Translating personal documents is the service people need at the most important moments of their lives: going abroad to study, applying for a visa, registering a marriage in another country, settling an inheritance or obtaining a residence permit. That is why translating this category of documents is not simply moving text from one language into another - it is producing a legally significant document that a foreign state body, embassy, university or bank has to trust. Our bureau in Tbilisi, on Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, specialises in exactly this type of document: we translate, notarize and prepare for the apostille in one place, with no running around.
Why personal documents demand special precision
In a personal document every character matters. A one-letter mistake in a surname, a wrongly copied date of birth or a digit dropped from a passport number means the document is simply not accepted by the foreign authority. The result is often not just lost time but a missed consular appointment or a postponed enrolment.
The hardest issue is the transliteration of names and surnames. A Georgian surname can be written in Latin letters in several ways, but a foreign authority accepts only one - the one in your passport. So before we start translating a birth or marriage certificate we always ask for a copy of the passport and write every name exactly as it appears in the travel document. The same applies to place names, the names of institutions and job titles, each of which has an established official equivalent in every language.
Format, seals and notes
A good translation repeats the structure of the original: a table stays a table, fields stay fields, and seals, stamps, signatures and handwritten notes are described separately in square brackets. Thanks to that a foreign official can easily compare the translation and the original side by side, which matters most for embassies and immigration services.
Notarization: how the process works
For most personal documents a plain translation is not enough - a notarized translation is required. In Georgia the notary certifies not the content of the translation itself but the authenticity of the translator's signature. That means responsibility for the translation rests with a qualified translator registered with the notary, whose signature the notary personally certifies.
With us the process looks like this:
- Receiving the document - we take the original or a good-quality scan at the office, electronically or through the website form; we assess which type of certification your purpose requires.
- Translation and checking - the translation is done by a specialist in the relevant language, then a second colleague separately checks every name, date, number and seal description.
- Binding and certification - the translation is attached to the original or to its notarized copy, the notary certifies the translator's signature and states the exact number of sheets.
- Handover - you receive the finished document at the office or by courier, and an electronic copy by email.
A standard one-page document - a passport, a certificate, a statement - is translated and certified within one working day. In urgent cases, if you deliver the document in the morning, the certified translation is ready the same day.
Original or copy - what the translation is attached to
The translation can be attached to the original, to a notarized copy of the original or to a plain copy. For a passport and an ID card the translation is always attached to a copy, because a travel document cannot be "spoiled". For civil status certificates and official statements it depends on the requirement of the receiving authority - which we confirm in advance so that you do not have to redo the document.
Apostille and legalization: when they are needed
If the document is to be submitted in a country that is party to the Hague Convention (the EU countries, the USA, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel and others), it needs an apostille - an international stamp confirming the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document. In Georgia the apostille on civil status documents is issued by the Public Service Hall and the Public Service Development Agency, and on notarial documents by the Ministry of Justice. For countries that have not joined the Convention, consular legalization is needed instead of the apostille.
The order that protects you from mistakes
The most common mistake is getting the order wrong. The correct rule is: first the apostille goes on the original document, then the document and the apostille are translated together, and finally the translation is notarized. Some countries - Italy, Spain or certain German states, for example - additionally require the notarized translation itself to carry an apostille. We tell you in advance which scheme your destination country needs and arrange the whole chain - from obtaining the apostille to the final certification - through one window.
Keep the deadlines in mind too: an apostille on a civil status document is issued by the Public Service Hall within a few working days as standard, and the same or the next day under the expedited procedure. If you are submitting the document to an embassy on a specific date, we plan the full cycle of apostille, translation and certification backwards from it so that nothing slips on the last day.
The most requested personal documents
Each document has its own specifics: where it is issued, how long it is valid, in which country and in what form it is required and what to bear in mind when translating it. Below is the list of the personal documents our bureau is asked for most often - we prepare a separate detailed page for each, with turnaround and the requirements of the receiving authorities.
- Passport and ID card
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Divorce certificate
- Death certificate
- Driving licence
- Criminal record certificate
- Consent for a child to travel abroad
- Certificate of marital status
- Certificate of residence
- Employment certificate
- Bank statement
Civil status certificates
Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates are translated most often for family reunification, residence, citizenship and inheritance cases. Old, Soviet-era certificates are often drawn up in Russian with handwritten entries - we work on such documents with particular care and, where needed, recommend obtaining an updated extract from the Public Service Hall, which receives the apostille without any problem.
Certificates and statements
Certificates of criminal record, marital status, residence and employment, as well as bank statements, usually have a limited period of validity - often from 30 days to 6 months. So we plan their translation for the time when the date of submission to the embassy or authority is already known. For bank statements we additionally check the currency notation, the decimal format and that the totals add up, because consulates look at this part especially closely.
Consent for a child to travel abroad
When a minor travels abroad with one parent or an accompanying adult, border guards and airlines often ask for the other parent's notarized consent in the language of the destination country. This document is prepared with us from start to finish: the notary certifies the consent, we translate it and certify the translation the same day.
Five mistakes that get a document rejected
Over the years the same problems keep recurring, and almost all of them can be avoided with a consultation in advance:
- Translation before the apostille - the document was translated and certified, and only then did it emerge that the apostille also had to be translated; the whole process starts over.
- Different transliteration - the surname is written one way in the birth certificate and another way in the passport; the authority sees two different people.
- An expired certificate - the criminal record or marital status certificate was valid when translated but no longer on the day of submission.
- An incomplete translation - the reverse side, the text of a seal or a handwritten note is missing, and the consulate treats the document as incomplete.
- The wrong type of certification - a sworn or consular translation was required, but an ordinary notarization was submitted.
That is why at the start of every order we ask three questions: in which country, to which authority and for what purpose you will submit the document. Based on the answers we choose the format of certification, establish whether an apostille is needed and plan the deadlines so that the document is valid and complete on the day of submission.
What you get with us
Our bureau works in more than 40 languages - from English and Russian to German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Hebrew and Arabic. Every translation goes through a double check, notarization takes place in the same building, and, if you wish, we take on arranging the apostille and legalization. If you are not sure which certification your case needs, call us or upload the document - we will work it out and offer you an exact plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does the notary check the translation itself?
No. In Georgia the notary certifies the authenticity of the signature of a translator registered with that notary, who takes responsibility for the translation. That is why the quality of the translation depends on the bureau, not on the notary.
Is the apostille placed on the original or on the translation?
First on the original document, at the Public Service Hall or the Ministry of Justice; the document is then translated together with the apostille. Some countries, such as Italy and Spain, also require a second apostille on the notarized translation.
How long does a personal document take?
A standard one-page document is translated and notarized within one working day; delivered in the morning, it is ready the same day. The apostille takes a few extra working days.
Can I send the document as a scan?
Yes. For the translation a clear scan or photo is enough. The original is needed only if the notary must also certify that the copy matches the original.