Notarised translation: a translation tied to a notarial act
A notarised translation in Georgia is a written translation into or from Georgian on which a Georgian notary performs a notarial act, usually certifying the translator's signature and, only when the notary knows both languages, the accuracy of the text, so that notaries, the Public Registry and other authorities can rely on it.
The legal basis is Article 38(1) of the Law on Notaries, No 2283-II of 4 December 2009, which lists "verifying the authenticity of signatures" in point (g) and "verifying the accuracy of translations" in point (h). The Instruction on notarial acts, Order No 71 of 31 March 2010, decides which of the two a notary performs. Under its Article 70, accuracy is certified only by a notary who knows both languages; otherwise the notary certifies the translator's signature alone, after the translator shows a qualification document and is warned of liability.
The English phrase can mislead. A buyer from Germany, France or Israel may expect a sworn translator whose own stamp makes a translation official. Georgian law keeps no state list of sworn translators. In practice, then, a notarised translation in Georgia is a translation whose translator's signature a notary has certified: the notary confirms who signed, and the translator answers for the wording. Our guide to notarised translation in Georgia covers prices and the full procedure.
The state-language rule behind every translation
Notarised translations exist because Georgian offices work in one language. Article 6(1) of the Law on Notaries is blunt: "A notarial action shall be performed in the state language." Every other rule follows from it.
| Source | Rule |
|---|---|
| Law on Notaries Art. 6(2) and 6(1-1) | A party who does not command Georgian is helped by an interpreter; a deaf or hard-of-hearing party by a sign-language interpreter |
| Law on Notaries Art. 52(1)(c) | The notary refuses the act if no translator or interpreter is available |
| Order No 71 Art. 22(1) | Foreign-language attachments to a notarial act need a certified Georgian translation |
| Order No 487 Art. 57(1)-(2) | A registry deal is drawn up in Georgian; if a party does not know Georgian, one copy translated into Georgian is attached |
| Order No 487 Art. 57(3) | Company registration documents may be in Georgian and English without an interpreter |
| Order No 487 Art. 20(2) | A copy of a foreign passport filled in Russian or English needs no translation |
| Resolution No 520 Art. 4 | Residence permit documents from abroad are legalised or apostilled and come with a certified Georgian translation |
Two exceptions in the table save money. A passport in English or Russian goes to the registry untranslated, and company registration papers may be drawn up in Georgian and English without an interpreter.
Registry number, tariff and open questions
Each certification is a notarial act in its own right. Article 51 of the Law on Notaries gives every notarial act, a certified translator's signature included, a unique number in the Electronic Notary Registry, and that number is printed on the document. A copy or extract from the registry is issued only on written application by the person concerned.
The notary's charge comes from Government Resolution No 507, Article 31, as amended by Resolution No 272 of 30 May 2022. It falls with length, from GEL 6 per signature on a one-page translation down to GEL 2 above 50 pages, and Article 39 adds GEL 5 for the electronic register. The translator's own fee is outside the tariff. Our guide to the notary in Georgian property deals sets these fees beside the other notarial charges.
Two points remain open. Order No 71 has been amended 24 times, most recently by Order No 1254 of 28 September 2026, and we could not confirm whether that change touched Article 70. Statistics are thin as well: the Notary Chamber reported 1,345,158 notarial acts of all kinds in 2013 and, on an undated page, 248 acting notaries, but we found no count of certified translations.
What the finished set looks like
A notarised translation is rarely a single sheet. For a document from abroad, the typical set handed back by the notary has four layers, with the pages bound and stamped.
- The source document: the original, or a copy certified by a notary under Article 38(1)(f) of the Law on Notaries.
- The apostille or legalisation, if the original was issued abroad; see our glossary entry on the apostille.
- The Georgian translation, which renders the apostille as well as the document.
- The certification: the translator's signature, then the notary's certifying text, seal and date, and the Electronic Notary Registry number required by Article 51(2).
We could not confirm the exact wording of the notary's certifying line, because the forms attached to Order No 71 were not available to us. What the reader can always find is the registry number, the date and the notary's seal. If the certificate refers only to the translator's signature, the notary has not vouched for the wording; a certificate of accuracy is something Article 70 allows only a notary who knows both languages to give.
Worked example: a Hebrew bank statement and a signing at the Public Service Hall
An Israeli buyer needs a 3-page bank statement in Hebrew attached to a deed signed before a notary in Tbilisi. Under Article 22(1) of Order No 71, a foreign-language attachment needs a certified Georgian translation, so the statement goes to a translator first.
- What the notary charges: 3 pages fall in the 2 to 10 page band, so the translator's signature costs GEL 4, and the register fee adds GEL 5, GEL 9 in all. The translator bills separately.
- What the notary confirms: unless the notary reads Hebrew, only that the named translator signed. If a figure in the statement is mistranslated, the certificate does not cover it, which is why the buyer should check the numbers against the original.
The same buyer later signs the sale at the Public Service Hall. Under Article 57 of the Public Registry instruction, Order No 487, the agreement is in Georgian, and because the buyer does not know Georgian a translated copy is attached, and the translator's signature on that copy is certified first. A copy of the buyer's passport, if its details are in English, needs no translation under Article 20(2). Our guide to the documents needed to buy property lists the other papers for that day.
Notarised translation and its look-alikes
| Term | What it is | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Sworn or certified translation abroad | In many EU countries, a translator on an official list certifies the text alone | Georgia relies on the notary, and acceptance of a translation certified abroad is not confirmed |
| Interpreter at signing | Oral translation during the notarial act (Law on Notaries Art. 6(2)) | Nothing written is produced; a notarised translation is a document |
| Notarised copy | The notary confirms a copy matches the original (Art. 38(1)(f)) | Says nothing about language |
| Apostille | A certificate from the issuing country confirming a signature and seal | Translates nothing; it comes before the translation |
The first row matters most to buyers from countries with sworn translators. Because we could not confirm that Georgian offices accept a translation certified abroad, the usual safe course is to bring the apostilled original and have the Georgian version made and certified in Georgia.
Notarised translation in Georgian, Russian, Hebrew and Arabic
| Language | Heading form | Form used in running text |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian | სანოტარო თარგმანი | დამოწმებული თარგმანი |
| English | notarised translation | certified translation |
| Russian | нотариальный перевод | заверенный перевод |
| Hebrew | תרגום נוטריוני | תרגום מאושר |
| Arabic | الترجمة الموثّقة | ترجمة معتمدة |
Georgian legal texts describe the thing rather than name it: the registry instruction speaks of a copy "translated into the state language" (სახელმწიფო ენაზე თარგმნილი), and the most precise description is ნოტარიულად დამოწმებული თარგმანი, a notarially certified translation. In every language the meaning is the Georgian one: a translation whose translator's signature a notary has certified, not a text certified by a sworn translator.
Warning signs with notarised translations
- Relying on a sworn translator's stamp from home. Acceptance in Georgia is not confirmed; ask the receiving office first.
- Assuming the notary checked the wording. A signature certificate covers the signer, not the text.
- Paying to translate an English or Russian passport. The registry accepts such a copy as it is.
- Translating a Georgian extract for use at home. The registry issues an English extract for GEL 26 extra.
- Arriving at a notary without an interpreter. Article 52(1)(c) obliges the notary to refuse.
- Asking for a notarised copy when a translation is needed. A certified copy leaves the language unchanged.
To be added by the team: two redacted images to add: the last page of a certified translation showing the translator's signature, the notary's seal and the registry number, and a bound set with the stamp across the pages.
How to order a notarised translation that will be accepted
Ask the receiving office
Confirm which papers it needs in Georgian, and which it takes as they are.
Finish the foreign certification
Apostille or legalisation goes on the original before anyone translates it.
Pick a qualified translator
The notary will ask to see the translator's qualification document.
Ask which act the notary will perform
Signature only, or accuracy if the notary knows both languages.
Check the figures yourself
Compare every number and name in the Georgian text with the original.
Note the registry number
Record it from the certificate before you hand the set over.
Frequently asked questions
What does "notarised translation" mean in Georgia?
Usually a translation whose translator's signature a Georgian notary has certified.
Does the notary check the translation?
Only a notary who knows both languages certifies accuracy (Order No 71, Art. 70).
Are there sworn translators in Georgia?
No state list exists; the system works through notaries.
Which law requires Georgian?
Law on Notaries Art. 6(1): notarial acts are performed in the state language.
Does my passport need translating?
Not for the registry, if its details are in English or Russian (Order No 487, Art. 20(2)).
What does the notary charge?
From GEL 6 per signature for one page, plus a GEL 5 register fee.
Can a notary refuse without an interpreter?
Yes, under Law on Notaries Art. 52(1)(c).
Is a translation certified abroad accepted?
We could not confirm it; ask the receiving office first.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on Notaries, Articles 6, 38, 51 and 52, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Instruction on notarial acts, Order No 71 of 31 March 2010, Articles 22 and 70, Ministry of Justice of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Instruction on the Public Registry, Order No 487, Articles 20 and 57, Ministry of Justice of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 507 on notarial tariffs, Articles 31 and 39, as amended by Resolution No 272 of 30 May 2022, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Informational services fees, National Agency of Public Registry (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961, full text, Hague Conference on Private International Law (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Become a notary in your district, Notary Chamber of Georgia, undated (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Report on the activity of the Notary Chamber of Georgia for 2013, Notary Chamber of Georgia (accessed 28 October 2026)
Change log
- - Glossary entry published from the Legislative Herald of Georgia, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the National Agency of Public Registry, the HCCH and the Notary Chamber of Georgia.