Apostille and translation

What an apostille is

An apostille is a standard certification confirming that the signature and seal on a document are genuine. It is attached to the document or placed on it.

An apostille does not check the content of the document or translate it. It only says: this is an official Georgian document.

Our role

We work out what your document needs and arrange the apostille, the translation and, where needed, legalisation.

The main task is for the authority at home to accept the document the first time it is submitted, without extra questions or sending it again.

The Hague Convention

The apostille works under the 1961 Hague Convention. Its member countries accept each other's apostilled documents without further legalisation.

Georgia is a member, as are most European countries, Israel, Turkey and Russia.

The list of members changes - some countries joined only recently. So we check your country afresh every time.

Where it is issued

In Georgia a state body issues the apostille, and the application goes in at the House of Justice. It is the same system where you registered.

An apostille is placed only on an official Georgian document. A foreign document needs an apostille in the country that issued it.

So we cannot put an apostille here on your passport or a certificate from home - a common misunderstanding.

Which document

Most often the apostille goes on the marriage certificate. Sometimes the notarised translation needs its own apostille too.

If you signed a marriage contract, that is also a notarial document and may need an apostille.

Before we start, we set the full list: which document, how many copies and in what form.

Timing

A standard apostille takes a few working days. Fast-track takes less, sometimes the same day.

The timing is counted in working days. Weekends and holidays are not included.

If your flight is soon, we apply for the apostille on registration day so no time is lost.

The order

The order matters: first the apostille on the original, then a translation that also covers the apostille.

If you translate first and add the apostille afterwards, the translation no longer covers the apostille, and it may not be accepted at home.

It is one of the most common mistakes, and fixing it costs time and another shipment.

Here or at home

Some countries accept a Georgian notarised translation, others only a translation by a sworn translator there.

If a sworn translation from home is needed, translating here wastes money and time. In that case we do only the apostille.

So before we start the translation, please ask the authority at home which translation they accept.

A sworn translator at home

Many countries have sworn or court-certified translators. Their translation counts as official.

A sworn translator from Georgian is not easy to find in every country. Sometimes an intermediate language is used.

In that case we first translate into English here, and at home they translate from English. This must be agreed in advance.

An apostille on the translation

A Georgian notarised translation is itself an official Georgian document. Sometimes it also needs its own apostille.

So the chain is: certificate, apostille, translation at a notary, apostille on the translation. We plan all four steps.

Not every country needs this. We do not add a step that is not required.

Consular legalisation

Countries outside the convention do not accept the apostille. They need legalisation.

It takes several steps: certification at the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then at your country's embassy or consulate.

Some countries have no embassy in Georgia, and then a mission in a neighbouring country is used. We map this route in advance.

The Middle East

Some Middle Eastern countries are members of the convention, others are not, and the list has changed in recent years.

So no general rule works here. We check the specific country and the specific authority.

Sometimes an Arabic translation of the document is also required. We confirm that in advance too.

Embassies in Tbilisi

Tbilisi has embassies of many countries. Some offer consular services - recording a marriage or accepting documents.

Some embassies see visitors only by appointment, and the first free slot may be weeks away.

If you need to visit an embassy, we start booking as soon as registration is planned.

The register at home

Some countries record a marriage concluded abroad in the population register. For that they ask for the apostilled certificate and a translation.

In some places this is mandatory within a set period, elsewhere it is your choice. That is decided by the law at home.

After it is recorded you often receive a new identity document or a civil status certificate.

Spelling of names

On the certificate the name is in Georgian, and in the translation it is written again in Latin letters or your language's script.

In the translation the name must be written exactly as in the passport. We always give the translator a copy of the passport.

If the name differs between two passports, we choose the form that matches your documents at home.

How many copies

One apostilled certificate is often not enough: one for the register, another for work, a third for a second country.

An extra copy with an apostille is easier now than later, from abroad.

In the first conversation we ask where you will need the document and decide the number of copies together.

Age of the document

An apostille does not expire. But some authorities require the certificate or translation to have been issued within the last few months.

This happens most often in a residence or citizenship application, years later.

In that case we request a new copy and place a new apostille on it, without you having to come.

Without you

If you fly straight after registration, we complete the apostille and translation. You leave the original with us, or we collect it.

In some cases a notarised power of attorney is needed. We draw it up on registration day, while you are still here.

We send the finished documents by international courier and keep you informed at every stage.

Shipping

We send originals only by tracked courier, in a rigid envelope so they do not get folded.

Before sending we scan every page and send you a copy. If anything is lost, we have everything needed to restore it.

Delivery time depends on the country, and sometimes a package is held at customs. So we start shipping in good time.

An electronic copy

A scan is convenient, but official authorities almost always ask for the original or a certified copy.

Some authorities check an apostille's authenticity online. That makes things easier but still does not replace the original.

So always keep the original somewhere safe, and the copies separately.

What it looks like

An apostille is a standard form with numbered fields: the country, who signed, where and when it was issued, a number and a seal.

It is attached to the document or added as a separate sheet. The form is similar in every country, so a foreign official recognises it easily.

Note down the apostille's number and date separately. They are what is asked for when authenticity is checked.

Protecting the original

Never take apart a document with an apostille attached, and do not remove the staple. A document taken apart loses its force.

Do not laminate it - many authorities do not accept a laminated document, because the seal cannot be checked.

Keep it in a rigid folder, away from damp and sunlight. A separate folder for copies is better.

Official and family translations

An official translation is for an authority. For family or your own archive a simple translation is enough.

Some couples ask for a beautiful copy of the certificate to frame - that is a keepsake, not a document.

We offer both, but we always say which one is good for what.

A lost certificate

If the certificate is lost, a duplicate can be obtained. It has the same force as the original.

A duplicate needs a new apostille, and the translation is done again as well.

We do this from abroad too, often with a power of attorney. Coming in person is not always needed.

A mistake on the certificate

If a name or date on the certificate is wrong, it must be corrected before the apostille. An apostille does not correct a mistake.

The correction is made in the register, and often a document confirming the correct form is needed - a passport or a translation.

So we check the certificate on registration day, before leaving the office.

Two countries, two languages

If the spouses are from different countries, the document is needed in two countries, translated into two languages.

The two countries may have different requirements: one accepts the apostille, the other asks for legalisation.

We draw up two plans in parallel, and each has its own copy.

Surname and documents at home

If a surname has changed, changing a passport at home often requires exactly the apostilled certificate and translation.

The new surname in the translation must match exactly what will be written at home. We agree the spelling in advance.

In some countries a surname change is made by a separate application. That is a procedure at home.

Later family documents

When a child is born, a document proving the parents' marriage is often requested. The apostilled certificate will be useful then too.

Inheritance, property or visa matters often need the same document.

So one extra apostilled copy in the family archive is a good investment.

Residence in another country

If you plan to apply for residence in your spouse's country, the marriage certificate is the main document.

Such applications have a strict format: the type of translation, the age of the document, the number of copies.

Send us the list of requirements, and we prepare each item on the Georgian side.

Work, bank, insurance

An employer, bank or insurer often asks for the certificate to update your family status.

A translation without an apostille is often enough for them. It is a lighter requirement than a state authority's.

So not every copy needs an apostille. We do not do more than is needed.

Delays

The most common causes of delay are holidays, a mistake in the translation and a courier held at customs.

We plan a margin for each. If you have a deadline at home, we count back from it.

If something is delayed, we are the first to tell you and offer an alternative.

Beware of online offers

Online you can find offers of "an apostille in one hour, wherever you want". Only the competent state body issues an apostille.

A fake or incorrect apostille means refusal at home and may create a more serious problem.

We always work through the official route and send you the receipt for each stage.

When a document is refused

If the authority at home did not accept the document, we first find the reason: the type of translation, the order, the age of the document.

Often a new translation or an extra apostille is enough. We do that from here.

If the refusal is in writing, send it to us - then we know exactly what to fix.

Three questions for the authority at home

Before you travel, ask the authority at home three questions: apostille or legalisation? Which translation - Georgian notarised or a local sworn one? How recent must the document be?

Get the answers in writing, by email if possible. A verbal answer often changes later.

With these three answers we plan the whole chain precisely and take no unnecessary step.

Common mistakes

Translating before the apostille. A Georgian translation when only a sworn translator's translation is accepted at home.

One copy when there are two countries or three authorities. A mistake on the certificate discovered after the apostille.

One conversation before the first step prevents all of this.

What we need from you

In which country and to which authority you will submit the document. The list of requirements, if you have one.

How many copies and in which language. Passport copies for the spelling.

When you fly and where to send the documents if you have already left.

Price

The state fee for the apostille is official and depends on the timing. The translation and notary are separate lines.

Our service and the courier are agreed in advance.

Each step is listed separately in the proposal, so you know what you are paying for.