A notarized translation of a French-language document is the meeting point of two different legal cultures: in Georgia certification is carried out by a notary, while in France the same function is performed by a sworn translator without the participation of a notary. Those who do not take this difference into account often have to do the work twice: first certification in the wrong form, then redoing it. Below we explain in detail how notarization works in the French-Georgian pair, which body needs what and how to plan the apostille sequence so that the document is accepted at the first submission.
The notary's role in the Georgian and French systems
Both countries belong to the civil law family and in both the notary is a lawyer with public authority. Nevertheless, in relation to translation their functions do not coincide. In Georgia the notary confirms that the translation was done by a translator registered with them, whose qualification in the French-Georgian pair has been checked in advance; the notary verifies the genuineness of the translator's signature and records the document in the register. In France the notary ("notaire") does not touch translations at all: they work in the field of real estate, inheritance and family contracts, while an official translation is certified with their own seal by a translator entered on the list of experts of a court of appeal. That is why for a French person a "notarized translation" is an unusual concept, and it is exactly the apostille that ensures the acceptance of a Georgian document in France, giving the Georgian notary's signature international force.
Which French body needs which form
In practice the requirements vary by body. The French visa centre and the consulate in Tbilisi accept a Georgian notarized translation. ENIC-NARIC France requires for the certificate of comparability either a French sworn translator's translation or an official translation done abroad and apostilled, that is, the Georgian variant is acceptable too. Most universities accept a notarized translation through Campus France, while an individual prefecture sometimes requires a translation done on French territory when issuing a residence card. Banks, as a rule, accept both variants when opening an account. That is exactly why the first question we ask you when you order is not "what document is it" but "to whom will you submit it".
The apostille sequence: on the source, on the translation or on both
When a Georgian document is submitted in France three scenarios exist. First: the apostille is attached to the source at the Public Service Hall, then the source together with the apostille is translated into French and the translation is notarized; in this case the French reader sees the text of the apostille in the translation too, which is the most common and safest variant. Second: the apostille is placed on an already notarized translation, thereby confirming the notary's signature; this is needed when the receiving body specifically requires legalization of the translation. Third: both, which is sometimes required in court or notarial cases. Since each apostille is a separate procedure and takes time, choosing the correct sequence from the start protects you from a double visit.
A French document in Georgia: the opposite direction
When a French citizen needs to submit a French paper to a Georgian body, the chain looks like this: an apostille is placed on the document in France (since May 2025 French notaries do this instead of the courts of appeal), then it is translated into Georgian in Tbilisi and a Georgian notary certifies it. A question often arises here about French civil status records: the multilingual extract ("extrait plurilingue"), which French town halls issue on the basis of the 1976 Vienna Convention, does not contain Georgian, so it still needs a translation in Georgia. If a French document is issued electronically (for example, the criminal record certificate "bulletin n°3" online), a Georgian notary will certify the printed version only if it carries a verifiable code or an apostille.
Civil status records: marriage, birth, divorce
When marrying a French citizen in Georgia, the Public Service Hall requires a certificate of capacity to marry ("certificat de capacité à mariage"), which the French consulate issues after the publication of banns, as well as a full copy of the birth certificate issued no more than three or six months earlier. The Georgian notarized translation of these documents is prepared with us. In the opposite case, when a Georgian citizen marries in France, the French town hall requires the apostilled source and a French translation of the Georgian birth certificate, as well as a certificate of not being married ("certificat de célibat"), which the Public Service Hall issues in Georgia. In the case of divorce a French court decision needs recognition in Georgia, for which the full text of the decision is translated, including the part where the entry of the decision into legal force is confirmed.
Consular registration and French citizenship matters
The consular service of the French Embassy in Tbilisi registers French citizens in the register of French people living abroad, and draws up the French civil status record ("transcription") of a child born in a mixed family. For this procedure the Georgian birth certificate is submitted with an apostille and a French notarized translation, and the consulate requires that in the translation the child's first name and surname are written exactly as the parents follow the rule for choosing a surname under the French Civil Code. When acquiring French citizenship by marriage or naturalisation the prefecture or the consulate requires the full package of Georgian civil status records, and every document needs separate certification and an apostille, which makes planning the deadlines especially important: we prepare the package as a whole, so that every document is in the same spelling and format.
Certification of educational documents
The diploma, supplement and school certificate are the most frequently certified documents in the French direction. Before a Georgian diploma is apostilled, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement confirms the genuineness of the document, after which the Public Service Hall attaches the apostille, and the translation is the last link in this chain. In the French translation the degree must correspond exactly to French terminology: a Bachelor's is a "licence" (and not "baccalauréat", which means the secondary school certificate), a Master's is a "master", and the diploma of single-cycle medical education needs a separate explanation. This one-word mistake ("baccalauréat" instead of "licence") really happens and confuses the French university committee.
Criminal record certificate and bank documents
For a long-stay visa and residence France often requires a criminal record certificate, which in Georgia is issued by the Public Service Hall or the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The certificate is a short document, but its translation needs careful wording: the French equivalent is "extrait de casier judiciaire", and the absence of an entry must be rendered as "néant", which is a standard and unambiguous entry for a French official. Bank statements submitted for a student visa to confirm financial means are usually not translated in full: a translation of the bank certificate on the balance is enough, although if the visa centre requires the movements of the last three months, we translate the full statement including the column with the purpose of the transactions.
Notarization of business documents
When signing a contract with a French partner, or registering a French company in Georgia, a notarized translation is needed of the extract from the Register of Entrepreneurs, the articles, the resolution appointing the director and the power of attorney. The French "extrait Kbis" performs the function of an extract in Georgia, but the "capital social", "greffe du tribunal de commerce" and "code APE" indicated in it need an explanation for a Georgian reader. In the case of a power of attorney an exact translation of the list of powers is especially important: the French "pouvoir spécial" and "pouvoir général" correspond to the Georgian special and general power of attorney, and carrying this difference over incorrectly gives a Georgian notary grounds to refuse registration.
Who does a French notarized translation
A French translation for notarization can only be done by a translator who is registered with a specific notary in the French-Georgian pair, that is, whose philological or legal qualification the notary has checked in advance and whose specimen signature is kept in the register. Our French translators work in both directions and at the same time know French administrative practice, which means that the certified translation is familiar to a French official not only linguistically but in format too: the title of the document, the name of the issuing body, the description of the seal and the French version of the standard apostille fields. If the document is in a third language (for example, a Belgian Dutch-language document that you need in French), we plan the route individually.
A power of attorney across the border: property, inheritance, representation
One of the most delicate documents needing a notarized translation in the French-Georgian pair is the power of attorney. A Georgian living in France who wants to sell a flat in Tbilisi or receive an inheritance draws up the power of attorney either at the Georgian consulate (then no translation is needed) or before a French notary, after which the document needs an apostille and a Georgian notarized translation. The text of a French power of attorney often contains powers that Georgian notarial practice requires with separate wording: the right to dispose, the right to receive the price, the right to register with the Public Registry. If these powers are not listed exactly and separately in the translation, a Georgian notary will halt the transaction. So when translating a French power of attorney we render every power with Georgian notarial terminology and, where necessary, advise the client in advance to have the text clarified on the French side.
Certification of medical and insurance documents
In cases of treatment in France or insurance reimbursement a notarized translation is needed of the discharge summary, the examination report, the disability certificate and the medical expense invoices. French insurance companies and the social insurance fund (CPAM) consider a Georgian clinic's document only with a certified translation, while in Georgia a French "compte rendu d'hospitalisation" or "ordonnance" is needed in Georgian by a Georgian doctor and insurance company. When certifying a medical translation the unchanged carrying over of Latin terms, dosages and dates is especially important, because the notary certifies precisely completeness: the translation must reflect every entry of the source, including handwritten annexes, which are marked "illegible" if they really are illegible.
Driving licence and transport documents
When settling in France for more than a year, a Georgian driving licence must be exchanged for a French one, and the prefecture requires for this an official translation of the licence done by a sworn translator or apostilled. The Georgian driving licence itself is bilingual (Georgian and English), but the French administration does not consider the English fields sufficient, so a translation is still needed, with the exact carrying over of categories and dates of issue. In the same group is a vehicle's registration certificate, which is translated when a French car is registered in Georgia: the field system of the French "certificat d'immatriculation" (the former "carte grise") follows the European standard and differs from the Georgian registration form, which requires the choice of correct equivalents in the translation.
What a finished notarized translation looks like
The completed document is a bound package: a copy of the source (or the original, if so agreed), the translation with the translator's signature, the notary's certification note with the register number and seal, and at the end, where necessary, the apostille. For the French side it is important that the certification note is translated too: we carry the Georgian notary's text over into French in the same document, so that a French official does not have to decipher the Georgian text independently. We also attach an electronic copy to the finished package, which will be useful for uploading to the online system of Campus France or the visa centre, before the paper version reaches you by courier.
Typical mistakes that cause rejection
- a French spelling of the first name and surname that does not match the Latin version of the passport
- an apostille attached to the source after translation and therefore not visible in the translation
- confusion of "licence" and "baccalauréat" in an educational document
- submission of a short extract of a birth certificate where a full copy was required
- leaving seals and marginal notes untranslated
- submission of a civil status record older than three months at a French town hall, where the validity is limited
Copy or original
For notarization in most cases a good-quality scan of the document is enough, to which the translation is bound. Physical presentation of the original becomes necessary when the notary also verifies the genuineness of the copy of the source, that is, when the receiving body requires a "certified copy" together with the translation. In the French direction this often concerns diplomas, whose certified copy is sent to the university instead of the original, so that you do not let go of the diploma itself. In such a case we inform you in advance that one visit to the office will be needed, or we agree the temporary sending of the original by courier.
Deadlines and delivery
A notarized translation of a one-page French document is ready in one working day, in express mode in 1-2 hours, if the order came during working hours. Attaching the apostille is a separate procedure that the Public Service Hall carries out with its own deadlines, and we take on its organisation ourselves. We send the finished document by courier in Tbilisi, by postal service in the regions and, where necessary, by international courier abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Does France recognise a translation certified by a Georgian notary?
Yes, accompanied by an apostille. By virtue of the Hague Convention a Georgian notary's signature with an apostille acquires official force in France. The exception is an individual prefecture that requires a local sworn translator for a residence card, which we confirm in advance.
Do I have to be present at the notary?
No. The notary verifies the translator's signature and not yours, so your presence is not needed. You upload the document on the site, we do the rest.
Do I put the apostille on the source or the translation first?
Most often on the source first, so that the text of the apostille is reflected in the translation too. If the receiving body specifically requires legalization of the translation, the apostille is placed on the certified translation. We establish the sequence together when you order.
How long does a full copy of a French birth certificate remain valid?
French town halls do not accept for marriage a copy older than three months (six months if issued abroad). So we plan the translation and apostille as soon as the document is received.
Does the same certification apply for Belgium or Switzerland?
Yes, both countries are parties to the Hague Convention and a Georgian notarized translation with an apostille is accepted. We adapt the terminology for the specific country, because Belgian and Swiss administrative names differ from French ones.
What if a French document is issued electronically?
A French certificate issued online (for example, a criminal record certificate) is suitable for certification by a Georgian notary if it carries an electronic verification code or an apostille. Otherwise you must first obtain an apostilled version on the French side.
Can you correct an already rejected translation?
Yes. First we establish the reason for rejection (often the spelling of the name or the apostille sequence), then we correct the specific defect. A complete re-translation is needed only when the original translation is wrong in content.