Translation and notarization of educational documents

Translating educational documents is the stage at which it is often decided whether you get into a foreign university, whether you receive a scholarship and whether an employer or a professional chamber in another country recognises your qualification. A diploma, its supplement, a school certificate, an academic transcript and certificates are at once legal documents and your professional history. So translating them requires not only knowledge of the language but an understanding of education systems, grading scales and recognition procedures. Our bureau in Tbilisi, on Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, works on exactly these documents every day: we translate, notarize, arrange the apostille and help you through the recognition procedure.

Who needs educational document translation, and when

The demand most often comes from five situations. First - continuing studies abroad: for admission to a bachelor's, master's or doctoral programme the university asks for a translation of the school certificate or diploma together with the supplement. Second - a study visa and residence: the embassy needs proof of admission and the documents of previous education. Third - employment and professional licensing: doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers and lawyers go through diploma recognition at the regulator of the destination country. Fourth - returning to Georgia with a foreign diploma, which has to be translated into Georgian and recognised. Fifth - scholarships and exchange programmes, where recommendation letters, a motivation letter and a CV are sent as one package.

Why educational documents differ from ordinary translation

The grading system is not translated - it is described

The most common mistake is "converting" the Georgian 100-point or old 5-point grade into a foreign scale. A translator has no right to do that: the recognition centre (WES, ENIC-NARIC, uni-assist, CIMEA) calculates the equivalent itself, and an altered grade can even be treated as falsification. The correct approach is to carry over the original grades exactly and, where needed, add a translator's note about the grading scale, exactly as it is described in the diploma supplement.

Terminology that has to match

"Bachelor", "master", "doctor", "credit", "semester", "qualification" and "degree awarded" must be rendered with the official equivalent established in each language. Course titles must correspond to the terms the foreign university uses in its own curriculum: "organic chemistry" in English is Organic Chemistry and not the author's own variation. We keep a terminology base for every Georgian university, so one student's diploma, supplement and transcript are translated with identical terms.

Names, seals, numbers

The name and surname are always written according to the Latin entry of the passport; the diploma series and number, the registration number, the date of issue and the signatories' positions are carried over unchanged. Seals, holograms and stamps are described in square brackets, so that a foreign official can compare the translation and the original side by side.

Diploma and supplement: why they are translated together

The diploma proves that a degree was awarded to you; the supplement shows what you studied, how many credits you earned and with what grades. Most foreign universities and recognition centres do not consider a diploma without the supplement, and treat a supplement without the diploma as an incomplete document. So we translate both as one package, with one terminology and simultaneous certification.

Notarization, apostille and recognition: the correct order

Legalising educational documents in Georgia has its own separate route. The apostille on a diploma, a school certificate and an academic transcript is issued by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, which first verifies the authenticity of the document with the issuing institution. That means you cannot have a diploma apostilled at the Public Service Hall, and the timing is different too: a few working days as standard, less under the expedited procedure.

The order that protects you from mistakes:

• 1. Apostille on the original. First the original diploma and supplement receive the apostille. If you translate first, the apostille text will not be in the translation and the process starts over.
• 2. Translation together with the apostille. Both the document and the apostille stamp are translated.
• 3. Notarization. The notary certifies the translator's signature and binds the translation to the original or to a notarized copy. For a diploma we almost always use a copy, so that the original stays untouched.
• 4. A second apostille (where needed). Italy, Spain, Portugal and some other countries require an apostille on the notarized translation itself. In that case the document goes to the Ministry of Justice.
• 5. Recognition. Abroad - at the relevant centre (for example Anabin/ZAB for Germany, ENIC for France, WES for the USA and Canada); in Georgia - at the same National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement.

Some countries, Germany and Italy in particular, require a sworn or consular translation in specific procedures, which a Georgian notarization cannot replace. We tell you this at the very first consultation, so that you do not miss a required certification.

The educational documents we translate

Each document has its own requirements: who issues it, whether it needs an apostille and which authority asks for it in what form. Below are the main documents of the category; we prepare a separate detailed page for each, with turnaround and country-by-country requirements.

• Diploma and diploma supplement
• School leaving certificate
• Academic transcript
• Student status certificate
• Academic degree diploma
• Certificates and course completion documents
• Language proficiency certificate
• Syllabus and curriculum
• Recommendation letter
• Motivation letter
• CV and resume
• Diploma recognition

Diplomas and school certificates

Bachelor's, master's and doctoral diplomas, the certificate of complete general education and vocational diplomas are most often translated into English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Polish, Turkish and Russian. Old, Soviet-era diplomas are drawn up in Russian and often carry handwritten entries; a specialist in both languages works on such documents, and for the apostille the Center requests confirmation from the archive, which has to be allowed for in the timing.

Transcripts and statements

An academic transcript and a student status certificate are valid for a limited period and are often already issued by the university in an English-language form. If a bilingual version does not exist or the target language is different, we translate and certify them so that the course titles match the translation of the diploma supplement exactly. Translated syllabi are useful for credit transfer and course recognition, where a detailed description of the content is needed.

The application package

A recommendation letter, a motivation letter and a CV rarely need notarization, but they are no less demanding on quality: the admissions committee uses them to judge how the candidate thinks. A native-level editor works on these documents so that the text reads naturally, in an academic style and with a structure familiar to an English-speaking committee.

How we work: turnaround, guarantee

A diploma with a one-page supplement, or a school certificate, is translated and notarized within one working day; a multi-page supplement usually within two days. Every translation is checked by two people: the translator and an editor, who separately compares every grade, credit, date and name. If a university or recognition centre finds an inaccuracy in the translation, we correct and re-certify it. Documents can be delivered at the office, by email or through the website form; you receive the finished translation at the office or by courier, and a scanned version by email the same day.

Frequently asked questions