Criminal record certificate
A criminal record certificate is one of the most frequently requested documents: for residence, for work, for adoption, for emigration to another country. Getting the certificate itself is often simple, but the apostille, the translation and the validity period are often why it ends up being done twice. On this page we explain how to prepare it once and correctly.
- A state authorityIssued by
- In person or by proxyRoute
- With an apostilleAbroad
- Set by the recipientValidity
Six services
The certificate is issued by the state. We obtain it, match it to the recipient's requirements and prepare it for use abroad.
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Georgian certificate
Requesting the certificate in your name, in person or by proxy.
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A certificate from abroad
A certificate for people who are not currently in Georgia.
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Apostille
An apostille on the Georgian certificate, if it is going to another country.
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Translation
A notarised translation of the certificate into the recipient country's language.
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Foreign certificate
Preparing your own country's certificate for a Georgian authority.
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Checking the requirements
Which form, language and validity a particular recipient asks for.
Who this page is for
For anyone who needs a Georgian criminal record certificate in another country - for emigration, work or a visa.
And for anyone who has to present their own country's certificate in Georgia - for residence or another procedure.
Our role
The certificate is issued by a state authority, and we do not and cannot change its content.
We request the certificate in your name, check the recipient's requirements, arrange the apostille and translation, and send it where you need it.
Two directions
First: a Georgian certificate that has to work abroad.
Second: a foreign certificate that has to work in Georgia.
Each has different steps, and we start from where the certificate will finally be presented.
What the certificate shows
A Georgian certificate shows whether a person has a criminal record in Georgia, according to Georgian data.
It does not cover other countries' data - for that, each country's own certificate is needed.
Sometimes other information may appear on the certificate, depending on the purpose and the form requested.
Who issues it
The Georgian certificate is issued by a state authority, and it can often be requested at the House of Justice.
In some cases it can also be requested electronically.
We check the issuing authority and the form each time, because practice changes from time to time.
How it is requested
To request the certificate you need an identity document and sometimes to state the purpose.
A foreigner needs a passport and sometimes a residence card or personal number.
The details on the request form must match the passport exactly.
In person
If you are in Georgia, the simplest route is to request it in person.
We prepare everything in advance and come with you, with an interpreter.
The request often goes in during one visit, and the certificate is ready within a short time.
By proxy
If you cannot visit, the certificate can often be requested through a power of attorney.
The power of attorney must state precisely that the representative may receive a criminal record certificate.
A general power of attorney is sometimes not accepted, so we prepare the wording.
From abroad
If you no longer live in Georgia, the power of attorney is signed in your country, before a notary.
It needs an apostille or legalisation and a Georgian translation.
We send the finished certificate, with apostille and translation, to you by courier.
The consular route
In some cases the certificate can also be requested through a Georgian consulate.
This route often takes longer than requesting it through a power of attorney.
We compare both routes against your deadline.
Timing
A Georgian certificate is often ready within a short time, and sometimes expedited issue is possible.
The apostille and translation need extra days.
Sending it abroad often takes the longest, so we book the courier in advance.
The certificate's language
A Georgian certificate is mainly issued in Georgian.
In some cases a bilingual form may also be available.
If the recipient accepts the bilingual form, you may not need a translation at all - we check this in advance.
Apostille
If the certificate is going to a country that is party to the Hague Convention, it usually needs an apostille.
The apostille is issued in Georgia, after the certificate is issued.
The apostille goes on the certificate itself, and the translation is often made of the already apostilled document.
Legalisation
If the recipient country is not party to the Hague Convention, consular legalisation is needed instead of an apostille.
Legalisation involves several steps and takes longer than an apostille.
We agree the order of the steps with the recipient country's consulate.
Translation
The recipient country often needs a translation of the certificate into its own language.
Some countries accept a Georgian notarised translation, others only a translation by their own sworn translator.
So we check where and how the translation should be done before ordering.
The order of steps
The most common order is: certificate, apostille, translation, sometimes an apostille on the translation too.
A mistake in the order can mean redoing the whole chain.
We set the chain according to the recipient's requirement, not a general template.
Validity
A certificate often has no official expiry, but the recipient accepts only a recent one.
Many authorities ask for a certificate issued within the last few months.
So we obtain the certificate once the other documents are already ready.
The recipient's requirements
Different authorities ask for different forms: the original, a copy, an electronic version.
Some want the certificate directly from the issuer, not from the applicant.
We always ask for the recipient's letter or instructions before we start ordering.
Spelling the name
The name on the certificate follows the passport, and it must carry over into the translation exactly.
If your name is spelled differently in the recipient country, the mismatch may raise questions.
Where needed, we give both forms in the translation.
Previous names
If you have changed your surname or first name - by marriage or for another reason - some recipients ask for a certificate covering every previous name.
In that case the document on the name change is needed too.
We check this in advance, so that the certificate covers every name.
Certificates from several countries
Some emigration procedures ask for a certificate from every country where you lived for more than a certain period.
After living in Georgia, a Georgian certificate is often on that list.
We fit all the certificates into one plan, so that their dates line up.
Fingerprints
Some countries ask for fingerprints for a criminal record check, on their own form.
Fingerprints are often taken at an authorised institution.
In such a case we find out where fingerprints can be taken in Georgia and how the form is sent.
Spent convictions
In some cases a conviction is considered spent under the law, and this may be reflected on the certificate.
How it is reflected depends on the law and the form of the certificate.
If there is anything in the past, we discuss the situation with a lawyer before requesting the certificate.
Administrative offences
Administrative offences - traffic fines, for example - are not criminal convictions.
They usually do not appear on a criminal record certificate.
But some recipients ask for a different certificate as well, and we check this in advance.
Ongoing cases
If a case against you is ongoing, this may affect the form or content of the certificate.
In that situation a lawyer's advice is essential before requesting the certificate.
We keep such information confidential.
A mistake on the certificate
If a detail on the certificate is wrong - a name, a date, a number - it must be corrected before you present it anywhere.
Corrections are made at the issuing authority, on application.
We check the certificate as soon as it is issued, so that any mistake is found before the apostille.
Electronic verification
Some Georgian certificates can be verified electronically - with a code or number.
A foreign authority can use this to check that it is genuine.
This speeds up acceptance, but does not always replace the apostille.
Copies
You often need more than one certificate: one for residence, another for work.
A copy of one certificate is often not enough - some recipients accept only an original.
So we work out the number of originals in advance.
Delivery
We send the finished document by international courier, with a tracking number.
We usually do not send an original by ordinary post, so that it is not lost.
Before sending we email you a scan of every page, for your records.
For residence abroad
For residence in another country a Georgian certificate is often mandatory if you have lived in Georgia.
The recipient country's list sets out exactly the form, validity and translation.
We read that list and plan what to order when.
For work
Employers often ask for a certificate, especially in finance, security and the public sector.
Some employers ask for the certificate directly from the issuer, with your consent.
We check the employer's requirement in advance.
Working with children
For work in schools, kindergartens and other jobs involving children a certificate is almost always mandatory.
In some countries a special, enhanced certificate is needed for this.
We check this form separately, because it differs from the ordinary one.
Adoption
An adoption procedure often asks for a certificate from both spouses and sometimes from other family members.
The deadlines are especially strict here, and the documents must be prepared at the same time.
We plan the certificates for every family member together.
Study and internships
Some universities and internship programmes ask for a certificate, especially in medicine and education.
The certificate is often part of the visa application too.
We compare the deadlines of the university and the consulate together.
Professional licences
For a licence as a doctor, lawyer, accountant or teacher in another country, a certificate is often mandatory.
A professional body sometimes wants the certificate directly from the issuer or in a sealed envelope.
We read the body's instructions word for word, because a mistake in the form costs most here.
Tenders and directors
A company has no criminal record certificate of its own, but for a tender or a licence the certificates of the director and owners are often required.
If the director is a foreigner, a certificate from their country may be needed too.
We prepare the certificates for everyone required together, with one validity date.
Years later
If you lived in Georgia years ago, you may still need a Georgian certificate today - for emigration, for example.
Old passport details or a Georgian personal number speed up the search.
If you no longer have these details, we prepare the request with your current passport and a description of the period you lived here.
For a visa
Some countries ask for a certificate from every country where you have lived for a long-term visa.
The consulate often asks for a recent certificate, valid for a few months.
We time the certificate to the date of the visa application.
A foreign certificate for Georgia
For residence or another procedure in Georgia, your own country's certificate is sometimes needed.
It is issued by an authority in your country, and we help with the request if it can be done remotely.
The certificate must be prepared before you arrive, because the apostille is done there.
The apostille on a foreign certificate
To be presented in Georgia, a foreign certificate usually needs an apostille or legalisation.
The apostille is issued in the country that issued the certificate.
We match the dates of the certificate and apostille to the Georgian application.
Translating a foreign certificate
In Georgia a foreign certificate is submitted with a Georgian notarised translation.
We do the translation in Georgia, from the apostilled original.
We match the Georgian transliteration of your name to your other Georgian documents.
Confidentiality
A criminal record certificate is personal information, and we share it only with those who need it.
We keep a copy only for as long as the matter requires.
We do not give the certificate to anyone outside the scope of the power of attorney.
Someone else's certificate
A certificate is a personal document and is issued only to its holder or to a person they have authorised.
Requesting a certificate even for a family member without a power of attorney is, as a rule, not possible.
So if several family members need a certificate, we prepare a separate power of attorney from each.
Original and electronic copy
Some recipients accept an electronic certificate, others only a stamped paper original.
An apostille and a notarised translation often need a paper document.
So we choose the format according to where and how the certificate will be presented.
Common mistakes
Getting the certificate too early - and then ordering a new one. Forgetting the apostille.
Doing the translation in the wrong country or in the wrong order.
Reading the recipient's requirement only after ordering.
What we need from you
A copy of your passport and, if you have one, your Georgian personal number.
Where the certificate will be presented: the country, the authority, the purpose and the deadline.
Whether you are in Georgia now, and where the finished document should be sent.
Price
The state fee for the certificate and the apostille is official.
Translation, the notary, the power of attorney and the courier are separate lines.
Our help is agreed in advance, and we add nothing to our partners' prices.
Frequently asked questions about criminal record certificates
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Can you obtain the Georgian certificate for me?
Often yes - with a power of attorney that states precisely the right to receive the certificate. We prepare the wording, and if you are in Georgia the power of attorney is signed at a notary in one visit.
I live abroad - how do I get it?
With a power of attorney signed at a notary in your country, with an apostille and translation. We send you the finished certificate by courier.
How long does it take?
A Georgian certificate is often ready within a short time, sometimes expedited. The apostille, translation and courier need extra days. We give you the whole chain with dates in advance, so that you know when you will have the finished document.
Do I need an apostille?
If the certificate is going to a Hague Convention country - usually yes. Other countries need consular legalisation, in several steps.
Where is it best to translate?
That depends on the recipient country: some accept a Georgian notarised translation, others only a local one. We check before ordering, so that you do not pay for the translation twice.
How long is the certificate valid?
Often the recipient decides - many accept only a certificate issued in the last few months. That is why we obtain it last, once the other documents are ready.
Does the certificate show convictions in other countries?
No. A Georgian certificate shows Georgian data. Another country needs its own certificate, and for emigration certificates from several countries are often prepared together.
Do traffic fines show on the certificate?
Administrative offences usually do not appear on a criminal record certificate. If the recipient asks for another certificate, we check that separately.
I changed my surname - what now?
Some recipients ask for a certificate covering every previous name. We also prepare the name change document, so that the certificate covers every name, and we give both forms in the translation.
Do I need fingerprints?
Some countries - yes, on their own form. We find out where they can be taken in Georgia, and fill in the form according to the recipient country's instructions.
Is my country's certificate accepted in Georgia?
As a rule, with an apostille or legalisation and a Georgian notarised translation. The certificate must be prepared before you arrive, because the apostille is done only in the issuing country.
There is a mistake on the certificate - what now?
The correction is made at the issuing authority, on application. We check the certificate as soon as it is issued, so that a mistake is found before the apostille - after the apostille, a correction restarts the whole chain.
How much does it cost?
State fees are official and are paid directly. Translation, the notary and the courier are separate lines, and our help is agreed in advance.
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