So preparation starts not with a translator but with your Georgian doctor. Below is a list of what to ask your doctor for and how each document should be translated. The list is built around the two most popular destinations, Turkey and Germany, but the same approach works for a clinic in Israel, Austria or any other country.
What to ask your Georgian doctor for
1. Form 100 - complete and printed
Form IV-100/a, the Georgian health certificate (officially a "certificate on the state of health"), is the centre of the package. Ask your doctor to include in it:
- the diagnosis with its ICD-10 code - the doctor abroad and the insurer both work with the code;
- the medical history - when the illness began, what treatment was given and with what result;
- current medication with doses and the dosing schedule;
- allergies and other conditions you have;
- the doctor's recommendation - why treatment abroad is needed.
Ask for the certificate to be issued electronically, in printed form. Deciphering handwriting is the riskiest stage of a translation, and that risk is easy to avoid. More detail: medical certificate and Form 100 translation.
2. Discharge summaries
If you have been in hospital or had surgery in recent years, collect every discharge summary and every operation report. A surgeon abroad needs to know what has already been done and how.
3. Imaging - both the report and the disc
For an MRI, CT or PET-CT you need two things: the written report, which is translated, and the disc or file with the images (DICOM), which is not translated, but which most clinics insist on, because the doctor looks at the images personally. Ask for the disc as soon as the scan is done - at some clinics getting a copy later takes time.
4. Histology and biopsy
In oncology cases the histology and immunohistochemistry reports are decisive. Many clinics in Germany and Turkey also ask for the histology blocks and slides for a fresh, reference review. Ask the clinic in advance, so that you can request them from the laboratory in good time.
5. Lab tests
Your most recent tests - a complete blood count, biochemistry, a coagulation panel and, where needed, tumour markers. Some clinics ask for tests done within a specific period - check that period with the clinic. Details on translating test results: translation of tests, lab results and discharge summaries.
Turkey: language and certification
The large international clinics in Turkey accept English, while a Turkish translation speeds up internal processes - the reception desk, the laboratory, the nursing staff. For a consultation with a doctor, an apostille is, as a rule, not needed. In detail, including the translation you will need after you come home: treatment in Turkey - documents and apostille.
Germany: an English translation is often enough
Many people assume that everything has to be translated into German for a German clinic. In practice, large German clinics have international departments (International Office) that work with foreign patients in English, and the doctors read English medical documentation without difficulty.
The advantages of an English translation:
- One package for several clinics - if you are sending your documents to several clinics for assessment, including clinics in Germany, Turkey or Israel, one English translation works for all of them;
- Time saved - one translation instead of two languages;
- Flexibility - if you change clinics, you do not need a new translation.
A German translation is the better choice when the clinic asks for it directly, when a German insurance or state procedure is involved, or when you will continue follow-up with a German family doctor after treatment. Before deciding, ask the clinic's international department - the answer, as a rule, comes in a single email.
Medical treatment visa: if you need a visa to enter Germany, the embassy usually asks for the clinic's confirmation of the treatment, an estimate of the treatment costs and proof of funding. In that case the translation of your medical documents may need to be notarized. Check the exact list on the embassy's official page.
How the documents should be translated
- For the clinic - a translation certified with the agency's stamp and the translator's signature. Notarization is, as a rule, not needed here;
- For an embassy, an insurer or a public authority - a notarized translation. If you first had the documents translated for the clinic, the same translation can be notarized later;
- Numbers - doses, units, measurements and reference ranges are carried over unchanged, and the editor checks each of them separately against the original;
- Chronology - arrange the documents from oldest to newest, and the translation will be delivered in the same order.
The rules for terminology, ICD-10 codes and Latin abbreviations are described on the page medical translation.
How to send the documents to the clinic
An international department receives dozens of patient packages a day. The better organized your package is, the faster you will get an answer:
- One document - one PDF. Dozens of separate photos are easily lost in an email;
- The date and type in the file name - for example "2026-08-14 MRI brain report EN.pdf". That way the doctor sees the chronology before even opening the files;
- The original and the translation together - many clinics ask for both, so that they can compare the numbers with the original if needed;
- DICOM images by link - large files do not fit in an email. Ask the clinic which upload system it uses - many have their own portal;
- A short cover letter - who you are, what your diagnosis is and what you want to know: a consultation, surgery or a second opinion.
We translate the cover letter too, if you write it in Georgian. That way the clinic has a complete and clear picture from your very first email.
Five mistakes that delay treatment
- Sending only the latest scan. The doctor needs to see the trend: how the size of a tumour has changed, when a value got worse. With a single scan they cannot see this and will ask you for the earlier data.
- Forgetting the disc. The report has been translated, but the images stayed in Tbilisi. The clinic will either wait for the disc or repeat the scan.
- Blurry photos. In lab results photographed with a phone in poor light, 0.8 and 6.8 can look the same. Take the photo in daylight, from directly above, without shadows, or scan the document.
- A different spelling of your name. If your name is written differently in the translation than in your passport, the clinic's administration may not be able to match the documents to one patient. Your name must be written exactly as it appears in Latin letters in your passport.
- Unnecessary certification. For a clinic, notarization and an apostille are, as a rule, not needed, so the time spent on them is often simply lost. First ask who requires which form.
Short checklist before you go
- Form 100, printed, with the ICD-10 code;
- every discharge summary and operation report;
- MRI/CT reports and discs;
- histology and, where needed, the blocks and slides;
- your most recent lab tests;
- a list of your medication with doses;
- a copy of your passport - your name in the translation is written according to the passport.
This list is general. If the clinic has sent you its own list, that list always takes priority: some centres additionally ask for an echocardiogram, an anaesthetist's assessment or a dentist's certificate before surgery. Send us that list too - we will check that every document is in the package before we start translating.
The translation is ready the same or the next day, including the editor's check.
Preparing for treatment abroad? Send us your documents and tell us which country the clinic is in - we will tell you which language and which form of translation is best. The translation will be ready the same or the next day.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Do I definitely need a German translation for a German clinic?
Often not. The international departments of large German clinics work in English and accept an English translation. German is the better choice if the clinic asks for it directly or a German insurance procedure is involved.
Do I need to have the MRI disc translated as well?
No. What is translated is the radiologist's written report. The images are in the international DICOM format, but be sure to send the disc or take it with you - most clinics ask for it.
Does the clinic need a notarized translation?
As a rule, no. A translation certified with the translator's signature and the agency's stamp is enough. A notarized translation is usually requested by an embassy, an insurer or a public authority.
My Form 100 is handwritten. Is that a problem?
Most handwriting can be deciphered from the medical context, but an unclear passage is never filled in by guesswork - we mark it and ask you to check it with your doctor. It is better to ask your doctor for a printed certificate.
I am sending my documents to several clinics for assessment. Which language should I choose?
English. One English translation works for the international departments of clinics in Germany, Turkey, Israel and other countries. Once you have chosen a clinic, you can have the documents translated into its specific language if needed.
After treatment, do I also need the foreign discharge summary in Georgian?
Often, yes - for your Georgian doctor who continues the treatment, and for your insurer if you are claiming reimbursement. We translate Turkish, German, English and Hebrew discharge summaries into Georgian.
How long does the translation take?
The same or the next day, including the editor's check.