Licences and permits are the documents by which the state grants a company the right to a specific activity: banking and insurance, pharmaceutical production, construction works, energy, telecommunications, extraction of natural resources, transport, education, security. In an international tender, with a foreign partner, in export or when founding a branch abroad this document is accepted only with a certified translation, while a foreign licence is valid in Georgia with a Georgian translation. In the translation of a licence the official name of the issuing body, the exact subject of the licence and its conditions are critical. Our bureau in Tbilisi translates and notarizes licences and permits within one or two working days.
The difference between a licence and a permit
Under the Law of Georgia on Licences and Permits, a licence is issued for an activity or the use of a resource for an indefinite or long term, while a permit is issued for a specific action or facility, usually for a defined term. Examples of licences are banking, insurance, educational, medical, pharmaceutical, energy and mineral extraction licences; examples of permits are a construction permit, an environmental decision, an international carriage permit, permits for the circulation of weapons, alcohol and tobacco. This difference is reflected in the translation too: in English a licence is licence or license depending on the jurisdiction, a permit is permit, while authorisation and accreditation, which are separate regimes, are rendered with separate terms in the translation as well.
When a licence or permit needs a translation
- International tenders. The tender commission asks for the activity licence in the qualification package to confirm the bidder's entitlement.
- Export and product registration abroad. In the export of pharmaceutical, food and medical products the manufacturer's licence is part of the registration dossier.
- Founding a branch abroad. The foreign regulator asks for a translation of the Georgian licence to start the procedure for issuing a local licence.
- Submitting a foreign licence in Georgia. A foreign bank, insurance company, pharmaceutical manufacturer or construction company submits its own country's licence with a Georgian translation to the Georgian regulator, in a tender or at the registry.
- A partner's due diligence. A foreign counterparty checks, before signing a contract, that the Georgian company is entitled to the activity.
- Bank and investor. When financing a licensed activity the lender checks the validity and conditions of the licence.
What matters when translating a licence
The official name of the issuing body
The name of the body issuing the licence must be rendered in the form the body itself uses in international communication: the National Bank of Georgia, the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission, the Communications Commission, the Agency for Regulation of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. Most of these bodies have an official English name, and a version "invented" by the translator hinders the foreign regulator in verifying the document.
The subject and conditions of the licence
The most important part of a licence is the exact description of the activity: "pharmaceutical production" and "pharmaceutical activity" are different rights, "construction of a high-voltage transmission network" and "electricity distribution" are different licences. The subject of the licence, the licence conditions, annexes, restrictions and territory are rendered word for word, in the terminology of the industry, so that the foreign regulator sees the scope of the licence unambiguously.
Number, term, seal and amendments
The licence number, the date of issue, the validity, the licence holder's identification code and the position of the issuing official stay unchanged. The seal, signature, hologram and coat of arms are described in square brackets. If the licence was amended or extended, the amendment document is translated too, because it is what proves the licence is currently valid.
Apostille and legalization on a licence
A licence is a document issued by a state body and needs an apostille for official submission abroad. In practice there are two routes: the apostille is placed directly on the original licence if the issuing body's signature and seal are registered with the apostille authority, or, more often, a notarized copy of the licence is prepared, the Ministry of Justice places the apostille on it and the document is then translated together with the apostille. For a tender and a partner a notarized translation without an apostille is often enough, while for a foreign regulator an apostille is almost always mandatory. We confirm which route is correct in your case as soon as we take the order.
Translating a foreign licence into Georgian
When starting a licensed activity in Georgia, taking part in a tender or registering products, a foreign company submits its own country's licence with a Georgian translation. We translate the licences of regulators in the EU countries, the United Kingdom, the USA, Turkey, Israel, China and the post-Soviet countries: GMP certificates for pharmaceutical production, banking and investment licences, construction qualification certificates, transport and aviation permits. We choose the Georgian terminology so that the Georgian regulator correctly maps the subject of the foreign licence to the local licence category. A foreign licence must receive the apostille in the issuing country itself.
Typical cases from our practice
- Pharmaceutical export to Central Asia. The production licence and GMP certificate in Russian, notarized and apostilled, as part of the registration dossier.
- A construction company in an international tender. Construction permits and documents of completed projects in English with one glossary, so that the names of the sites are the same in every document.
- A foreign bank's representative office in Georgia. The parent bank's licence and the regulator's certificate in Georgian, for submission to the National Bank.
Turnaround
The translation of a one- or two-page licence with notarization is ready within one working day; a licence with licence conditions and annexes (5-15 pages) takes 2-3 days. For a tender the licence is usually needed together with the extract, the tax certificate and the financial statements, and we prepare the whole package with one glossary, in one visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the name of the issuing body translated?
Yes, but with the body's official foreign-language name, which the body itself uses, and not the translator's version. This lets the foreign regulator verify the document.
Is an apostille placed on a licence?
Yes, a licence is a state document. In practice the apostille is often placed on a notarized copy at the Ministry of Justice, and the document is then translated together with the apostille.
Do the licence conditions and annexes need translating?
It depends on the receiving side. For a tender the main sheet of the licence is often enough, for a regulator the full document with annexes. We confirm the requirement in advance.
Is a foreign licence valid in Georgia with a translation?
A translation does not change the legal force of a licence. It lets the regulator, tender and registry understand the content of the document; the procedure for obtaining a Georgian licence is set separately by law.
How long does a notarized licence translation take?
A one- or two-page licence within one working day, a licence with annexes within 2-3 days. The apostille timing is added separately.