Why do your documents need a Georgian translation?
Georgian is the language of Georgia's notaries, registry and agencies. Notarial acts are performed in Georgian, a sale signed at the registry must be in Georgian, and documents for a residence permit must come with a Georgian translation certified as the law prescribes. A foreign buyer therefore usually needs at least some documents translated: the sale contract if it was drafted in another language, a power of attorney signed abroad, a marriage or inheritance certificate, and the papers for a residence permit.
This guide explains how a notarised translation works in Georgia, what it costs, and how to avoid the delays that come from inconsistent names and missing certifications.
When is a translation required?
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Signing before a notary | Acts are in Georgian; an interpreter takes part if a party does not speak it |
| Foreign-language attachments at a notary | A certified Georgian translation is required if the notary does not know the language |
| Signing at the Public Registry | The deal must be in Georgian; a foreign-language deal needs a Georgian translation |
| Residence permit application | Foreign-language documents need a certified Georgian translation |
| Foreign passport | May be accepted without translation if the details are in English or Russian, or in Latin script |
How a notarised translation works
For notarial purposes, Georgian rules work through the notary rather than through a register of sworn translators like those in some European countries. A translator makes the translation, attaches it to the original or a copy, and signs it; the translator shows proof of qualification, and the notary warns the translator of liability for a false translation. The notary then certifies one of two things. If the notary knows both languages, the notary certifies the accuracy of the translation itself. If not, the notary certifies only the authenticity of the translator's signature on the translation.
In practice most buyers go to a translation office that works with a notary, or to a notary's office that has translators. The finished document is the original or a copy, the Georgian translation and the notary's certification, bound together.
How to get a document translated, step by step
Certify the original first
A document from abroad needs its apostille or legalisation before translation, so that the certification is translated too.
Check the spelling of names
Give the translator your passport, so that names are transliterated the same way in every document.
Choose the translator and notary
A translation office linked to a notary is the usual route.
Read the translation
Check names, dates, numbers and the property's address and cadastral code.
Collect the certified set
Original or copy, translation and certification, bound together.
Order spare copies
Certified copies for the bank, the registry and the residence permit file.
What does it cost?
Two costs add up: the translator's fee and the notary's fee. The notary's fee is fixed by the official tariff. Certifying a translator's signature costs GEL 6 for a one-page document, GEL 4 for 2 to 10 pages, GEL 3 for 11 to 50 pages and GEL 2 above that, per signature, plus a GEL 5 fee to the electronic notarial register. A certified copy of the original costs GEL 4 for one page and less per page for longer documents. The translator's fee is set by the translator or office.
To be added by the team: AVI Estates to add current per-page translation prices from published price lists of translation offices in Tbilisi and Batumi.
Two official benchmarks exist: the Public Service Development Agency translates into a foreign language for GEL 30 per page, and a Georgian consular officer translates or confirms a translation for USD 10 per page.
Can you translate documents abroad?
Sometimes a translation is made in the country where the document was issued, for example by a sworn translator there. Whether a Georgian notary or agency accepts such a translation, and whether it needs its own apostille, is not set out clearly in the sources we found. The safer route is to bring the certified original to Georgia and have the Georgian translation made and certified here, or to ask the notary or agency in advance whether a translation done abroad will be accepted.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm whether translations certified abroad are accepted by Georgian notaries, the Public Registry and the agency for residence permits.
Bilingual documents
A document drafted in two columns, Georgian and another language, avoids a separate translation. Sale contracts, preliminary agreements and powers of attorney can all be prepared this way. The Georgian text is the one the registry and notary work with, so the other column must say exactly the same thing. Ask your lawyer to read both columns, not only the one in your language.
Common mistakes
- Translating before the apostille is added, which means translating again.
- Different spellings of the same name in the contract, the power of attorney and the passport.
- Translating only the first page of a multi-page certificate.
- A translation that leaves out stamps, seals or handwritten notes from the original.
- Too few certified copies, so the process has to be repeated for another office.
Which documents do buyers usually translate?
- The sale or preliminary contract, unless it is drafted in two columns with Georgian.
- A power of attorney signed abroad, together with its apostille or legalisation.
- Marriage and birth certificates for a spouse's consent or for family members' residence permits.
- An inheritance certificate when the seller inherited the property abroad.
- Company documents when a foreign company buys or sells.
Bank statements and proof of the source of funds are a separate case: banks set their own language requirements, so ask your bank before translating them.
Translations for a residence permit
The rules on residence permit applications require foreign documents to be legalised or carry an apostille, unless a treaty provides otherwise, and documents in a foreign language to come with a Georgian translation certified as the law prescribes. A passport with the details in Latin script may be accepted without translation. Translate the documents only after the apostille, and make sure the names match your passport exactly, because the agency compares them with the passport and with the property extract.
Signing with an interpreter
A buyer who does not speak Georgian signs before a notary with an interpreter at their side; without one, the notary cannot go ahead. At the Public Registry, a deal in a foreign language must come with a Georgian translation, and the translator's signature is certified before the parties sign. In both cases the interpreter or translator is there for you: take the time to have every page explained, including the parts that look standard.
Georgian documents for use at home
The opposite direction is common too: a bank, a tax office or a court at home may want your Georgian documents. The Public Registry issues extracts in English for an extra GEL 26, which often avoids a translation altogether. Other documents can be translated in Georgia, for example by the Public Service Development Agency at GEL 30 per page, and then carry a Georgian apostille, from GEL 30, or go through legalisation for countries outside the Apostille Convention. Our guide to apostille or legalisation lists the countries.
How to check a translation yourself
You do not need to read Georgian to catch the most common errors. Check that every name matches your passport letter by letter, that dates are in the right order and format, that every number, including the price, the area and the cadastral code, is copied exactly, and that stamps, seals and handwritten notes on the original are translated or described too. Count the pages: the translation should cover every page of the original, including the apostille.
Keeping translations usable
A certified translation can be used more than once, but offices keep what you give them. Ask for enough certified sets, keep one complete set for yourself, and keep scans of everything. When a document is updated, such as a new power of attorney or a renewed certificate, the translation has to be made again, because it is tied to the specific original it was bound to.
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia have sworn translators?
Notarial translations work through the notary, who certifies the translator's signature, or the translation itself if the notary knows both languages.
How much does a notary charge to certify a translation?
GEL 6 per signature for a one-page document, less for longer ones, plus GEL 5 for the register.
Do I need my passport translated?
Often not, if its details are in Latin script; ask the office that needs it.
Should I get the apostille before the translation?
Yes, so that the apostille is translated together with the document.
Can the contract be in English?
For registration the deal must be in Georgian; a bilingual contract or a Georgian translation solves this.
Will a translation made abroad be accepted?
Not reliably; ask the notary or agency in advance, or translate in Georgia.
How long does a translation take?
It depends on the length and the office; plan a few days for a set of documents.
How many copies should I order?
One for each office that will keep a copy: the registry, the bank and the residence permit file.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on Notaries (Articles 6, 38), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Instruction on notarial acts, Minister of Justice Order No 71 (Articles 22, 70), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Instruction on the Public Registry, Minister of Justice Order No 487 (Articles 20, 57), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 520 on residence permit procedures (Article 4), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 272 of 2022 amending the notarial fees (Article 31), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Georgia: competent authority (Art. 6), Hague Conference on Private International Law (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Consular Fees (Article 4), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
Change log
- - Guide published from the Law on Notaries, the notarial and registry instructions, Resolution No 520 and the notarial fee resolution.