A power of attorney is the document by which one person grants another the right to act on their behalf: selling property, managing a bank account, representing a company, defending in court. That is why even the smallest inaccuracy in the translation of a power of attorney turns into a practical problem: a notary, a bank, the Public Registry or a consulate will not accept the document if the scope of authority does not read identically in both languages. Our service is intended for companies, law firms, foreign investors and persons abroad who need a translation of a power of attorney or a notarial deed that is accepted at the first submission. This page is part of our legal translation practice.
The documents we translate
Powers of attorney
- general powers of attorney for the full management of property and affairs
- special powers of attorney for a specific transaction: buying and selling real estate, disposing of a car, transferring a share
- corporate powers of attorney for representing a company, signing contracts, taking part in tenders
- banking powers of attorney for managing an account and carrying out transactions
- litigation and lawyers' powers of attorney for representation in proceedings
- powers of attorney for consular and migration procedures
Notarial deeds and declarations
- notarized consents: a spouse's consent to a transaction, a parent's consent to a child's travel
- notarized declarations and affidavits
- certificates of authenticity of a signature
- certification entries on notarized copies and extracts
- certificates of inheritance and inheritance-related notarial deeds
- notarized contracts, where the notary's certification entry is translated too
Why the translation of a power of attorney is especially sensitive
The legal force of a power of attorney lies in its wording. The document must define exactly who authorises whom, to do what and for how long. In the translation each of these four elements must be carried over unchanged.
- Identification of the parties: names, surnames, personal numbers, passport details, company identification codes. The transliteration of a name must match the passport exactly, otherwise the document will be rejected
- The scope of authority: the right to "dispose of" and the right to "manage" are different things. The "right to sell" does not include the "right to donate". The translation must neither widen nor narrow what is in the original
- The right of substitution: whether the representative is entitled to delegate their rights to someone else
- Validity and revocation: the period of validity, the revocation procedure, the force of actions performed before revocation
A particular difficulty is the mismatch of concepts between legal systems. The English "power of attorney" does not always fully coincide with the Georgian mindobiloba, a "durable power of attorney" does not exist as a separate institution in Georgian law, and the Russian "doverennost s pravom peredoveriya" requires exact wording in the substitution part. A professional translator knows these differences and chooses a wording that produces the same effect in the receiving jurisdiction.
Translating the notary's certification entry
A frequent mistake is translating only the text of the power of attorney, without the notary's certification entry. In reality it is this entry that gives the document its legal force: it confirms the signatory's identity, legal capacity and the genuineness of their will. We translate the document in full: the main text, the notary's entry, seals, stamps, registration numbers and the apostille, if it has already been placed on the document. Every visual element is described in square brackets in the translation, which is the standard requirement of the receiving body.
A foreign power of attorney for submission in Georgia
A typical scenario: a foreign investor or a Georgian citizen abroad authorises a representative to found a company, acquire property or open a bank account in Tbilisi. In that case the procedure is as follows:
- The power of attorney is drawn up before a local notary or at a Georgian consulate
- If the document was drawn up before a foreign notary, an apostille is placed on it (for Hague Convention member countries) or consular legalization is carried out
- In Georgia a full translation is made and notarized
- The document is submitted to the Public Registry, a bank or another body
An important nuance: the authority of a US notary public differs significantly from that of a Georgian notary. An American notary only certifies the signature and is not responsible for the content of the document, so such a power of attorney is not accepted in Georgia without an apostille. We explain this procedure to the client before the order, so that the document does not have to be drawn up a second time.
A Georgian power of attorney for submission abroad
The opposite direction is frequent too: a Georgian company authorises a foreign partner to represent it, or a Georgian citizen disposes of property abroad. Here the translation must meet the expectations of the receiving country's notary and registry. We translate with the terminology of the target jurisdiction, provide notarization and help arrange the apostille.
Corporate powers of attorney for business
For companies a power of attorney is an everyday instrument: the authority of a branch manager, the right to take part in a tender, customs representation, signing contracts on behalf of the head office. Such powers of attorney are often drawn up in series, from one template. For regular corporate clients we keep an approved template translation and a terminology base, which makes every new power of attorney translate quickly and consistently. To confirm the signatory's authority a power of attorney is often accompanied by a register extract and a corporate resolution, which we translate in the same package.
The working process
- Receiving a scanned copy of the document over an encrypted channel and assessing it
- Confirming the receiving body's requirements: the form of certification, whether an apostille is needed
- Translation by a translator specialising in notarial documents, with the transliteration of names checked against the passport
- Editing by a second specialist, with a double check of personal data and numbers
- Notarization, often the same day
- Delivery in print or as an electronic copy
Every document contains personal data, so work on it is carried out under a signed non-disclosure agreement, with restricted access and an agreed retention period.
Frequently asked questions
Does the notary's certification entry need translating too?
Yes. Receiving bodies require the document translated in full, including the notary's entry, seals, registration numbers and the apostille. A translation of the main text alone will, as a rule, be rejected.
How are names transliterated in a power of attorney?
Names and surnames are translated exactly as they are written in the passport or ID card. When taking the order we ask for a copy of the identity document so that the transliteration matches the passport.
How long do the translation and certification of a power of attorney take?
The translation and notarization of a standard 1-3 page power of attorney are usually completed within 1 working day. In an urgent case within a few hours.
Can a power of attorney scanned from abroad be translated?
Translation from a scanned copy is possible, but for notarization and official submission the original or the apostilled document is usually needed. We confirm the specific body's requirement in advance.
Is an apostille needed on a power of attorney drawn up abroad?
On a power of attorney drawn up in a Hague Convention member country, as a rule, yes. With some countries Georgia has a bilateral agreement that removes legalization. A power of attorney drawn up at a consulate does not need an apostille.
Do you have experience of translating corporate powers of attorney in series?
Yes. For regular corporate clients we keep an approved template translation and a terminology base, which makes the translation of every new power of attorney fast and consistent.