The Italian direction is the most "multi-stage" system of notarised translation we work with: in Italy an official translation is certified by a sworn statement in court (traduzione asseverata), abroad the Italian consulate checks the conformity of the translation, and Georgian notarisation is one link in this chain, but not the only one. Those unfamiliar with the system often take an apostilled, notarised translation to Italy and are refused at the Questura because the consulate's stamp is missing. This page explains in detail how notarisation works in the Italian-Georgian pair, where which certification is needed, and how to plan the chain so that the document is accepted at the first submission.
Three certifications that do not replace each other
When working in the Italian direction there are three different certifications, and confusing them is the most common mistake. First: Georgian notarisation, by which a Georgian notary confirms that the translation was made by a translator registered with them. Second: the apostille, which gives a Georgian document (the original or the notarised translation) international force, since Italy and Georgia are parties to the Hague Convention. Third: certification of the conformity of the translation by the Italian consulate (conformità della traduzione), by which a representative of the Italian state confirms that the Italian text corresponds to the Georgian original. Most Italian bodies (prefecture, Questura, ministries, municipalities) require precisely the third, and the first two are prerequisites for obtaining it. Universities and private companies are often satisfied with an apostilled notarised translation.
The Italian "asseverazione" and why it does not happen in Tbilisi
In Italy an official translation is certified by oath at the court registry or before a justice of the peace: the translator appears in person, signs the oath record (verbale di giuramento) and takes responsibility for the accuracy of the translation, and a revenue stamp is affixed to the document every four pages. There is no national register of sworn translators in Italy, and the courts' lists of experts (CTU) are voluntary, so in theory any person can certify a translation by "asseverazione", except the interested party themselves. This procedure is possible only on Italian territory. In Tbilisi its functional equivalent is Georgian notarisation + apostille + the consulate's conformity certification, and the combination of these three steps is, for an Italian body, equal to an asseverazione performed in Italy.
The apostille route for Italy
When a Georgian document is submitted in Italy, the apostille is placed on the original at the Public Service Hall, and for a diploma or school certificate the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement first confirms the authenticity of the document. The apostille must be attached before translation, because the consulate checks the conformity of the translation against the full document, including the text of the apostille. The Italian side sometimes also requires an apostille on the translation, especially in notarial and court matters, and in such cases a second apostille is placed on the notarised translation to confirm the notary's signature. In the opposite direction, the apostille on an Italian document is issued, depending on the document type, by the prefecture (administrative acts, civil status acts, school documents) or by the public prosecutor's office (notarial and court acts), and this difference is often unclear to an Italian client, so we clarify in advance which body to apply to.
The declaration of value: the consulate's central document
For recognition in Italy of a Georgian diploma, school certificate or professional qualification, the consular section of the Italian Embassy in Tbilisi issues a declaration of value (dichiarazione di valore in loco): a document describing which Italian level the Georgian qualification corresponds to, how many years the studies lasted, which grading system applies and whether the document entitles its holder to professional activity or further study in Georgia. For the declaration the consulate requires the apostilled original and its Italian translation, whose conformity it certifies itself. For this purpose the translation must be especially precise: the number of years of study, the exact name of the qualification, the grading scale and the registration number of the diploma must be unambiguous, because the declaration is drawn up from precisely these data, and a mistake in the translation passes into the declaration as well.
Family reunification, marriage and civil status acts
For family reunification clearance at the prefecture's single immigration desk, the Georgian marriage, birth and divorce certificates are submitted with an apostille and an Italian translation certified by the consulate, and for a child the other parent's consent in notarial form. When a Georgian citizen marries in Italy, the Italian municipality requires the apostilled original and certified translation of the Georgian birth certificate and the certificate of no impediment to marriage (the functional equivalent of the nulla osta, issued by the Georgian consulate in Italy or by the Public Service Hall). The Italian system of civil status acts differs from the Georgian one: the "certificato di nascita" (certificate), "estratto per riassunto" (summary extract) and "copia integrale" (full copy) are documents of different scope, and an Italian municipality often asks specifically for one of them; a Georgian certificate is closest in content to the "estratto per riassunto", which we reflect in the title of the translation.
The criminal record certificate: casellario and carichi pendenti
The Italian system knows two separate certificates related to criminal records: the "certificato del casellario giudiziale" (certificate of the criminal records register) and the "certificato dei carichi pendenti" (certificate of pending criminal proceedings), which the public prosecutor's office issues separately. In Georgia there is one certificate, issued by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirming the absence of a criminal record. In citizenship, residence and professional recognition applications the Italian body often asks for the equivalent of both Italian certificates, and in the translation we explain with a translator's note that the Georgian certificate is a single document, which as a rule satisfies the body. The validity of the certificate in Italian practice is six months, so we plan the translation and the apostille as soon as the certificate is collected.
Recognition of medical professions: the Ministry of Health and the order
For a Georgian doctor or nurse to work in Italy, the Ministry of Health carries out recognition of the qualification (riconoscimento del titolo), for which the apostilled originals of the diploma, specialisation, practice certificates and criminal record certificate, the consulate's declaration of value and consulate-certified Italian translations are submitted. After recognition, registration with the professional order (Ordine dei Medici or Ordine delle Professioni Infermieristiche) includes a check of Italian at B2 level. This package is the most voluminous in the Italian direction, and every document needs separate certification, an apostille and a visit to the consulate; we prepare it as one project, with one translator and one terminology base, so that the ministry sees the same names and dates in every document. The caregiver (OSS) qualification is regulated at regional level and requires fewer documents.
An Italian document in Georgia: the reverse route
The document of an Italian citizen or of a Georgian living in Italy goes through three steps in Georgia: apostille in Italy (prefecture or prosecutor's office), Georgian translation in Tbilisi, notarisation. Italian civil status acts are often issued in multilingual form (under the 1976 Vienna Convention), but this form does not include Georgian, so a translation is still needed. An Italian self-declaration (autocertificazione), which replaces a certificate in Italy, does not count as a certificate for a Georgian body, and we advise the client in advance to obtain a "certificato" from the municipality or the consulate. An Italian court judgment (sentenza) is translated in full for recognition in Georgia, including the note on entry into legal force ("passata in giudicato"), which the Italian court registry certifies separately.
Marriage in Georgia: nulla osta and the consulate
An Italian citizen marrying in Georgia submits to the Public Service Hall a marriage clearance (nulla osta al matrimonio), which the Italian consulate in Tbilisi issues on the basis of data received from the Italian municipality. This document is in Italian and is submitted with a Georgian notarised translation; the consulate issues it itself, so it needs no apostille. After the wedding, the Georgian marriage certificate is submitted to the consulate for registration in Italy (trascrizione) with an apostille and an Italian translation, whose conformity the consulate certifies, after which the Italian municipality enters the marriage in the register of civil status acts. This two-way chain is planned within one project: first the Georgian translation of the nulla osta, then the Italian translation of the marriage certificate.
Corporate and notarial documents
When an Italian company is registered in Georgia, the Public Registry requires a notarised translation of the chamber of commerce extract (visura camerale), the articles of association (statuto) and the deed of incorporation (atto costitutivo), in which the signatory's powers ("amministratore unico", "legale rappresentante", "procuratore") are unambiguous. The extract is issued electronically in Italy with a digital signature, and the Georgian notary accepts the printed version with an apostille or an Italian notary's certification. A power of attorney drawn up before an Italian notary (procura speciale or generale) is valid in Georgia with an apostille and a Georgian notarised translation, but the Georgian notary requires a specific list of powers, while an Italian "procura generale" is sometimes too general. So before a power of attorney is drawn up in Italy, we give clients a bilingual list of the Georgian notary's requirements.
Employment record book, Soviet and old documents
The Italian pension system (INPS) takes foreign work service into account under certain conditions, and workers who went from Georgia to Italy need an Italian translation of the Georgian employment record book, certificate of service and documents from the Soviet period. These documents are often bilingual (Georgian and Russian), handwritten, with seals and sometimes damaged, and for notarisation they are translated in full, including the entries in both languages. Every entry (hiring, transfer, dismissal, order number) must be transferred exactly, because INPS calculates the periods from precisely these entries. Russian and Georgian translators work together on such documents, and certification is done as one document, which the consulate then certifies.
Driving licence and vehicle documents
Within one year of registering residence in Italy, a foreign driving licence must be exchanged for an Italian one, and under the agreement on mutual recognition of driving licences between Georgia and Italy the motor vehicle office (Motorizzazione Civile) requires a certified Italian translation of the Georgian licence, certified by the consulate or by asseverazione in Italy. The Georgian licence is bilingual (Georgian and English), but the Italian body does not consider the English fields sufficient. In the translation the categories and dates stay unchanged, and the Georgian category system receives a note on correspondence with the Italian one. In the opposite direction, an Italian "patente" is submitted for exchange in Georgia to the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a Georgian notarised translation, and an Italian vehicle registration certificate (carta di circolazione) is translated when a car is registered in Georgia.
Certification of medical and insurance documents
In matters of treatment in Italy or insurance reimbursement, a notarised translation is needed for the discharge summary, test report, disability certificate and invoices for medical expenses, while the INPS disability commission (invalidità civile) requires a full translation of the Georgian medical documentation to determine the percentage of disability. In the opposite direction, the Italian "cartella clinica", "lettera di dimissione" and "verbale di invalidità" are needed in Georgian by the Georgian doctor and the Social Service Agency. When certifying a medical translation the notary checks completeness: the translation must reflect every entry of the original, including handwritten annexes, and the Italian percentage-based disability system and the Georgian group system do not match, which is rendered in the translation with a descriptive explanation.
Who performs an Italian notarised translation
A notarised Italian translation is performed only by a translator registered with a specific notary in the Italian-Georgian pair, whose qualification the notary has verified in advance. Our Italian translators have experience of studying or working in Italy and know Italian administrative formats: how a revenue stamp is described, how the text of a seal is rendered, how the formula "per uso..." is written and how an illegible fragment is marked ("illeggibile"). These details matter for the consulate too, because at conformity certification the consulate compares the translation with the original line by line, and any omission becomes grounds for refusing certification.
What causes rejection at an Italian body
- An apostilled notarised translation without the consulate's conformity certification, where the prefecture or the Questura required it
- An apostille that does not appear in the translation, because it was not attached before translation
- A spelling of the first name and surname that does not match the passport
- Leaving a revenue stamp, seal or note on the back page undescribed
- A criminal record certificate or civil status act older than six months
- Omission of the years of study or the grading scale in a translation intended for the declaration of value
- Submission of a Georgian certificate without a note where two Italian certificates (casellario and carichi pendenti) were required
Deadlines, organisation and delivery
A notarised translation of a one-page document is ready in one working day, in express mode in 1-2 hours. The apostille at the Public Service Hall and the consulate's conformity certification are separate deadlines, which we plan together when ordering: the full chain (apostille, translation, notary, consulate) usually takes one to two weeks depending on the consulate's appointment schedule. The whole process is managed online, and we bind the package for the consulate in the order the consulate requires. You receive the finished document electronically and by courier, for clients in Italy by international courier or through a representative in Georgia. Every order is handled under a confidentiality agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Why is an apostilled notarised translation not enough for an Italian Questura?
Italian bodies require the Italian consulate's conformity certification on a translation made abroad. Georgian notarisation and the apostille are prerequisites for this certification but do not replace it. Universities and private companies are often satisfied with an apostilled translation.
Can I certify the translation in Italy by "asseverazione"?
Yes, if you are in Italy: the translator takes an oath in court and revenue stamps are affixed to the document. From Tbilisi this is impossible, so here we use the consular certification route.
Is my presence required at the notary or the consulate?
At the notary, no, because the notary checks the translator's signature. For certification at the consulate an appointment and submission of documents are required, which you or your representative do depending on the procedure; we prepare the package.
How long does the declaration of value take to issue?
The consulate's deadlines vary and depend on the appointment schedule. We prepare the translation and the apostille in advance so that the package is complete at the consulate visit and you do not need a further visit.
Does an Italian multilingual birth certificate need translation in Georgia?
Yes, because the multilingual form does not include Georgian. The document must be apostilled in Italy, then translated into Georgian in Tbilisi and notarised.
Which body places the apostille on an Italian document?
Civil status acts, certificates and school documents: the prefecture; notarial and court acts: the public prosecutor's office. This difference often confuses people, so as soon as we see the document we tell you where to apply.
Can you correct a translation that has already been rejected?
Yes. We first establish the reason for rejection (often the absence of consular certification or the spelling of a name), then correct the specific defect, without a full retranslation, if the original translation is correct in substance.