Chinese is no longer exotic for Georgia: the Chinese embassy operates in Tbilisi, the Georgia-China free trade agreement has been in force since 2018, China is one of the largest export markets for Georgian wine, and Chinese companies take part in Georgia's infrastructure projects, from tunnels to port terminals. Since May 2024 Georgian citizens enter China visa-free, which further increases the flow of business visits, study and medical travel. We translate all types of documents from Chinese into Georgian and from Georgian into Chinese, arrange the apostille on the Georgian original before translation, then translate the document together with the apostille, and the notary certifies the translator's signature; for China the apostille replaced full consular legalisation from November 2023.
What changed in November 2023 and why it matters
For years a Georgian document intended for China went a long way: legalisation at the Agency (Public Service Hall), the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, then the consular section of the Chinese embassy. On 7 November 2023 the Hague Apostille Convention entered into force in the People's Republic of China, and this three-step procedure was replaced by one stamp, the apostille. In Georgia the apostille is attached by the Public Service Hall, in China by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the provincial foreign affairs offices authorised by it.
This change is still quite new, and on the internet, as in the advice of some intermediaries, outdated information still circulates that "consular legalisation is required for China". This is no longer so. However, one nuance remains in force: the apostille confirms the origin of the document, but the Chinese authority keeps its own requirements for the form of the translation, which we discuss separately below.
The geography of Chinese-language documents
A "Chinese document" can come from several completely different jurisdictions, and each has its own rules:
- People's Republic of China (mainland): simplified characters, apostille since November 2023, notarial certificates (公证书) from specialised notarial offices
- Hong Kong: traditional characters, often bilingual (Chinese-English) documents, apostille from the High Court, the convention has applied here since the British period
- Macau: traditional characters, traces of Portuguese-language documents, its own apostille
- Taiwan: traditional characters, not a party to the convention, certification through representative offices, which for Georgia requires a separate consultation
- Singapore: Chinese is one of the official languages, simplified characters, apostille
So the first question we ask when receiving a Chinese document is not "what does it say" but "where is it from": this determines the type of characters, the terminology and the route of certification.
Simplified and traditional characters
When translating from Georgian into Chinese one of the first decisions is the character system. For mainland China and Singapore the translation is done in simplified characters (简体字), for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in traditional ones (繁體字). The difference is not only graphic: Taiwanese and Hong Kong legal and administrative terminology differs noticeably from the mainland's, as do the names of state authorities. A translation prepared for Hong Kong that was simply "converted" from simplified to traditional characters is immediately and noticeably foreign to the local reader. Our translators command both systems and the corresponding terminology and prepare the translation for the target jurisdiction.
Which documents are translated most often
From Georgian into Chinese
- Extract from the register of entrepreneurs, articles of association and bank certificate for a contract with a Chinese partner or registration of a representative office in China
- Certificates for wine, mineral water and agricultural products for Chinese customs and the importer
- Diploma and transcript of grades for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) and university enrolment
- Criminal record certificate and medical form for a work permit
- Marriage and birth certificates for family matters
From Chinese into Georgian
- Chinese notarial certificates (公证书): confirmation of birth, marriage, no criminal record, education
- Company business licence (营业执照) and articles of association for Chinese investment in Georgia
- Contracts, specifications and technical documentation for construction and infrastructure projects
- Chinese university diploma and its verification report for a Georgian authority
- Medical documents: discharge summary, tests, diagnostic conclusions
The anatomy of a Chinese notarial certificate
A personal document coming from China to Georgia is almost never "simply a birth certificate". The Chinese system issues a document intended for abroad in the form of a notarial certificate (公证书): the notarial office confirms that the attached document or fact is genuine, often attaches an English translation to the certificate and binds the whole package into one booklet. Since November 2023 an apostille is also attached to this booklet.
A Georgian authority requires a Georgian translation of such a document, and here it matters that we translate from the Chinese original and not from the attached English version: the English translations of Chinese notarial offices are often schematic and sometimes leave out details. The translation reflects the name of the notarial office, the certificate number, the notary's name, the text of the seals and the apostille, so that the Georgian employee sees the structure of the document in full.
Chinese names and transliteration
A Chinese name can exist in a Georgian document in three forms: in characters, in pinyin (the Latin transcription, as in the Chinese passport) and in Georgian transcription. A Georgian authority usually relies on the Latin entry of the passport, so in the translation we write the Chinese name exactly as in the passport (surname first, given name after, in capital letters), and add the Georgian transcription in brackets. The Georgian form once chosen remains unchanged in all documents of this person.
In the opposite direction, rendering a Georgian name in Chinese requires choosing characters, and here several "correct" variants of the same name exist. If the person already has an officially used character name in China (for example, in a work permit or a university record), precisely that is used in the translation; if not, we choose the standard phonetic transcription and record it, so that it does not change in later documents.
Dates, numbers and formats in Chinese documents
A Chinese document writes the date in year-month-day order (2026年3月15日), which is a classic source of error when transferred into the Georgian day-month-year format, especially when both the day and the month are below 12. Numbers in Chinese are divided into four-digit groups: 万 is ten thousand, 亿 is a hundred million, and 50万 in Georgian is five hundred thousand, not "fifty thousand". In bank certificates, contracts and customs documents this difference changes the amount tenfold or a hundredfold, so every number is checked separately in our review. The identity number (身份证号) has 18 digits and contains the date of birth, which allows cross-checking with the other dates of the document in the translation. Addresses in Chinese are written from large to small, from province to apartment number, and in the Georgian translation we keep this order, because that is exactly how it matches the original.
Business with China: where translation comes in
Georgia-China economic relations are concentrated in several specific fields, and each has its own document flow. Wine export requires a Chinese translation of labels, certificates of analysis and customs documents, and a Georgian translation of the Chinese importer's registration documents for the bank and customs. Infrastructure projects where Chinese contractors work require two-way translation of technical specifications, construction norms and labour documents. Chinese investment in real estate and free industrial zones creates a flow of corporate and notarial documents, and the import of Chinese cars a translation of technical passports and certificates.
In a Chinese business document one concept demands special attention: the company seal (公章). In Chinese legal practice the seal carries more force than a signature, and a document without a seal is often considered void. In the translation we reflect the text of the seal in full and indicate its type (company seal, contract seal, financial seal), because for a Georgian lawyer this information is essential for assessing the document's force.
Education: scholarships, HSK and diploma verification
The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) and the Chinese universities' own programmes are one of the most accessible ways for Georgian students to study in Asia. The application requires a notarised translation of the diploma, transcript of grades, motivation letter, recommendations and the foreigner physical examination form, in Chinese or English. The HSK certificate confirming knowledge of Chinese needs no translation, but its level determines the choice of programme. In Tbilisi the centre of Chinese language teaching is the Confucius Institute at the Free University, and its graduates often approach us precisely at the stage of preparing documents.
In the opposite direction, for recognition of a Chinese diploma in Georgia the Georgian authority often asks not only for the diploma but for its verification report from China's education verification centre (学信网), which is issued online, bilingually. The translation of this report is prepared as one package together with the translation of the diploma.
Chinese authorities' requirements for the form of the translation
The introduction of the apostille simplified the route of certification, but one practical matter remained unchanged: many Chinese authorities, especially the exit-entry administration of the Public Security Bureau (work and residence permits), the Civil Affairs Bureau (marriage registration) and university admissions offices, require the Chinese translation of a foreign document from a "qualified translation organisation", with a special translation seal (翻译专用章) and a copy of the organisation's licence. Some authorities mean by this only an agency registered in China, while others consider a notarised translation made in Georgia and attached to the apostilled original entirely sufficient.
Because of this difference our recommendation is to clarify in advance with the specific receiving authority what form it expects. If the answer is "an agency licensed in China", we prepare the original with an apostille and an informational translation, which makes the local agency's work easier and insures against terminological mistakes; if the answer is "a notarised translation together with the apostilled original", we complete the whole package in Georgia itself: the apostille goes on the original, the document is translated together with the apostille, and the notary certifies the authenticity of the translator's signature (document route). That is precisely why we ask this question at the start of the order and not at the end.
Work permit in China: the document package
Employment of Georgian specialists in China, from teachers to engineers and representatives of the wine industry, goes through the foreigner's work permit procedure (外国人工作许可), which is one of the most document-heavy Chinese procedures. A typical package includes the higher education diploma with an apostille and translation, a certificate of no criminal record (which for the Chinese side must not be older than six months), a certificate of work experience from the previous employer, a physical examination form and, in the case of family members, marriage and birth certificates. The Chinese side strictly controls the validity of these documents, so we plan the deadlines of translation and apostille so that the certificate is valid at the moment of submission. In the translation of the certificate of work experience it matters that the job title comes close to the terminology of the Chinese classifier, because that is precisely what the authority compares with the requirements of the vacancy.
Marriage and family matters between two countries
The number of Georgian-Chinese families is small but growing, and the documentary needs of these families concern the bureaucracy of both countries at once. For marriage registration in China a Georgian citizen needs a certificate of marital status, with an apostille and Chinese translation, while for marriage in Georgia a Chinese citizen needs a notarial certificate of being unmarried (未婚公证), with an apostille and Georgian translation. When a child is born, the Chinese medical certificate of birth (出生医学证明) is translated for Georgian citizenship, and the Georgian birth certificate for Chinese registration. In these processes consistent writing of names in both languages is especially important, because in future the child's documents of both countries must correspond to each other.
Technical and construction documentation
The participation of Chinese contractors in the construction of Georgia's roads, tunnels and port infrastructure creates a large flow of technical translation: project documentation, technical specifications, construction norms, safety instructions, equipment passports, employment contracts for Chinese and Georgian workers. This type of translation requires professional competence: the terminology of Chinese construction standards (GB) does not directly match Georgian and European norms, and the translator must know where there is an equivalent and where an explanation. For large projects we create a terminology base, which the client's engineers approve and which is used identically in all documents for the whole duration of the project.
What sets our Chinese translation apart
In Chinese we work with translators who have many years of experience of studying or working in China and command simplified and traditional characters, as well as mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwanese terminology. Every translation passes a double check, where numbers (the Chinese numerical system with the units 万 and 亿 is a classic source of mistakes), dates, names and the text of seals are checked separately. A translation to be notarised is done by a translator registered with the notary in the Chinese-Georgian pair.
- A standard personal document in 1 working day, express in 1-2 hours
- Apostille on the original at the Public Service Hall within the order
- Simplified and traditional characters, according to the target jurisdiction
- Two-column bilingual contracts and technical documentation with a terminology base
- Fully online process, courier delivery anywhere in Georgia
Official sources
- Public Service Development Agency: apostille and legalization: which Georgian documents can get an apostille, which cannot, and how long it takes
- Hague Conference: Apostille Convention member states: the current list of countries: apostille or consular legalization
- China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular service: apostille on Chinese documents, who issues it and what to submit
Frequently asked questions
Does a document for China now need an apostille or consular legalisation?
Since 7 November 2023, an apostille. Consular legalisation is no longer needed for the People's Republic of China. Taiwan is an exception, because it is not a party to the convention.
Should I have the Chinese translation of a Georgian document made in Georgia or in China?
It depends on the receiving authority. Many Chinese authorities accept a translation notarised in Georgia and attached to the apostilled original, while some require a translation by an agency licensed in China. We prepare the document for both cases and advise clarifying with the recipient in advance.
The Chinese notarial certificate also contains an English translation. Can the Georgian translation be made from the English?
We always translate from the Chinese original. The English attachment is often schematic, and a notarised translation must match the original.
Are a Hong Kong document and a mainland China document processed the same way?
No. Hong Kong has its own apostille and traditional characters, and the terminology differs too. The translation is prepared for the specific jurisdiction.
How is a Chinese name written in the Georgian translation?
By the pinyin entry of the passport, surname first, and with the Georgian transcription in brackets. The form once chosen remains unchanged in all subsequent documents.
For the CSC scholarship, should the documents be translated into Chinese or English?
Both are accepted. A Chinese translation gives an advantage with the university admissions committee, but if you also plan to apply in other countries, the English version is more universal. We certify both with one notarial act.
How is a Chinese company seal reflected in the translation?
The text of the seal is translated in full, indicating its type (company, contract or financial seal), because in Chinese law the seal is the main confirmation of the document's force.
How old may the criminal record certificate be for a work permit in China?
The Chinese side, as a rule, does not accept a certificate older than six months, some provinces require three months. We plan the deadlines of the apostille and translation so that the document is valid at submission.
I have a Taiwanese document. Will an apostille be attached?
No, Taiwan is not a party to the convention. The route of certification must be determined individually, and we offer a consultation on this before the order.
How long does a Chinese translation take?
A personal document in 1 working day, express in 1-2 hours. Technical and legal packages with an individual deadline, which we communicate as soon as we see the document.