Every other page in this category is about taking Georgian documents abroad; this one is about the opposite route. A diploma obtained in Kyiv, Berlin, Ankara or Boston means nothing in Georgia by itself until the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement confirms that it corresponds to a specific cycle of the Georgian system. Without that confirmation you cannot enrol in a Georgian master's programme, hold a position in public service or start the licensing procedure as a doctor, and many employers simply will not count the diploma. Our bureau, on Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, prepares the document package for this procedure: we translate the way the Center expects, and warn you about the details on which applications are most often sent back.
Who needs recognition
- Georgians returning home. Continuing studies in Georgia after a bachelor's or master's abroad, public service, reporting on a student loan or a state scholarship.
- Foreign specialists. When taking a job at a Georgian company, an international organisation or a university, the employer or the residence procedure asks for a recognised diploma.
- Doctors, pharmacists, lawyers. Medical practice in Georgia with a foreign medical diploma starts with recognition and then moves to the unified certification exam; admission to the bar exam also requires recognised legal education.
- Teachers. Foreign pedagogical education for employment and certification at a school.
- Students with unfinished studies. Recognition of courses completed abroad for mobility to a Georgian university, on the basis of syllabi and a transcript.
- School pupils. Recognition of general education or a school certificate obtained abroad for admission to a Georgian school or university.
How the procedure at the Center works
The application is submitted at the Center or electronically, accompanied by the diploma, the supplement or transcript, their notarized Georgian translation, an identity document and, if the name has changed, a marriage certificate or a name change document. The Center checks two things: whether the issuing institution and the programme are recognised in their own country, and whether the applicant really completed the programme. To establish the second, the Center often contacts the university directly, and the timing depends precisely on that reply: European universities answer within days, universities in some countries within weeks. The result is a recognition document stating that your qualification corresponds to the Georgian bachelor's, master's or doctoral cycle. The standard procedure usually takes several weeks, an expedited option exists; the Center's timing is published on its website and changes from time to time, so we check before applying.
Apostille and legalization: needed or not
In many cases the Center accepts the document without an apostille, because it verifies authenticity itself. In practice, however, an apostille speeds the process up considerably, and for diplomas from countries where universities reply slowly or not at all it is effectively indispensable. The main advice we give every returning student: have the diploma and supplement apostilled in that country before you leave, because obtaining a foreign apostille from Georgia happens by power of attorney and courier and takes weeks. For countries that are not party to the Hague Convention (for example the United Arab Emirates, China for documents issued before 2023, Canada) consular legalization replaces the apostille. The translation is always made after the apostille, so that its text is rendered in Georgian too.
A translation the Center accepts without any problem
The name according to the Georgian documents
The most frequent reason an application is sent back for clarification is a name mismatch. In the foreign diploma the name is in Latin or Cyrillic letters, while the Center compares it with the Georgian ID card and passport. In the translation we write the name exactly as it is in the Georgian documents, and if the foreign transliteration differs (Tamar/Tamara, Giorgi/George), we add a translator's note and, where needed, recommend a certificate confirming that the names refer to the same person.
University, qualification, grades
The name of the foreign university stays in its original form and is accompanied by a Georgian translation or transliteration, so that the Center can find it in its databases. The qualification is translated with its original name preserved (Bachelor of Science, Diplom-Ingenieur, Licence, "bachelor" rather than "bachelor's studies"), while stating the cycle is the Center's business, not the translator's. Grades and credits are carried over unchanged with a description of the scale; an American GPA, a British classification (2:1) and the German 1,0-5,0 system are not "converted" into the Georgian 100-point scale. The 40-60 courses of the transcript are translated with the same care as a Georgian supplement for abroad.
Certification
The Center requires a notarized translation. The notary binds the translation to a notarized copy of the diploma, while the original stays untouched; the original has to be shown once, to compare the copy. If the diploma is bilingual and one of the languages is English, a translation is still made, because the Center asks for a Georgian version; for a multilingual European Diploma Supplement we translate from the English version, checked by a specialist in the original language.
The cases that present difficulties
Refusal or delay of recognition is usually linked to three reasons. First: the institution is not recognised in its own country or the programme is not accredited (so-called diploma mills, unaccredited branches, some fully online programmes). A translation cannot change this, but before the order we can check whether the university is in the relevant national register. Second: the studies were partly or fully distance-based, which requires a separate assessment. Third: documents issued in occupied territories or unrecognised jurisdictions, to which separate rules apply. If your case concerns one of these three, we recommend a consultation first, then the translation.
The opposite direction and the package
If, conversely, you need a Georgian diploma recognised abroad, we explain the procedure on the diploma and supplement and academic degree pages, where WES, Anabin and ENIC-NARIC are described in detail. The recognition package often includes course certificates, a language certificate and, for employment, a Georgian CV; we prepare everything with one transliteration and in one visit. The general principles are on the category page.
Turnaround
A diploma and a one- or two-page supplement in Georgian, with notarization, are ready within 1-2 working days, a multi-page transcript within 2-3 days. Send the scan through the website form; you receive the finished package at the office or by courier, ready for submission to the Center.
Frequently asked questions
Who recognises a foreign diploma in Georgia?
The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement. It checks that the foreign institution is recognised in its own country and that the programme was really completed, and issues a document equating the qualification to a cycle of the Georgian system.
Is an apostille on a foreign diploma mandatory for recognition?
The Center often verifies the authenticity of the document directly with the university, but an apostille or consular legalization speeds the process up and is practically mandatory for diplomas from some countries. If you are still abroad, have the apostille placed there.
Which documents are translated for recognition?
The diploma, the supplement or transcript, the apostille or legalization stamp and, where needed, a document confirming a change of surname. All of them into Georgian, notarized, with one transliteration.
How long does recognition take?
The translation is ready within 1-3 days. The Center's own procedure usually takes several weeks, an expedited option exists; the timing depends on the foreign university's reply.