One question decides everything: is the receiving country a member of the 1961 Hague Convention? If it is, an apostille is enough. If not, consular legalization is required.
Georgia is a member of the Convention, which means a Georgian document bearing an apostille is automatically recognised in every other member country - including Germany, France, the US, Italy, Turkey and more than a hundred other states.
Apostille - a single stamp
An apostille is a simplified form of international legalization. It is a special stamp placed on the document or attached to it, and it confirms three things: that the signature is genuine, that the signatory had authority, and that the seal is authentic.
What an apostille does not confirm: that the content of the document is correct and - which people mix up especially often - the quality of the translation. An apostille says only that this seal belongs to a genuine Georgian authority.
The advantage is obvious: one procedure, one office, a relatively short timeframe. A document with an apostille works in any member country of the Convention - there is no need for a separate procedure for each country.
The state fee for an apostille depends on how quickly you need it. It is not our fee - it is set by the state and charged separately for each document.
Consular legalization - a chain of offices
If the country where you plan to submit the document is not a member of the Hague Convention, an apostille will not help - it is simply not recognised there. In that case consular legalization is needed.
It is a multi-step process and, most importantly, each stage checks the previous one. The usual sequence is:
Stage 1. Translation and notarization of the document. Stage 2. Certification by the relevant Georgian ministry - Justice or Foreign Affairs, depending on the document type. Stage 3. Final certification by the consulate of the country where the document is to be submitted.The third stage is the least predictable: the consulate has its own schedule, its own requirements and often its own timelines. Some consulates are not in Tbilisi, and the document has to be sent to a neighbouring country - another week.
For planning: if an apostille takes days, legalization takes weeks. If your receiving country is not a member of the Convention, start the process two or three weeks earlier than you would have thought.
The comparison at a glance
Apostille
- In Hague Convention member countries
- One stamp, one office
- Timing: a few days
- One fee per document
- Works in all member countries at once
Consular legalization
- In countries that are not members of the Convention
- A chain of several offices
- Timing: usually weeks
- Several fees, one per stage
- Valid only for that one country
What they share
- Both concern the document, not the quality of the translation
- Both need the original, not a copy
- Both are done in the issuing country
- Both usually come before or together with translation
- Both need planning in advance
The most expensive mistake is the same in both cases: a person first translates and notarizes, and only then finds out the apostille or legalization should have been on the original. As a result everything is done again. Before you pay anything, ask one question: is the receiving country a member of the Hague Convention?
Which office does what in Georgia
This depends on the document type, and this is exactly where time gets lost - people go to the wrong office.
Education documents - diploma, school certificate, grade sheet, diploma supplement. The apostille on these documents is usually issued by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement. Civil status records - birth, marriage and divorce certificates. This is the Public Service Hall's domain. Criminal record certificate - the apostille is placed by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the same body that issued the certificate. An apostille can also be requested for an electronically issued certificate. Notarial acts - powers of attorney, consents, notarized documents. Also the Public Service Hall. Medical documents - here there are more options, and often the issuing institution's confirmation is needed first.If you do not know which office to go to, call us before you set off. One call saves one visit. If you prefer, we can also handle the whole process under a power of attorney - you just hand us the document and receive the finished package.
Five mistakes that cost the most
1. The wrong order. The document was translated and notarized first, then apostilled. As a result the apostille stamp does not appear in the translation, and the recipient sees a document whose confirming part is in a language they do not understand. Everything is done again. 2. An old document. The apostille was put on a certificate issued ten years ago, while the recipient asks for a freshly issued extract. Both the apostille and the fee were wasted. 3. A damaged or laminated document. It is often impossible to apostille a laminated document, because the stamp has to be applied physically. Many people think lamination protects a document - in reality it often makes it useless for official procedures. 4. A copy instead of the original. An apostille goes on the original or a notarized copy - never on an ordinary photocopy. 5. Guessing the recipient's requirement. "A friend did it this way" is the most expensive sentence in this field. Requirements change by country, office and year. The only reliable source is the recipient's written instruction.How to get it right
Identify the receiving country
Is it a member of the Hague Convention or not? This one question decides everything: the procedure, the timing and the cost.
Read the recipient's requirement
A university's instructions, a consulate's page or an employer's letter. It often says whether only the original needs an apostille or the translation too.
Certification first, translation after
The apostille or the first stage of legalization goes on the original. The translation comes after, so the stamp is reflected in it.
Plan the timing realistically
For an apostille - days. For legalization - weeks. If you have a fixed date, count backwards and leave a margin.
What the total cost consists of
There are three independent components, and confusing them is the main reason budgets go wrong. First - the cost of the translation, which is ours and set by agreement after we see the material. Second - the notary fee, which is set by law. Third - the state and consular fees for the apostille or legalization.
We give you all three in advance, in one reply. The reason is practical: a client often learns the translation price, pays, and only then discovers that the fees are a significant part of the budget - especially with a package of four or five documents, where the apostille is charged for each one separately.
With legalization, add the consular fee, which varies sharply by country. Guide figures for translation: translation prices.
Not sure whether you need an apostille or legalization? Call us and, based on the receiving country, we will tell you the procedure, the order and the real timeframe - free of charge.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Can an apostille be done online?
An apostille is a physical stamp placed on the document, so the procedure itself happens in person. Your presence, however, is not required: you send us the document by courier or under a power of attorney, we handle the process and return the finished package. For people in the regions or abroad this is the standard arrangement.
Which office issues the apostille?
It depends on the document type. For education documents - usually the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement. For civil status records and notarial documents - the Public Service Hall. For the criminal record certificate - the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which issued it. Medical documents often need the issuing institution's confirmation first. Call us before you go - one call saves one visit.
Does the apostille go on the original or the translation too?
It depends on the country, which is exactly why reading the recipient's requirement matters. In most cases the apostille goes on the original and the translation is done afterwards. Some countries, however, ask for a double apostille - one on the original and one on the notarized translation.
How long is an apostille valid?
The apostille itself has no expiry date. The document it is on does. A criminal record certificate is usually valid for a few months, and its apostille is valid for the same period. A birth certificate does not expire, although some offices ask for a freshly issued extract.
Can I put an apostille on a foreign document in Georgia?
No. An apostille is only issued in the country that issued the document: a German document in Germany, a Turkish one in Turkey. In Georgia the document is then translated into Georgian and notarized. If a foreign document has no apostille, a Georgian office will often not accept the translation either.
How long does legalization take?
Considerably longer than an apostille. The process passes through several offices, each with its own schedule, and the last stage depends on the consulate. If the receiving country is not a member of the Convention, plan for weeks, not days. Call us with the specific country and we will tell you the real stages.