Apostille or Legalization? What to Know Before Sending a Power of Attorney Abroad

The most common scenarios: a son or daughter living abroad needs to open a bank account on a parent's behalf, a company entrusts a foreign lawyer with representing it in court, or an heir hands over the registration of an inherited property abroad to someone else. In all three cases the power of attorney is executed in Georgia but used outside the country.

This article covers exactly this direction - from Georgia to another country. The opposite case, when a power of attorney comes to Georgia from abroad, is described in the article power of attorney from abroad to Georgia. For the general difference between an apostille and legalization, see apostille or legalization.

One question: is the country a party to the Hague Convention?

Georgia has been a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention since 14 May 2007. This means:

• In a country that is party to the Convention, the power of attorney needs an apostille - a single stamp placed in Georgia, and nothing else;
• In a non-member country, consular legalization is required - a chain of several authorities, the last link of which is the receiving country's embassy.

Both procedures confirm that the notary's signature and seal are genuine. Neither one confirms that the content of the power of attorney is correct or that the translation is of good quality.

Apostille: member countries

Parties to the Convention include every EU country, the USA, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and more than a hundred other states. Recent accessions include:

• Saudi Arabia - since 7 December 2022;
• China - since 7 November 2023;
• Canada - since 11 January 2024;
• Vietnam - since 11 September 2026.

Legalization: non-member countries

Countries that are not parties to the Convention include, for example: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon. Thailand has joined the Convention, but it enters into force there only on 28 February 2027 - until then, legalization is required.

A legalized power of attorney works only in the one country whose embassy certified it. If you need the document in two countries, the procedure is carried out separately for each.

A short list of countries

The list is based on the Hague Conference's official status table as of October 2026. Countries join the Convention from time to time, so for a less well-known country check its status in advance.

Where and when the power of attorney is translated

There are three common options:

• A bilingual power of attorney before the notary - the text is drawn up in two languages from the start. This is often the fastest route, because no separate translation is needed;
• Translation in Georgia - the Georgian power of attorney and the apostille are translated, and the translation is notarized;
• Translation in the receiving country - a bank, notary or registry in some countries requires the translation to be done by a sworn translator in that country.

Ask the receiving side - the bank, the lawyer or the authority - which option you need before you sign the power of attorney. This one question saves you a second visit to the notary.

If the translation is done in Georgia, translate not only the text of the power of attorney but also the notary's certification wording and the apostille stamp. A foreign banker or notary checks exactly these parts first, because they show who certified the document and when.

What the power of attorney must say to be accepted abroad

Even a correctly certified power of attorney can be sent back if its text does not meet the receiving side's requirements. Before you go to the notary, check:

• General or special - foreign banks and registries often ask for a special power of attorney issued for a specific action: which account, which property, which case;
• An exact description of the subject - the property address and cadastral number, the account number, the car's VIN, the court case number;
• The attorney's details - first name and surname as in the passport, passport number, date of birth;
• The right of substitution - whether the attorney may pass the authority on to a local lawyer. Abroad this is often essential;
• Validity - some foreign banks or authorities require the power of attorney to have been executed within the last few months. Check what period the receiving side accepts.

Best practice is for the receiving side - the bank or the lawyer - to send you a sample power of attorney or a list of what it needs to include. The notary then drafts the text based on that sample.

Three mistakes that send the process back to the start

• Translating before the apostille - if the receiving country also needs the apostille translated, first the apostille, then the translation. Otherwise the apostille will not be translated;
• A name that differs from the passport - the attorney's name in the translation must be written exactly as in the Latin-letter entry of their passport. To a bank, "Giorgi" and "George" are two different people;
• The receiving side's requirements were not checked - the power of attorney was executed with powers that do not satisfy the bank or registry in the receiving country, and everything has to be done again.

What we check when translating the text of a power of attorney - the scope of the powers, the right of substitution, the term and the description of the subject - is explained in detail here: translation of notarial acts and powers of attorney.

Alternative: the receiving country's consulate in Tbilisi

In some cases there is a third route as well: executing the power of attorney directly at the embassy or consulate of the country where it will be used. Consuls of many countries can perform notarial acts, and such a power of attorney is treated in their country as a local document - with no apostille and no legalization.

This route is not available at every consulate, often requires an appointment in advance, and the text is drawn up in the receiving country's language. If you are considering this option, first check on the consulate's official page whether it performs notarial acts.

How we can help

TARGMANEBI translates the power of attorney and the apostille with notarization, the same or next day, and will tell you the right order of steps for your country. The time an apostille or legalization takes depends on the state authorities and the embassy and is not included in our turnaround. More detail: power of attorney translation and apostille.

A short plan

Frequently asked questions

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