The Georgian Civil Code was created in 1997 with the participation of German lawyers, on the model of the German Civil Code (BGB), and this fact gives German-Georgian legal translation a special character: most terms have a one-to-one equivalent, which makes the translation easier and at the same time harder, because using an "approximate" variant instead of the exact equivalent is immediately noticeable to a lawyer. In the medical direction Germany is one of the main destinations for Georgian doctors and patients, and German medical documentation follows its own standard in format, coding and terminology. This page considers both fields in detail.
The BGB and the Georgian Civil Code: where they match and where not
The structure of German and Georgian civil law is almost identical: general part, law of obligations, property law, family and inheritance law. "Besitz" and "Eigentum" are possession and ownership in Georgian, "Willenserklärung" a declaration of intent, "Anfechtung" avoidance, "Verjährung" limitation, "Bürgschaft" suretyship. This closeness allows the translator to make a German text "speak" in the language of the Georgian code. The differences are in the details: the German "Grundschuld" (land charge, a form of security which, unlike a mortgage, does not depend on a claim) does not exist in the Georgian system; the rule for registering a "Vorkaufsrecht" is different; "Prokura" is not a separate institution in Georgian commercial representation. In such cases the original term stays in brackets and the translation gives a functional explanation.
Contract translation: German precision in a Georgian text
A German contract stands out for its detail: every clause is numbered (§ 1, § 2, Abs. 1, Satz 2), terms are defined in brackets at their first mention and then repeated unchanged, and the liability, warranty and withdrawal clauses refer to specific articles of the code. In the Georgian translation this structure must stay unchanged, including the numbering and references, so that both parties' lawyers can compare the clauses. German standard formulas ("Gerichtsstand ist…", "Es gilt deutsches Recht unter Ausschluss des UN-Kaufrechts", "Sollten einzelne Bestimmungen unwirksam sein…") are carried over with the established equivalents of Georgian contract practice. A typical trap is "Gewährleistung" and "Garantie", which are both translated as "guarantee", but are different institutions in German law: the first is statutory liability for defects, the second a voluntary additional obligation. In the translation this difference must be unambiguously visible.
Corporate law: GmbH, AG, UG and their Georgian counterparts
The legal forms of German companies are historically close to Georgian ones: a GmbH is a limited liability company, an AG a joint-stock company, OHG and KG partnerships that correspond to the Georgian general partnership and limited partnership. The UG (haftungsbeschränkt), the "mini-GmbH" existing since 2008 with a capital of one euro, does not exist as a separate form in the Georgian system and needs a note. The commercial register extract (Handelsregisterauszug) with an HRA or HRB number, the articles of association (Gesellschaftsvertrag), the list of shareholders (Gesellschafterliste) and the resolution appointing a director are translated in Georgia for the Public Registry, where the signatory's authority ("einzelvertretungsberechtigt", "gesamtvertretungsberechtigt", "von den Beschränkungen des § 181 BGB befreit") must be carried over exactly, because it is precisely by this that the registry establishes whether a person may act alone.
Court documents and German court language
A German court decision (Urteil or Beschluss) is written in a strict structure: Rubrum (parties), Tenor (operative part), Tatbestand (facts), Entscheidungsgründe (legal reasoning), Rechtsmittelbelehrung (information on the right of appeal). The structure of a Georgian court decision is similar, so the translation keeps the blocks, with headings. German court language is characterised by a nominal style (long chains of nouns, passive constructions), which must be carried over into Georgian with verbal constructions while preserving the meaning. The hierarchy of courts (Amtsgericht, Landgericht, Oberlandesgericht, Bundesgerichtshof; separate branches of labour, social, administrative and fiscal courts) does not coincide one-to-one with the Georgian three-tier system, and the name of the instance is translated with an explanation. The "Rechtskraftvermerk", the entry on entry into legal force, is never left untranslated, because it is the basis of the recognition procedure.
Notarial deeds and real estate
A German notary (Notar) certifies every real estate transaction, the founding of a company, the transfer of a share and family contracts, and a German notarial deed ("notarielle Urkunde") is written in a standard structure: the notary's introduction, identification of the parties, the text of the transaction, the notary's explanations ("Belehrungen"), signatures. A Georgian notary or the Public Registry accepts this document when German property is inherited in Georgia, a German notarial power of attorney is used in a Georgian transaction or a share in a German company passes to a Georgian partner. In the translation "Auflassung" (the agreement on the transfer of ownership of real estate), "Grundbuch" (the land register, the analogue of the Georgian Public Registry), "Flurstück" (the cadastral unit of a land plot) and "Grundschuld" are carried over with the terminology of Georgian property law, while cadastral numbers and areas stay unchanged.
Family law: marriage, divorce, children
The cases of German-Georgian families require knowledge of both legal systems. The German "Ehevertrag" (marriage contract) defines the property regime (Zugewinngemeinschaft, Gütertrennung, Gütergemeinschaft), which is an unusual level of detail for the Georgian system and needs an explanation of the regime in the translation. Divorce in Germany takes place only through the court, usually after a year of separation (Trennungsjahr), and the Scheidungsbeschluss is often accompanied by the Versorgungsausgleich (equalisation of pension rights), an institution that does not exist in Georgian law and is explained with a note. The concepts connected with a child ("elterliche Sorge", "Umgangsrecht", "Aufenthaltsbestimmungsrecht", "Kindesunterhalt") are carried over with the terminology of Georgian family law, while the amount of maintenance, calculated according to the "Düsseldorfer Tabelle", is translated with numerical precision and an explanation of the reference to the table.
Labour law and employment
A German employment contract (Arbeitsvertrag) and the documents connected with it are translated into Georgian in three cases: for a Georgian bank or body to confirm income, for the labour dispute of a Georgian working in Germany with a lawyer in Georgia, and for the employees of a German company's branch in Georgia, when the head office's internal regulations are translated. The concepts of German labour law ("Probezeit", "Kündigungsfrist", "Tarifvertrag", "Betriebsrat", "Abmahnung") either do not exist in the Georgian Labour Code or exist with a different scope, and the translation conveys them with an explanation. The "Arbeitszeugnis", a reference issued by a German employer with a coded evaluation ("stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit" means "very good"), needs an explanation of this code when translated into Georgian, so that a Georgian employer reads the evaluation correctly.
German medical documentation: structure and coding
A German doctor's letter (Arztbrief, Entlassungsbrief) is written in a standard structure: Diagnosen (with ICD-10-GM codes), Anamnese, Befunde, Therapie und Verlauf, Procedere and Medikation. This structure is understandable for a Georgian doctor, but German medical text is saturated with abbreviations (KHK, pAVK, Z.n., V.a., DD, o.B., i.v., p.o.) which do not match the international English-Latin abbreviations and must be fully expanded in the Georgian translation. ICD-10-GM is the German modification, which refines the international ICD-10 with sub-codes, and in the translation the code stays unchanged while the text of the diagnosis is carried over in Georgian medical terminology. German trade names of medicines are not known in Georgia, so the international nonproprietary name is added in the translation, while the dosage and regimen stay unchanged, with a numerical check.
Approbation and Fachsprachprüfung: a doctor's documents
The right to work as a doctor in Germany (Approbation) is obtained from a state body, and the procedure requires a voluminous package of documents: diploma, supplement, residency certificate, state certificate, certificates of work experience, an hourly description of the study programme, criminal record certificate, health certificate. The body compares Georgian and German education and either establishes equivalence or schedules a knowledge test (Kenntnisprüfung). The precondition for this is the medical language exam (Fachsprachprüfung) at C1 level, conducted by the state medical chamber. In the translation the stages of Georgian medical education must be explained in the terms of the German system: "Medizinstudium", "Facharztweiterbildung", "Facharztanerkennung", and the hourly load of the disciplines must be comparable with the structure of the German curriculum (Approbationsordnung). For nurses the analogous procedure concerns recognition of Pflegefachkraft status, with a B2 language level.
Medical procedures in Austria and Switzerland
In Austria the recognition of a foreign medical diploma takes place by nostrification (Nostrifizierung) by the universities, for diplomas obtained outside the EU, while the Austrian Medical Chamber (Österreichische Ärztekammer) carries out registration. In Switzerland the Medical Professions Commission (MEBEKO) carries out recognition, and doctors with a diploma from outside the EU must pass the Swiss federal exam. In both countries the document package resembles the German one, but the terminology differs: the Austrian "Turnus" (a doctor's initial practice), "Facharztausbildung", the Swiss "Weiterbildungstitel" and "Berufsausübungsbewilligung". We prepare the translation for the specific country, so that the Austrian or Swiss body sees "its own" terminology.
The insurance and social system: GKV, PKV, Pflegeversicherung
The German healthcare system covers statutory (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) and private (private Krankenversicherung) insurance, while a separate long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung) covers the costs of long-term care. The documents of this system ("Versichertenkarte", "Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung", "Pflegegutachten", "Bescheid über den Pflegegrad", "Schwerbehindertenausweis") are translated into Georgian when a person insured in Germany is treated in Georgia, or a Georgian family requests the determination of a care level in Germany for a relative. The German "Pflegegrad" (1-5) and "Grad der Behinderung" (in percent) do not coincide one-to-one with Georgian disability groups, and the translation conveys the concepts descriptively. In the opposite direction a Georgian disability certificate, Form 100 and an insurance policy are translated into German, where the Georgian group system is explained with a note.
Pharmaceutical and medical device documentation
German pharmaceutical and medical device companies register preparations and devices in Georgia, which requires a Georgian translation of regulatory documents: the summary of product characteristics (Fachinformation), the patient leaflet (Gebrauchsinformation / Packungsbeilage), the operating manual of a medical device and the declaration of conformity (CE-Konformitätserklärung). These texts are written in European regulatory terminology, where every term has an official equivalent, and the translation relies on the German terminology base of the European Medicines Agency. Clinical trial documents (Prüfplan, Patienteninformation und Einwilligungserklärung) are translated in both directions, and the informed consent form must be written in Georgian so that a patient without a medical education understands it, which is a requirement of the ethics committee.
Criminal law and requests for legal assistance
Requests for legal assistance (Rechtshilfeersuchen) between the justice authorities of Germany and Georgia, interrogation records, indictments (Anklageschrift), documents of investigative actions and materials connected with extradition are translated in both directions, while lawyers defending a Georgian citizen in German proceedings request a German translation of Georgian documents (certificates, references, medical reports) for the court. German criminal law terminology ("Beschuldigter", "Angeschuldigter", "Angeklagter" are three different statuses of the same person at different stages of the proceedings) is carried over with the terms of the Georgian Criminal Procedure Code ("suspect", "accused", "defendant"), and this correspondence must be exact, because the status determines procedural rights. Only a translator with criminal law experience works on such documents, under strict confidentiality.
Tax and financial documents
The financial side of German-Georgian business creates its own document flow: German tax notices (Steuerbescheid, Bescheinigung in Steuersachen), income tax returns, certificates of residence (Ansässigkeitsbescheinigung) under the Georgia-Germany double taxation agreement and audit opinions are translated into Georgian for the Georgian Revenue Service, while Georgian tax certificates and financial statements are translated into German at the request of a German auditor and tax office (Finanzamt). German tax terminology ("Umsatzsteuer", "Gewerbesteuer", "Körperschaftsteuer", "Solidaritätszuschlag") partly coincides with the Georgian system (VAT, profit tax), partly not (trade tax and the solidarity surcharge do not exist in Georgia), and the translation marks this difference with a note, so that the accountant or tax adviser reads the data correctly.
Terminology base and quality control
Three mechanisms ensure the quality of German-Georgian legal and medical translation. First: specialisation, where a translator with a legal education works on legal text, and one specialised in medical terminology on medical text, with the possibility of consulting a practising doctor. Second: a terminology base, which is created with long-term clients and approves every term once, so that one concept is carried over the same way in a series of contracts or the stages of a medical history. Third: a double check, where a second specialist reads the text terminologically, while figures, dates, clause numbering, doses and cadastral numbers are compared with the source by a separate list. A document intended for official purposes is finally notarized by a translator registered with a notary in the German-Georgian pair.
Confidentiality: DSGVO and the Georgian standard
The German side protects personal and medical data under the European data protection regulation (DSGVO), where health data is in a special category, and the Georgian Law on Personal Data Protection sets an analogous standard. With us every order is processed under a signed confidentiality agreement, documents are received over encrypted channels, the translator has access only to the document they are working on, and in the case of medical histories, at the client's wish, an anonymised version is given to the translator and the name returns only in the final document. After delivery of the translation the files are deleted at the client's request; as standard they are kept for a limited period so that we can prepare a correction or an additional copy quickly.
Typical documents in this field
- Kaufvertrag, Mietvertrag, Arbeitsvertrag, Lizenzvertrag and Georgian contracts into German
- Handelsregisterauszug, Gesellschaftsvertrag, Gesellschafterliste, Geschäftsführerbeschluss
- Urteil, Beschluss, Klageschrift, Mahnbescheid, Vollstreckungsbescheid
- notarielle Urkunde, Vollmacht, Testament, Erbschein, Ehevertrag
- Arztbrief, Entlassungsbrief, Befund, OP-Bericht, Laborbefund
- doctor's diploma, Facharzturkunde, curriculum, work certificates for Approbation
- Pflegegutachten, Schwerbehindertenausweis, Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung
- Fachinformation, Packungsbeilage, Konformitätserklärung, clinical trial forms
Frequently asked questions
Are "Gewährleistung" and "Garantie" translated the same way?
No. Gewährleistung is statutory liability for defects, Garantie a voluntary additional obligation. In the Georgian translation this difference must be unambiguously visible, otherwise the scope of liability changes.
Do ICD-10-GM codes change in the translation?
No, the code stays unchanged, while the text of the diagnosis is carried over in Georgian medical terminology. The German sub-codes refine the international ICD-10 and are understandable for a Georgian doctor.
How many documents does the Approbation package need?
Usually 8-12 documents, including the description of the study programme, which is dozens of pages. We prepare the package as one project, with one terminology base, in 5-10 working days including apostilles.
Are the coded evaluations of a German Arbeitszeugnis translated?
The text is translated exactly and a translator's note explains which evaluation the specific wording corresponds to in German practice, so that a Georgian employer reads the document correctly.
Can you prepare the text of a power of attorney to be drawn up before a German notary?
Yes. According to the requirements of a Georgian notary we prepare a bilingual draft, which a German notary certifies, and then the apostilled document is used directly in Georgia.
Does an Austrian medical document differ from a German one?
Terminologically in part: the Austrian system uses "Turnus", "e-card" and its own insurance structure. We prepare the translation for the specific country.
How long does the translation of a court decision take?
A German decision is often 10-40 pages. Such a document is ready in 3-6 working days, and in an urgent case it is divided among several translators with a single terminology base.