PM Kobakhidze: buying property in Georgia does not grant citizenship or permanent residency

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, speaking in Parliament during an interpellation hearing, clarified that purchasing apartments in Georgia under the Eagle Hills project would not grant citizenship or long-term residency to foreign buyers.

According to Kobakhidze, foreigners who purchase property may only obtain a short-term residence permit ranging from six to twelve months. Any long-term or permanent residency requires meeting other legal conditions determined by relevant authorities, such as study- or work-related residence permits.

“Buying an apartment in no way entitles a foreign citizen to live in Georgia on a long-term basis. This is clearly established in Georgian law,” Kobakhidze said.

He also addressed concerns about land ownership in the project, stressing that the Georgian state retained co-ownership of the land and that the partner company, Eagle Hills, has no authority to sell or transfer it. The land may only be used for the specific development project outlined in the investment agreement.

“These parcels are non-agricultural land, and once construction is complete, they will have no autonomous value outside of the buildings themselves. One of the claims made by project opponents is that Georgian land is being sold to foreigners. This is simply not true,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Kobakhidze further said that no undisclosed or non-commercial clauses existed in the contract. He noted that any hypothetical questions regarding the agreement, such as claims about building mosques or granting special privileges to foreign buyers, were unfounded.