Power of attorney translation and notarization

A power of attorney is the document by which a company or an individual grants someone else the right to act on their behalf: to sign a contract, represent the company at the registry, a bank or in court, register a subsidiary or dispose of property. A power of attorney sent abroad almost always needs a notarized translation and an apostille, while a power of attorney issued abroad is valid in Georgia only with a Georgian translation. One inexact word in the translation of a power of attorney changes the scope of authority, so this work needs a translator with legal specialisation. Our bureau in Tbilisi translates and notarizes powers of attorney in one working day.

The kinds of power of attorney we translate

• Corporate power of attorney. The company's director grants a representative the right to act on the company's behalf abroad: register a branch, open an account, sign a contract or represent the company in a tender.
• General power of attorney. Broad authority for managing property, concluding transactions and representation before authorities.
• Special power of attorney. For one specific action: selling a flat, disposing of a car, accepting an inheritance, collecting documents.
• Litigation power of attorney. A lawyer's or representative's authority in court and arbitration.
• Banking power of attorney. The right to operate an account for a specific person.

Each type has its own terminology and structure, and the translation must reflect exactly the authority in the original: no more and no less.

When a power of attorney needs a translation

A Georgian power of attorney goes abroad when a company or a person appoints a representative abroad: to found a subsidiary, open a bank account, sell property, be represented in court or collect documents at a consulate. A foreign power of attorney is needed in Georgia when a foreign investor or a Georgian living abroad appoints a representative here: to register a company, for a real estate transaction, an inheritance case or a court dispute. In both cases the notary, the registry and the bank accept the power of attorney only with a certified translation.

What matters when translating a power of attorney

The scope of authority

The core of a power of attorney is the list of powers, and that is where the risk is highest. "Dispose of", "manage", "represent", "sign", "receive" and "alienate" are legally different actions and each has an exact equivalent in the target language. If the original grants the right to "manage" property, "dispose of" must not appear in the translation, because that implies the right to sell. The same applies to concepts such as "right of substitution", "delegation of authority to a third party" and "conflict of interest".

The details of the principal and the representative

The names, dates of birth, personal numbers and passport numbers of the principal and the attorney are written exactly as in their identity documents. For a company the name, identification code and director's name must be identical to the translation of the register extract. Before starting the translation we ask for copies of the passports so that the transliteration is the same in every document.

Validity, revocation and the notarial entry

The date of issue of the power of attorney, its validity, the conditions of revocation, the notary's certification entry, the register number and the fee are translated in full. It is the notarial entry that proves the document was really signed by the principal, and leaving it out or abbreviating it makes the document useless to a foreign authority.

Apostille and legalization on a power of attorney

A power of attorney is a notarial act, so the apostille on it is placed by the Ministry of Justice. For submission abroad the order is this: drawing up the power of attorney before a notary, placing the apostille, translating the power of attorney and the apostille together, notarizing the translation. For Italy, Spain and a number of other countries the notarized translation itself needs a second apostille, and for the United Arab Emirates and other non-member countries consular legalization. A foreign power of attorney is accepted in Georgia only if the apostille was placed on it in the issuing country and it was then translated into Georgian and notarized.

A bilingual power of attorney: one visit to the notary

If you know in advance that the power of attorney will be needed abroad, the most effective route is to draw it up in two languages from the outset, in two parallel columns. The principal signs both versions at the same time, the notary certifies one document, the apostille is placed once and no separate translation is needed. We prepare the bilingual text on the basis of your or your lawyer's Georgian version and align it with the requirements of the notary or registry of the target country, because some jurisdictions require specific wording in a power of attorney.

Translating a foreign power of attorney into Georgian

Powers of attorney drawn up abroad differ sharply in form: a British or American Power of Attorney often comes with witnesses' signatures instead of a notary and a separate apostille sheet, a German Vollmacht with a notary's seal, and Russian-language documents with a detailed certification entry. Our translators know these formats and build the Georgian text so that a Georgian notary, the Public Registry or a bank accepts the document without additional questions. Where needed, we prepare an explanatory note on concepts that have no direct analogue in Georgian law.

Typical cases from our practice

• Founding a subsidiary in Europe. The director of a Georgian company grants a local lawyer the authority to register it; the power of attorney is drawn up bilingually, the apostille is placed once and the document is dispatched the next day.
• Selling a flat in Tbilisi from abroad. An owner living abroad issues a special power of attorney to a relative; we translate the document drawn up at a consulate or before a foreign notary into Georgian and certify it so that the Public Registry registers the transaction.
• Court representation. A foreign company appoints a Georgian lawyer; in the translation of the power of attorney the list of powers is rendered in the terminology of the Civil Procedure Code, so that the court admits the representation without difficulty.

Turnaround

The translation of a one- or two-page power of attorney with notarization is ready within one working day; a document delivered in the morning is handed back the same day. If you need the power of attorney in several languages, each is a separate translation, but they are certified in one visit.

Frequently asked questions