The Ukrainian and Georgian legal and medical systems developed from the same Soviet foundation and were reformed in different ways over the last three decades: Ukraine's Civil Code of 2003 and Georgia's Civil Code of 1997 share many concepts but follow different systemic logic (the Georgian one the German model, the Ukrainian one its own synthesis), while medical documentation in both countries keeps the numbers of Soviet forms, though Ukraine's healthcare reform (the electronic healthcare system, family doctor declarations, the reform of medical-social examination) creates new terminology. This "similarity with a difference" both simplifies translation and fills it with traps: a term that sounds "the same" in both languages may carry different content. This page describes how we work on Ukrainian legal and medical texts and which details the client should know.
Two post-Soviet codes: false friends
Because of their common origin, Ukrainian and Georgian legal terminology looks "transparent", and that is precisely the risk. The Ukrainian "господарське товариство" (economic company) is the analogue of the Georgian business company, but in Ukraine a separate Economic Code was in force until 2025, which never existed in the Georgian system; the Ukrainian "ФОП" (natural person-entrepreneur) is the Georgian individual entrepreneur, but the groups of the "єдиний податок" do not map one-to-one onto Georgian statuses; the Ukrainian "довіреність" is the Georgian power of attorney, but Ukraine has a register of notarial powers of attorney ("Єдиний реєстр довіреностей"), which the Georgian system does not know. "Застава" and "іпотека" correspond to the Georgian pledge and mortgage, "поручительство" to suretyship, "позовна давність" to limitation. In the translation we use the common terms where the content matches and add a note where it does not.
Contract translation: structure and terminology
The structure of Ukrainian and Georgian contracts is almost identical: "предмет договору" (subject of the contract), "права та обов'язки сторін" (rights and obligations of the parties), "ціна та порядок розрахунків" (price and settlement), "відповідальність сторін" (liability), "форс-мажор", "строк дії" (term), "реквізити сторін" (details of the parties). The translation keeps the blocks unchanged. Specific Ukrainian elements are the IBAN format of bank details, the "код ЄДРПОУ" (the company's identification code, the analogue of the Georgian identification number), and the "платник ПДВ" (VAT payer) and "платник єдиного податку" statuses, which are mandatory in a Ukrainian contract. Since the war the force majeure clause in Ukrainian contracts is especially detailed and refers to the force majeure certificate of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which needs a note for the Georgian party. In IT contracts (розробка ПЗ, аутсорсинг, NDA) the English terminology is common to both languages.
Corporate law: TOV, FOP, EDR
The Ukrainian "ТОВ" (limited liability company) is the direct analogue of the Georgian LLC, regulated by a separate law of 2018; "ПрАТ" and "ПАТ" (private and public joint-stock companies) correspond to the Georgian joint-stock company; "ФОП" is an individual entrepreneur. The extract from the Unified State Register ("витяг з ЄДР") contains the company's registered data, including the beneficial owners ("кінцевий бенефіціарний власник"), which has been mandatory in Ukraine since 2020 and matters for Georgian banks in the KYC procedure. The articles of association ("статут"), the minutes of the founders' meeting ("протокол загальних зборів") and the order appointing the director ("наказ") are translated for the Georgian Public Registry, where the signatory's powers are unambiguous. Residency in the "Дія.City" regime for IT companies is confirmed by a separate document, which is functionally close to the Georgian virtual zone status and is explained with a note.
Court documents and the Ukrainian judicial system
The Ukrainian judicial system has three tiers: local courts (місцеві загальні, господарські, адміністративні суди), courts of appeal and the Supreme Court (Верховний Суд), with a separate High Anti-Corruption Court. This structure resembles the Georgian one, while the separate branch of economic (commercial) courts does not exist in the Georgian system and needs a note. A Ukrainian decision ("рішення" in civil cases, "вирок" in criminal cases, "постанова" in appeal and administrative cases, "ухвала" for interim rulings) is written in a standard structure: "вступна частина", "описова частина", "мотивувальна частина", "резолютивна частина", identical to the structure of a Georgian judgment, and the translation keeps the blocks. The note on entry into legal force ("набрало законної сили") is never left untranslated. Ukraine's unified register of court decisions is available online, and in the translation the case number stays unchanged so that the Georgian judge can verify the decision in the register.
Notarial acts and real estate
The Ukrainian and Georgian notarial systems come from a common Soviet tradition and "understand" each other well: a Ukrainian notary ("нотаріус", state or private) handles real estate transactions, powers of attorney, wills and inheritance cases, and the structure of a Ukrainian notarial act ("посвідчувальний напис", register number, seal) is analogous to the Georgian notarial form. In the translation Ukrainian real estate terminology ("право власності", "державна реєстрація речових прав", "кадастровий номер", "витяг з Державного реєстру речових прав") is rendered with the terminology of the Georgian Public Registry, while the numbers stay unchanged. In wartime the documents of property located in occupied territory or a combat zone are relevant, where register entries, damage reports and compensation applications ("заява про пошкоджене/знищене майно" through Diia) require specific terminology.
Family law: marriage, divorce, children, war
The Ukrainian Family Code (2002) and the family book of the Georgian Civil Code share many concepts: "шлюб", "розірвання шлюбу", "аліменти", "опіка та піклування", "позбавлення батьківських прав", "усиновлення". Ukrainian divorce takes place either at the ДРАЦС (without children, by mutual agreement) or in court, and the amount of alimony is set either by agreement or by court decision, with a statutory minimum tied to the subsistence minimum, which needs a note in the translation. The war has created new documents: one parent's consent to the child travelling abroad (under a simplified procedure since 2022), temporary guardianship during a parent's military service, certificates concerning a deceased or missing family member, which are translated for the Georgian guardianship body and the court with particular accuracy and delicacy.
Employment law and work documents
Ukraine's Labour Code (still that of 1971, amended many times) and the Georgian Labour Code (2010) differ structurally: the Ukrainian "трудова книжка" (employment record book), which has been moving to electronic form since 2021, no longer exists in the Georgian system, but old books are translated for pension service; the Ukrainian "наказ про прийняття/звільнення" (hiring/dismissal order) has a function analogous to the Georgian employment contract; the "довідка про доходи" (certificate of income) and "форма ОК-5/ОК-7" (the Pension Fund extract on service and contributions) are translated in Georgia for the Pension Agency and banks. For Ukrainian IT specialists the "гіг-контракт" (within Diia.City) and FOP contracts are translated for the Georgian tax service, and in wartime "бронювання" (deferment from military service) documents are relevant, which are sometimes translated for a Georgian body too.
Ukrainian medical documentation: forms and eHealth
Ukrainian medical documentation keeps the numbers of Soviet forms (027/о extract, 003/о inpatient card, 025/о outpatient card, 063/о vaccination card, 086/о health certificate), which are familiar to the Georgian system too, but since 2018 Ukraine's healthcare reform has been introducing an electronic system (eHealth, "Helsi" and other medical information systems): the declaration with a family doctor ("декларація з лікарем"), the electronic prescription, the electronic sick leave certificate ("е-лікарняний"), the electronic referral ("е-направлення"). The printed versions of these electronic documents are translated for a Georgian clinic and insurance company, and the verification data is rendered in full in the translation. Ukrainian medical terminology rests on a Latin-Russian foundation shared with Georgian, which makes translation easier, and ICD-10 codes are the international version in both systems.
MSEK, disability and social status
The Ukrainian disability system rests on the conclusion of the medical-social expert commission (МСЕК), with three groups (I, II, III) and a separate category for children ("дитина з інвалідністю"), which structurally matches the Georgian system (severe, significant, moderate limitation), though the criteria and the examination procedure differ. In 2024-2025 the МСЕК system in Ukraine is undergoing reform and a new form of examination ("оцінювання повсякденного функціонування" by a multidisciplinary team) is being introduced, which creates new terminology. For the Social Service Agency in Georgia, Ukrainian disability documents are translated so that the diagnosis, group and functional limitation are unambiguous, while the war disability status ("особа з інвалідністю внаслідок війни") and veteran status (УБД) are explained with a separate note, because they have no analogue in the Georgian system.
Doctors and nurses: recognition of a Ukrainian diploma in Georgia
Since 2022 many Ukrainian doctors and nurses have been trying to continue their professional activity in Georgia, which requires recognition of the Ukrainian medical diploma (National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement) and obtaining a Georgian state certificate. In the translation the stages of Ukrainian medical education (the "лікар" qualification, "інтернатура", "спеціалізація", "сертифікат лікаря-спеціаліста", "категорія" qualification categories) must be explained in the terms of the Georgian system (single-cycle medical education, residency, state certificate), and the Ukrainian internship, which differs from the Georgian residency in duration and structure, is explained with a note. For nurses the "молодший спеціаліст" or "бакалавр" qualification is compared with Georgian nursing education. In the opposite direction, a Georgian doctor's diploma is translated into Ukrainian for recognition in Ukraine.
Pharmaceutical and medical device documentation
Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies register medicines in Georgia and Georgian pharmaceutical companies in Ukraine, which requires two-way translation of registration documents: the package leaflet ("інструкція для медичного застосування"), the registration certificate ("реєстраційне посвідчення"), the quality certificate (GMP), clinical trial documents. Ukraine is harmonising with EU pharmaceutical regulations, and its terminology is approaching the European standard, which creates compatibility with Georgian regulatory terminology (which also follows the European one). Medical device documentation ("декларація відповідності", technical file) is translated in both directions, and the informed consent form ("інформована згода") for clinical trials is written so that a patient without medical education understands it.
Tax documents and double taxation
A double taxation agreement is in force between Georgia and Ukraine, and tax residence certificates ("довідка про резидентство") are translated in both directions, especially for Ukrainian IT specialists and FOPs who live in Georgia but keep tax obligations in Ukraine. Ukrainian tax documents ("податкова декларація", "довідка про доходи", "витяг з реєстру платників єдиного податку", "РНОКПП") are translated for the Georgian Revenue Service and banks, and Georgian tax certificates into Ukrainian for the State Tax Service of Ukraine. The Ukrainian tax system ("ПДВ", "податок на прибуток", "єдиний податок", "військовий збір") partly matches the Georgian one (VAT, profit tax) and partly does not (the military levy, the groups of the single tax), and the translation marks the difference with a note.
Criminal law and requests for legal assistance
The 1995 treaty also covers criminal matters, and requests for legal assistance ("запит про правову допомогу") between the justice and prosecution bodies of Georgia and Ukraine, interrogation records, indictments ("обвинувальний акт"), documents of investigative actions and extradition materials are translated in both directions. Ukraine's Criminal Procedure Code of 2012 and the Georgian code of 2009 share many concepts, but the names of procedural statuses ("підозрюваний", "обвинувачений", "підсудний") must correspond exactly to the Georgian equivalents (suspect, accused, defendant), because the status determines procedural rights. War-related cases (documentation of war crimes, collaboration cases, confiscation of property) require specific terminology. Only a translator with criminal law experience works on such documents, under strict confidentiality.
The "false friends" list: our own quality control tool for Ukrainian-Georgian
In the Ukrainian direction the main threat to quality is not an unknown term but a "familiar" one: a word that sounds the same in both languages because of its Soviet origin and carries different content. So the core of our Ukrainian legal and medical base is a "false friends" list that has been growing for years: "господарське товариство" and the Georgian "economic", which is not used in a corporate context; "інтернатура" and the Georgian "residency", which differ in duration; "єдиний податок" and the Georgian "small business status"; "лікарняний" and the Georgian "sick leave sheet", which no longer exists in the Georgian system. The translation is handled by a translator with legal training or practice in Ukrainian law, medical text by a specialist in medical terminology, and a second specialist "tests" the text precisely against this list: every false friend must be checked and explained with a note. Codes (ЄДРПОУ, РНОКПП, case and decision numbers in the Ukrainian court register), dates and doses are checked separately, and a translation from Georgian into Ukrainian is read by a Ukrainian-speaking editor to detect Russian calques. There is no apostille stage, so notarisation is the last and only external control, which makes the internal control stricter.
Confidentiality in wartime
The personal, medical and business data of Ukrainian clients needs special protection in wartime: home addresses, the military status of family members, the location of property, business connections. At our agency every order is handled under a signed confidentiality agreement, documents are received through encrypted channels, the translator has access only to the document they are working on, and for documents related to medical and military status an anonymised version is handed to the translator at the client's wish. After delivery of the translation the files are deleted at the client's request. Georgia's law on personal data protection and the corresponding Ukrainian legislation both set a standard of protection that we observe.
Typical documents in this field
- договір купівлі-продажу, оренди, надання послуг, розробки ПЗ, NDA, and Georgian contracts into Ukrainian
- витяг з ЄДР, статут, протокол загальних зборів, наказ про призначення директора, витяг ФОП
- рішення суду, вирок, постанова, ухвала, виконавчий лист, довідка про набрання законної сили
- довіреність, заповіт, свідоцтво про право на спадщину, договір дарування, заява-згода
- виписка з медичної карти (027/о), висновок МСЕК, форма 063/о, форма 086/о, е-лікарняний
- диплом лікаря, сертифікат лікаря-спеціаліста, посвідчення про інтернатуру, категорія
- інструкція для медичного застосування, реєстраційне посвідчення, декларація відповідності
- довідка про резидентство, податкова декларація, довідка про доходи, форма ОК-5/ОК-7
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ukrainian "господарський суд" in Georgian?
The economic (commercial) court, which hears business disputes in Ukraine. There is no separate commercial court in the Georgian system, so in the translation the instance is rendered with an explanation.
Is the Ukrainian internship the Georgian residency?
Functionally similar, but different in duration and structure. In the translation the term is explained with a note so that the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement compares the stage correctly.
How is a FOP contract translated for the Georgian tax service?
The contract is translated in full, and the FOP status and the single tax group are explained with a note so that the Georgian accountant correctly understands the income regime.
Does an МСЕК certificate automatically grant disability status in Georgia?
No, determining the Georgian status is the competence of the Social Service Agency. The translation conveys the diagnosis, group and functional limitation exactly so that the Agency can make a decision.
Do you translate documents of property damaged during the war?
Yes, damage reports, compensation applications (from Diia) and register extracts are translated for a Georgian bank, insurance company or court, with specific terminology.
Is a double taxation certificate needed in both directions?
For Ukrainian residents in Georgia, the Georgian certificate in Ukrainian for the Ukrainian tax service; for Georgians in Ukraine, the reverse. No apostille is needed, a notarised translation is enough.
How long does the translation of a Ukrainian court judgment take?
A Ukrainian judgment is often 5-20 pages. Such a document is ready in 2-4 working days, and in urgent cases it is split among several translators with a shared terminology base.