NAPR (National Agency of Public Registry)

Overview of NAPR

The National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR)—known in Georgian as საჯარო რეესტრის ეროვნული სააგენტო—is a state body under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia. Created to streamline administrative services and establish transparency, NAPR operates the central database for property, corporate, and civil rights nationwide.

In real estate transactions, NAPR acts as the definitive system of record for real property. Under Georgian civil law, legal title to real estate, as well as rights such as mortgages, servitudes, liens, and long-term leases, are only legally effective against third parties once entered into the public registry maintained by NAPR.

Core Functions in Real Estate

1. Title Registration: NAPR records transfers of ownership for land, residential apartments, commercial buildings, and parking spaces. It processes registrations for both secondary market sales and primary market developer sales.

2. Encumbrance and Lien Recording: Mortgages, tax liens, court-ordered injunctions, arrest orders, and administrative restrictions must be registered with NAPR to be enforceable. Prospective buyers review these records to ensure clean title.

3. Cadastral Mapping and Surveying: NAPR maintains the official geographic information system (GIS) and cadastral maps defining physical boundaries, plot areas, and structural layouts across Georgia.

4. Off-Plan / Preliminary Registration: NAPR registers preliminary purchase contracts for buildings under construction. This creates a legally binding record of future rights, preventing developers from double-selling off-plan units.

Legal Principles and Digital Structure

• Principle of Public Trust: NAPR operates under the legal principle that registered data is presumed correct and accurate. A good-faith purchaser relying on NAPR records is generally protected under Georgian property law.
• Digital Title Extracts: Physical deed certificates were abolished in favor of electronic registration. Title proof is delivered via an official Extract from the Public Registry, accessible online. Each extract includes a unique barcode, application number, and security control code verified directly on NAPR's public web portal.
• Service Hub Integration: Front-end applications for NAPR registrations are primarily processed through Public Service Halls (Justices) or authorized front-office entities, such as accredited banks, select developers, and notary offices.

A foreign investor purchases a completed apartment in Tbilisi for $160,000 USD. The seller and buyer visit a Public Service Hall with their original passports and executed purchase agreement. An operator submits the application directly to NAPR's electronic portal, paying the appropriate state fee (e.g., {{data:napr_expedited_fee}} for same-day service or standard processing fees). Upon internal verification by NAPR examiners, the ownership database updates automatically. NAPR issues a new digital Extract from the Public Registry containing a unique application code and QR verification link, officially transferring title ownership to the investor.