We translate DVV extracts, criminal record certificates, diplomas, court decisions, PRH trade register extracts and medical documents from Finnish into Georgian, and from Georgian into Finnish, Swedish or English for whichever Finnish authority the document is going to. The translation is done by a translator registered for Finnish, and the notary certifies that translator's signature. The standard turnaround is one working day, and a notarised translation of a short document can be done in express mode in 1-2 hours if the document reaches us during working hours. The key rule is this: Finland and Georgia are both parties to the Hague Convention, so the apostille is placed on the original in the country that issued it, while a notarised translation cannot be apostilled in Georgia; many Finnish authorities accept an English translation, and some require certification by a Finnish authorised translator. Send a scan or photo of the document through the website or a messenger; you only need to come to 115 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue to hand over an original or collect the finished translation.
English or Finnish: when which
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) accepts a foreign-language document with a Finnish, Swedish or English translation, university international programmes work in English, and most banks and employers prefer English too. That is why a Georgian diploma, criminal record certificate or birth certificate is often translated into English for Finland. Finnish or Swedish is essential when registering a marriage, a name or family status at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), in court proceedings, in municipal services (school, kindergarten, social services), for some documents in the Valvira procedure, on the Finnish-language forms of the PRH, and wherever an authority asks for it directly. In the opposite direction, a Finnish document is always translated into Georgian in Georgia, even if it comes with an English version: the English text makes the translation easier, but it does not replace a Georgian notarised translation.
Two state languages: Finnish and Swedish
Under the Constitution of Finland there are two state languages, Finnish and Swedish, and the Åland Islands are Swedish-speaking only. So some Finnish official documents use a bilingual form, and some are entirely in Swedish if they were issued in a Swedish-speaking municipality (Vaasa, Porvoo, Åland) or by a Swedish-language institution (Åbo Akademi, Hanken). A Georgian notary certifies a translation only by a translator registered for that specific language, so a Swedish-language Finnish document is translated under a Swedish registration, and a bilingual form with both languages indicated. Estonian is a close relative of Finnish, but its spelling and administrative terminology differ, and the notary will not find an Estonian translator's signature in the register under Finnish; Swedish, for its part, shares nothing linguistically with Finnish. This is the first thing we check when an order comes in: which language the document is actually in.
DVV, Migri, Kela, Vero, PRH: where Finnish documents come from
- DVV (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto): the extract from the Population Information System (ote väestötietojärjestelmästä), the certificate of examination of impediments to marriage (todistus avioliiton esteiden tutkinnasta) and the apostille, which DVV public notaries issue
- Migri: residence permit decisions and cards
- Kela (the Social Insurance Institution): certificates on benefits, pensions and health insurance
- Vero (the Tax Administration): tax card, taxation decision (verotuspäätös), tax certificate
- PRH (the Patent and Registration Office): trade register extract (kaupparekisteriote), articles of association (yhtiöjärjestys)
- Oikeusrekisterikeskus (the Legal Register Centre): criminal record extract (rikosrekisteriote)
- Universities and Opetushallitus: diplomas, supplements, school certificates and the register of authorised translators
In recent years most of these documents have been issued electronically, with an electronic signature and no physical seal, which needs a separate explanation for a Georgian authority. When translating into Georgian we spell out the abbreviation, keep the original in brackets and state the agency's function, because Georgian authorities do not know these agencies.
The Finnish authorised translator and the Georgian notary
In Finland an official translation is done by an authorised translator (auktorisoitu kääntäjä), who passes an exam set by the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus) for a specific language pair and direction and is entered in a register; their certified translation is valid with Finnish authorities, and no notary is involved. Georgia has no separate authorised-translator status: the notary confirms the authenticity of a registered translator's signature, not the content of the translation, and the translator is responsible for its accuracy. The two systems do not recognise each other automatically. A Georgian translation by a Finnish authorised translator is not treated as an official document by a Georgian authority without a Georgian notarial act. Some Finnish authorities accept a Georgian notarised translation that also translates the apostille attached to the original, but some of Migri and the universities prefer certification by an authorised translator, and the DVV and courts often require it. So before ordering we confirm the format with the receiving authority and prepare exactly what that recipient asks for.
Notarised translation into and from Finnish
What the notary checks
At the certification the translator brings the original or a copy, the full translation and their ID. The notary checks the translator's registration for Finnish (or Swedish), binds the copy of the original to the translation, numbers the pages and places the certification on the last page with a seal, signature and register number. The certification can be checked by its number in the electronic register of the Notary Chamber, which is also useful for a Finnish authority. One Finnish document often goes to several authorities, and each keeps a certified copy on file, so it is worth certifying as many copies as you have recipients: doing it at once is quick, while adding copies later takes time because a Finnish translator's availability is limited.
Apostille in Finland: the DVV public notary
Finland has been a party to the Apostille Convention since 1985 and Georgia since 2007, so consular legalisation is not needed in either direction. In Finland the apostille is issued by DVV public notaries (julkinen notaari) on DVV extracts, Vero and Kela certificates, diplomas, court decisions, translations by authorised translators and certified copies. Since most DVV documents are electronic, the apostille is often issued electronically too and is checked with a verification code. Georgian authorities accept an electronic apostille if the translation states its fields and the verification source. An apostille on a Finnish document can only be placed in Finland; it cannot be done in Georgia.
A Georgian document for Finland: the right order
The apostille on a Georgian original is placed by the Public Service Development Agency (applications are also accepted at the Public Service Hall), and on its own documents, such as the criminal record certificate, by the MIA Service Agency. The order is: first the apostille is attached to the original, then the whole package, including the apostille fields, is translated into Finnish or English, and finally the notary certifies the authenticity of the translator's signature. A notarised translation is not apostilled in Georgia: under the Agency's rules, the notarial certification of a translation or of a copy's conformity with the original is not among the documents that can be apostilled. Nor can an apostille be placed on identity documents and their copies (except a copy of a Georgian passport certified by the issuing body), driving licences, or documents of private companies other than medical and educational institutions. If a Finnish authority still insists on a certified translation, there are two routes: the Public Service Development Agency (and the MIA Service Agency for its own documents) translates the document itself and apostilles its own translation, or our translation is passed to an authorised translator in Finland for re-certification, which is faster than translating from scratch. Document route helps you choose the scheme, and for apostille terms and rules see apostille in Georgia.
An electronically signed Finnish document
A DVV extract, a Vero decision or a PRH extract is often a PDF file with an electronic signature and a verification code. A Georgian authority that expects a stamped document may see such a printout as a defect. So in the translation we state the issuing agency, the electronic signature data and the verification source separately, and for notarisation the printout is bound just like a copy of a paper original. If the authority still wants a stamped version, a DVV public notary certifies a paper copy and apostilles it.
The DVV extract: one document, several functions
Finland has no separate birth, marriage or family status certificate in the usual sense: the extract from the population system shows the date and place of birth, family status, spouse and children, address and citizenship all at once, and its content changes with the purpose of the request. A Georgian authority expecting a birth certificate will not recognise this document without an explanation, so in the translation we state the document's function, the issuing agency and the purpose of the request. The certificate of examination of impediments to marriage is a separate document, and it is exactly what is required for a marriage in Georgia.
Why a Finnish translation gets rejected
- A Finnish authorised translator's translation submitted without Georgian notarisation
- No explanation of the DVV extract's function, so the authority does not recognise it as a birth or family status document
- Missing electronic signature data, so the absence of a stamp is treated as a defect
- The middle character of the henkilötunnus changed to a hyphen, or a name transcription that does not match the passport
- A Swedish-language document certified with the signature of a Finnish translator
- The apostille left untranslated, or an apostille requested on the notarised translation
Each of these can be fixed without retranslating the whole document: we identify the reason for rejection, correct that part and certify again.
Translation in both directions
Finnish into Georgian: for Georgian authorities
A Finnish citizen can stay in Georgia visa-free for up to a year, but residence, marriage, company registration, buying property and opening a bank account all require a Georgian-language notarised translation. For residence the Public Service Development Agency asks for translations of the passport, the Finnish criminal record extract (rikosrekisteriote) and the document supporting the grounds, and for proof of means a Kela pension certificate, a Vero taxation decision or a bank statement is translated. The rikosrekisteriote is valid for a limited time, so we plan the apostille, translation and submission in one short cycle (see criminal record certificate). For a subsidiary of a Finnish Oy, the Public Registry asks for translations of the PRH extract, the articles of association and the document confirming the director's authority (see extract from the business register).
Georgian into Finnish, Swedish or English: for Finland
From Georgian, the most frequent clients are Georgians going to Finland to study, work or join family, Finnish-Georgian families who need to register a Georgian certificate with the DVV, and Georgian companies entering the Finnish market. A residence permit (oleskelulupa) is filed in Migri's online system (Enter Finland), where the translation is uploaded in Finnish, Swedish or English; English is the standard choice here, but we check Migri's current requirements for translations before ordering. For family reunification, marriage and birth certificates, the criminal record certificate and financial documents are translated; the Georgian criminal record certificate is issued by the MIA Service Agency and is valid for 15 calendar days, so we calculate the timing in advance. Translation into Finnish is done by a native Finnish translator, while a Georgian editor checks that the legal nuances of the original are correctly understood. Georgian institutions (the Public Service Hall, the Public Registry) are translated descriptively and are not replaced with the name of a Finnish agency: writing PRH for the Public Registry is an error.
Names, personal codes, dates
Finnish names with ä, ö and å stay unchanged in the Latin spelling, while in the machine-readable zone of the passport ä and ö simply become A and O (Hämäläinen - HAMALAINEN), and the Georgian residence card relies on exactly that zone. The Georgian transcription follows the sound, while the Latin spelling is kept as in the document. A Finn often has two or three given names and all of them appear in documents, so all of them stay in the translation. The personal identity code (henkilötunnus, in the format DDMMYY-XXXX) and the business ID (Y-tunnus, in the format 1234567-8) are carried over unchanged; the middle character of the personal code (-, +, A and others) marks the century of birth, and correcting it to a hyphen makes the code wrong. In the other direction, a Georgian surname follows the Latin spelling of the passport, and Finnish grammar adds case endings to it (Tbilisissä, Giorgin), which must be done correctly in an official text. Changing a transcription after certification means certifying again, so we ask for a copy of the passport before we start.
Marriage and family in both directions
For a marriage in Georgia, foreign documents are accepted with an apostille and a Georgian notarised translation: a Finnish citizen submits the DVV certificate of examination of impediments to marriage, which is valid for a limited time. For a marriage in Finland, the Georgian citizen's certificate is translated into Finnish or English, and the DVV examines its content case by case, because the Georgian certificate does not match the structure of the Finnish esteettömyystodistus. After the marriage, the Georgian certificate is apostilled and translated into Finnish or Swedish for registration with the DVV (see marriage certificate translation).
Education documents
Finnish school grades run from 4 to 10, the matriculation examination (ylioppilastutkinto) is graded with letters (L, E, M, C, B, A, I), and universities use a 0-5 scale with ECTS credits. Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement requires a Georgian notarised translation of any foreign-language document, and we add an explanation of the grading system as a note (see recognition of a foreign diploma). Finnish diplomas are often on Finnish-English or trilingual forms; we translate from the Finnish part and use the English text to cross-check terms. A Georgian applicant to a Finnish university submits an English translation through Studyinfo, while for professional recognition of a Georgian diploma in regulated professions Opetushallitus may ask for a Finnish or Swedish translation.
Legal and medical translation
The Finnish contract: a short text and referenced terms
Finnish law belongs to the Nordic legal family: many areas are governed by separate statutes, and collective agreements (työehtosopimus, TES) apply in employment relations. A Finnish contract is often only a few pages long because it refers to general terms (yleiset sopimusehdot), standard industry terms (for example IT2022, or YSE 1998 in construction) and the law. For the Georgian party this means that the real content sits in the referenced terms, and where needed the translation covers those terms too or adds an explanatory note. A one-page employment contract for a Georgian working in Finland refers to the TES, which sets the minimum wage, working hours and holidays; Georgia has no such institution, and in the translation we explain what it means. In a two-column contract we check terminological and numerical consistency as a separate step, including the place of dispute resolution (see contract translation). English versions prepared by Finnish companies sometimes render concepts only approximately, so we always translate into Georgian from the Finnish original.
Company, court, property, power of attorney
An Oy (osakeyhtiö) is a limited company, the standard form for small businesses in Finland and the functional equivalent of a Georgian LLC; we keep the company name unchanged and explain the form in brackets. In a translation of a Finnish court act we keep the full name of the court (käräjäoikeus - district court, hovioikeus - court of appeal, korkein oikeus - supreme court), the case number, the note on entry into force and the exact wording of the operative part. In Finland owning a flat usually means holding shares in a housing company (asunto-osakeyhtiö), and the sale is a share transfer agreement; for a Georgian bank or an inheritance case we explain this structure. In Finland a power of attorney (valtakirja) is often drawn up without a notary, so whether it is sufficient for a Georgian procedure should be checked in advance; a power of attorney for Finland, on the other hand, is drawn up with a Georgian notary, the apostille is placed on the power of attorney itself, and it is then translated (see power of attorney translation).
Exporting to Finland: Alko, Tulli, Ruokavirasto
Getting Georgian wine onto the Finnish market means going through the purchasing procedure of Alko, the state alcohol monopoly: Alko asks for analysis certificates, a product description, the supplier's corporate documents and label text in Finnish and Swedish. Finnish Customs (Tulli) and the Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) apply EU standards, so Georgian certificates are translated with European terminology. Here a single wrong word on a label can be a reason for rejecting the product.
Medical documents: Kanta and Omakanta
All Finnish medical records are kept in the national archive (Kanta), and patients print their own history from the Omakanta portal: that printout is what we receive most often. Typical documents are the discharge summary (epikriisi), the patient record (potilaskertomus), the short doctor's certificate (lääkärintodistus A) and the detailed B statement (lääkärinlausunto B), which is the basis for Kela sickness and disability benefits, as well as vaccination records from the neuvola system. Finnish abbreviations (PKL - outpatient clinic, TK - health centre, dg - diagnosis) are rendered with Georgian equivalents, diagnoses keep their ICD-10 codes, medicines keep their international non-proprietary names, and doses and units stay unchanged (see discharge summary translation). The translation is checked by an editor with medical training. A plain translation is enough for the treating doctor, while social, court and educational procedures need a notarised one.
Valvira: Georgian doctors and nurses in Finland
Valvira (the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health) requires translations of the diploma, supplement, specialisation, practice certificates and criminal record certificate for qualifications obtained outside the EU, and licensing includes a language test (YKI) and, for doctors, additional exams. English is often accepted, but some documents require Finnish or Swedish and certification by an authorised translator. The Georgian residency system differs from Finnish specialisation, and in the translation we explain the structure while keeping the original, and qualification names are identical in every document of the package.
Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting
When English is enough and when Finnish is needed
Finnish business delegations, academic staff and officials speak English at a professional level, and at a conference, investment meeting or university visit an English interpreter is often enough. A Finnish interpreter is needed when a participant has named Finnish in a legal procedure, when the conversation is sensitive (medical, family), when the participant is older, or when a technical visit requires precise Finnish industry terminology. For a Swedish-speaking Finn (about five percent of Finland's population) we send a Swedish interpreter to a sensitive procedure, one who knows Finland Swedish and the Swedish names of Finnish institutions (FPA - Kela).
At the notary and in court
A Georgian notary must make sure that a foreign party understands the content of the transaction, and if the party does not know the state language, the notarial act is performed with an interpreter. A Finnish citizen buying a flat, founding a company, issuing a power of attorney or making a will needs an interpreter, and the interpreter signs the act. Most Finnish clients prefer English, but Georgian concepts (registration of ownership, mortgage, writ of execution) are better explained through their Finnish-law equivalents by a Finnish interpreter. In court, a foreign participant has the right to an interpreter in a language they speak. A court interpreter is warned of liability for a false translation and knows the procedural vocabulary of both countries (kantaja - claimant, vastaaja - respondent, todistaja - witness).
What is special about spoken Finnish
Finnish communication culture is concise: a Finnish speaker talks briefly, uses pauses as time to think and avoids cutting in. The interpreter must not fill those pauses, and a terse Finnish sentence has to come out in Georgian with natural completeness. A word loaded with 15 cases and compounds carries several meanings in one unit, so in simultaneous work the delay arises at word level, and an experienced interpreter handles it by adjusting the pace.
Formats: simultaneous, consecutive, remote
Simultaneous interpreting in a booth is for conferences and forums; the standard is two interpreters taking turns every 20-30 minutes, and an English channel is almost always needed, so a relay setup is used. At a business meeting, in a clinic or at a school the consecutive format works; for one or two Finnish-speaking participants whispered interpreting is enough. Helsinki is two hours behind Tbilisi in winter and one hour in summer, so a meeting on Teams, Zoom or an RSI platform fits easily into the working day.
Booking and preparation
There are very few Finnish simultaneous interpreters in Georgia, so a simultaneous event should be planned three to four weeks ahead, and accompaniment to a notary or court a few days ahead; where needed we use remote participation. We ask the client for the programme and participant list with language preferences (Finnish, Swedish, English), presentations three to four days ahead, industry terminology and technical information about the venue and platform. On that basis we prepare a Finnish-English-Georgian glossary.
Quality and confidentiality
Every Finnish translation goes from the translator to an editor, who checks numerical data character by character (henkilötunnus, Y-tunnus, dates, amounts, VIN codes), names against the passport and the explanations of abbreviations across the whole package. For specialist texts a second editor, a lawyer or a doctor, works on the text. Finnish documents often contain personal, financial and medical data, to which the GDPR and Georgia's personal data protection law apply strictly: translators and editors work under confidentiality agreements, files are kept in encrypted storage, are not uploaded to outside platforms and are deleted after the order is completed as the client instructs.
Turnaround and ordering
A notarised translation of a standard Finnish document is ready in one working day, and a short document in express mode in 1-2 hours if it reaches us during working hours. Georgian into Finnish takes two to three working days because of the double stage of native translator and editor, while the English version takes one day; a contract of up to 10-15 pages takes three to four working days. The apostille timeline is set separately and depends on the service term chosen at the Agency. Upload the document on the website or send it by messenger, and you will soon receive an exact timeline. You receive the finished translation electronically, by courier anywhere in Georgia or by international post to Finland. For other languages see all languages.
Official sources
- Public Service Development Agency: apostille and legalisation: which Georgian documents can be apostilled, which cannot, and in what timeframe
- Hague Conference: parties to the Apostille Convention: the current list of countries: apostille or consular legalisation
- Finnish National Agency for Education: the authorised translator and the legal force of an authorised translation
Frequently asked questions
Should I translate a Georgian document for Finland into Finnish or English?
English is often enough: Migri, universities, banks and employers accept it, while the DVV, courts, municipal services and PRH forms require Finnish or Swedish, so tell us the target authority and we will choose the exact language together.
I have a Finnish document with an English version. Is that enough for Georgia?
No, Georgian authorities require a Georgian notarised translation; the English version makes the translation easier and helps us cross-check terms, but it does not replace it.
A Finnish authorised translator has already translated my document into Georgian. Do I still need notarisation?
Yes, Georgian authorities require a translation certified by a Georgian notary; the authorised translator's version serves as a basis for our translation and saves time.
Where do I get an apostille on a Finnish document?
In Finland, from a DVV public notary, often electronically; an apostille cannot be placed on a Finnish document in Georgia, and consular legalisation is not needed because both countries are parties to the Hague Convention.
Can a notarised translation be apostilled in Georgia?
No, the notarial certification of a translation is not apostilled; the apostille goes on the Georgian original and is translated, and if a Finnish authority requires a certified translation, it is prepared as the Public Service Development Agency's own translation or by a Finnish authorised translator.
My DVV extract has no stamp, only an electronic signature. Will Georgia accept it?
Yes, if the translation states the electronic signature data and the verification source; the printout is bound like a copy of a paper original, and the absence of a stamp is not a defect on such a document.
My document from Finland is in Swedish. Will a Finnish translator translate it?
No, a Swedish-language Finnish document is translated by a translator registered for Swedish, and a bilingual Finnish-Swedish form is certified with both languages indicated.
A Finnish contract is two pages long and refers to general terms. What gets translated?
The contract and, where needed, the referenced general terms or an explanation of them, because the real content, like a TES reference in an employment contract, sits there.
Is English enough for Valvira?
Often yes, but some documents require Finnish or Swedish and certification by an authorised translator, so we plan the package according to Valvira's current requirements.
Is an English interpreter enough for a Finnish delegation?
At business and academic meetings often yes; in court, at a notary and in medical and family procedures a Finnish interpreter is needed if the participant asks for one, and that is their right.
How long does a Finnish translation take?
A standard document takes one working day, and a notarised translation of a short document 1-2 hours in express mode if it reaches us during working hours; Georgian into Finnish takes two to three working days, and for a long document we give the exact timeline when you order.
Need a Finnish or Swedish document translated? Send us a scan through the website or a messenger, tell us which authority it is for, and you will quickly receive an exact timeline and the right scheme: which language to translate into, where the apostille goes and how many certified copies you will need. We look forward to seeing you in Tbilisi at 115 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, phone +995 500 09 11 68.