviewing the contract, signing, filing documents for registration and settlement with the seller. Details: legal due diligence.
Key points
- The Public Registry is several separate registries, and information from the restrictions registry and the Technical Bureau archive is requested separately
- The extract is checked on five points: cadastral code, owner, area, designated use, encumbrances
- Some encumbrances are not reflected in the registry, and those are the ones that surface after the deal
- The extract is taken twice: when choosing the property and before signing
- A new build is checked through the developer and the permit documentation, not through an extract
To find out which risks are visible on your property, book a free consultation.