The language certificate is the one educational document about which our first advice is often: "You do not need this translated." An IELTS Test Report Form is in English and a British university verifies it online by its TRF number; a Goethe certificate is in German and the German embassy needs nothing more. Here translation is the exception, not the rule, and it is precisely knowing the exceptions that people come to us for: when IELTS has to be submitted to a Georgian doctoral programme, when a Turkish TÖMER is needed by a German authority, or when a language school certificate has to be readable in English for an employer. This page is first about when a translation is not needed, and then about how we translate when it is genuinely needed.
When a language certificate does not need a translation
Certificates of standardised international exams, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge (B2 First, C1 Advanced), PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test, Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, DSH, ÖSD, telc, DELF/DALF, TCF, DELE, SIELE, CILS, CELI, PLIDA, are drawn up in the target language itself and are verifiable online. If you submit the document to a university, embassy or employer in the country whose language the certificate is in, a translation is superfluous, and a notarization will not be accepted at all, because the authority asks for the original or the online version. An apostille is practically never required on language certificates: they are documents of private examination organisations and their authenticity is established through a verification system, not by a stamp. In that case our role is only to make sure that the rest of the package, the diploma, the school certificate, the recommendations, is translated correctly and that the name stated in the certificate is written identically everywhere.
Six cases when a translation really is needed
- A Georgian university and doctoral programme. For admission to doctoral studies at Tbilisi universities a certificate confirming English at B2 level often has to be submitted with a Georgian notarized translation, especially when the candidate is exempted from the exam on the basis of the certificate.
- Public service, tenders, state programmes. The "English at B2 level" stated in the competition terms is proven to the competition commission with a certified Georgian translation; the same applies to other foreign certificates in a tender package.
- Teacher certification and schools. A foreign language teacher needs a Goethe, DELF or Cambridge certificate in Georgian for the Ministry of Education's system or a private school's personnel file.
- A third language. The language of the certificate and the language of the authority do not match: a Russian TORFL for the German immigration service, a Turkish TÖMER for a Polish university, an English IELTS for the Italian Questura. The translation is made from the language of the certificate into the target language.
- Certificates of language schools and university courses. A certificate of a course completed without a standardised exam (for example a 120-hour German course to B1 level) is rarely of use to a foreign university, but it is useful for an employer, a CV and some scholarships; it is translated with the hours and level stated.
- A Georgian language certificate for a foreigner. A foreigner living in Georgia who has completed a Georgian language course or passed a level exam submits the certificate to an authority at home, a foreign employer or in a residence case, and it is translated into English or their language.
What we translate, and what we do not
Levels, scores, components
The CEFR levels (A1-C2) are international designations and stay unchanged; in a Georgian translation we add the Georgian term in brackets (B2, independent user, upper-intermediate level). IELTS bands (Overall 7.0, Listening 7.5), TOEFL scores (0-120) and TestDaF TDN levels are carried over numerically, while the component names are translated: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking. "Converting" scores from one exam to another, for example TOEFL 100 is IELTS 7.0, does not take place in the translation; the authority must use those comparison tables itself.
Details and verification
The candidate number, the TRF or certificate number, the test centre code, the date of the exam and, if stated, the validity of the results stay unchanged. The verification link and QR code are described, so that a Georgian official or a foreign registrar can check the authenticity themselves. The name and surname are written as in the certificate, and if they differ from the passport (which does happen by mistake at IELTS registration), we add a note to the translation.
Validity
Most universities accept IELTS and TOEFL results for two years; Goethe and Cambridge certificates do not expire, although individual authorities still impose a "last two years" requirement. A translation does not change the validity of the certificate: if the certificate has expired on the day of submission, the translation cannot save it, and we tell you that before the order.
Two typical situations from Tbilisi
First: a candidate in the doctoral competition at Ilia State University has IELTS 6.5 and wants exemption from the exam. The commission needs a notarized Georgian translation of the TRF showing the Overall score and the date of the exam within the last two years. We translate it in one day, do not touch the original, bind the translation to a copy, and the candidate also submits the verification link. Second: an English teacher with Cambridge C1 Advanced has to upload the certificate to the Ministry's system with a Georgian translation. Here both pages of the Statement of Results are translated, including the component scores, because the system asks for exactly the detailed record. In both cases the most frequent mistake we see elsewhere is "explaining" the scores in the translation: a translator conveys the original, they do not assess it.
The format of certification
For Georgian authorities (university, ministry, competition commission) the standard is notarization: the notary certifies the translator's signature and binds the translation to a copy of the certificate, while the original stays untouched, which matters especially because an original IELTS TRF is not reissued. For a foreign employer or university that needs a translation from a third language, a translation certified on the bureau's letterhead as a PDF is often enough. If the certificate goes in one package with a motivation letter, an academic transcript and a student certificate, we certify it all in one visit. The general principles are on the category page.
Turnaround
A one-page certificate is ready with notarization within one working day; delivered in the morning the same day, a PDF with the bureau's certification within a few hours. And once again: if the certificate does not need a translation, we tell you so in our very first reply.
Frequently asked questions
Does an IELTS or TOEFL certificate need a translation for a foreign university?
No. It is in English and the university verifies the result online by the TRF or registration number. A translation is needed when the certificate is submitted to a Georgian authority or when the target language differs from the language of the certificate.
Which language certificates are translated into Georgian most often?
IELTS and TOEFL for admission to doctoral programmes and public service competitions, Goethe and TestDaF for German language teachers, TÖMER and TORFL in residence and employment cases, and certificates of foreign language schools.
Is a language school certificate at B2 level accepted by a university?
As a rule, no. Foreign universities and embassies accept only standardised, internationally recognised exams. A school certificate is useful for a CV and some employers, and we translate it for that purpose.
How soon will it be ready?
A one-page certificate with notarization within one working day; delivered in the morning the same day. An apostille is practically never required on language certificates.