This guide explains exactly where the line runs: when a photo of the document is enough and when the original really is essential. The difference almost always comes down to one procedure, and never to the translation itself.
We also cover two practical details that save the most time: how to photograph a document so you will not need to redo it, and how delivery works in the regions of Georgia.
When a photo is enough and when the original is needed
The rule is simple and depends on one procedure only: the notary.
A photo is fully enough
- A translation without certification
- A translation with the bureau's stamp
- A certified form with a declaration
- Understanding a foreign document for personal use
- A preliminary estimate of price and deadline
The original is essential
- Notarization - the notary is obliged to see the original
- Certifying that a copy matches the original
- An apostille - the stamp goes on the physical document
- When you sign in person before the notary
What stays remote anyway
- The translation itself - always
- Agreeing price and deadline
- Receiving the file
- Delivery of the certified paper by courier
- Payment
The most frequently asked question: "How will the notary certify it if I am not there?" The answer is that the notary confirms that the translator's signature is genuine, not yours. The translator signs in the notary's presence. Your physical presence is not needed - only the original is, and that can arrive by courier.
How to photograph a document correctly
A badly taken photo is the most common reason the process drags on by a day. Here are the five rules that prevent it.
1. Lay it flat. Put the document on a table and shoot from above. On a photo taken at an angle the text stretches and small figures become unreadable. 2. All four corners must be visible. If a corner is cut off, we cannot see whether something is missing there - and neither we nor the notary can be sure the document is complete. 3. Natural light, no shadows. By a window, in daylight. On glossy paper a flash can "burn out" exactly the stamp. 4. The back too. Many certificates have a stamp, note or apostille on the back. This is the part most often left out - and exactly the one that makes the document come back later. 5. Every page separately. For a multi-page document, each page as a separate photo, in order. Fitting two pages into one picture never works well.How the process runs
Step 1. You send a photo or PDF by email to info@targmanebi.ge, via WhatsApp or through the website form. In the same message you write two things: who the document is for and by what date you need it. Step 2. We assess it and send back three things: the recommended form, the price and the deadline. The price is set by agreement after we see the material and does not change once confirmed. Step 3. Translation and checking. If notarization is needed, this is when we need the original - you either bring it or send it by courier. Step 4. Delivery. The electronic file is sent through the same channel you contacted us on. The paper version - at the office, 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Ave, or by courier.Delivery to the regions and abroad
The electronic version goes out the same way everywhere, and in most cases it is enough: foreign universities, online applications, crewing companies and employers usually accept a PDF.
A paper version is needed when the document has to be submitted physically: at a consulate, a Georgian office, a bank or a court. In that case a courier brings it - in Tbilisi the same or the next day, in the regions according to the courier company's schedule.
Sending abroad is possible too, but here is one practical tip: before you pay for international shipping, check whether the recipient really needs paper. It often turns out that a scanned copy is perfectly sufficient.
If you are in the regions and the Kutaisi or Batumi office is closer, you can collect the paper there. The list of all cities: cities and branches.
Security and what happens to your files
When ordering online, two questions usually come up: where is my document stored and who has access to it?
The file is stored in the channel you sent it through, or on our secure server. One honest caveat: if you sent it via WhatsApp, a copy of the file also exists on WhatsApp's servers, and that is outside our control. So for a particularly sensitive document - a court case, a medical history, a tender price - call us first and we will pick a suitable channel.
Only the people working on the order have access to it. Working files are kept for at most one month - exactly the period in which you might need a correction or a reprint - and then deleted. On request we will delete them sooner.
A translation done online has the same legal force as one prepared during an office visit. The full rules: confidentiality policy.
What working online really saves
The main gain of an online service is not time - it is the number of visits. The traditional way needs at least three trips: handing in the document, waiting at the notary, collecting the finished paper. Online this drops to zero, or to one when the original is needed.
The second, less obvious gain is that the process is asynchronous. You send the photo when you have time - in the evening, from work or from the regions. We reply during working hours. Nobody waits on the line for anybody.
Third: the cost of a mistake goes down. If you arrive at the office and it turns out the back of the document is missing or it has no apostille, that is a wasted visit. Online, we find out in the same conversation and tell you before you pay anything or go anywhere.
Who this matters to most: people in the regions, for whom a trip to Tbilisi is half a day; families preparing several people's documents at once; companies with a constant flow of work; and people sorting out Georgian documents from abroad.
Four steps before you start
Photograph it correctly
Flat, from above, in natural light, all four corners, including the back, each page separately. That one minute saves a day.
Say who it is for
A consulate, university, bank, employer or Georgian office. This decides whether the bureau's stamp is enough, or a notary or an apostille is needed too.
Give the date
If you already have an appointment, write the day and time. This is not pressure - it is so we can give you the real deadline, not the one you wish for.
Wait for our reply before confirming
We send back the price, deadline and form. The order starts only after you confirm, and the price does not change after that.
In the regions or simply short of time? Send us a photo of the document via WhatsApp or email - you will get the price, deadline and required form in one reply.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be present at the notary?
No, not for certifying a translation. The notary confirms that the translator's signature is genuine, not yours - the translator signs in their presence. Your presence is needed only when you sign a document yourself, such as a power of attorney or a consent.
How do I get the original to you if I am in the regions?
By courier. Many clients do exactly this: they send a photo, we translate, they send the original by courier for notarization and receive the certified package back the same way. Or, if Kutaisi or Batumi is closer, you can drop it off and collect it there.
How does payment work?
By bank transfer or online banking. The invoice is issued on the bureau's registered sole-proprietor details. Corporate clients can have one monthly invoice. Company details: legal information.
Does the electronic version have the same force?
The quality and content of the translation are identical. The only difference is what the recipient accepts: many foreign universities, online applications and employers accept a PDF, while Georgian offices and consulates often ask for a physical document. Ask the recipient - that one question saves the courier cost.
The photo came out badly. Do I need to take it again?
If the text and stamps are readable - no. If some part is unclear, we will tell you exactly which page or corner to photograph again. We never translate "approximately" - if something cannot be read, we clarify it.
I am abroad. Can I order?
Yes, and it is a common case. Electronic delivery works everywhere. If paper is needed, we send it by international courier. If you need a Georgian document that is in Georgia, that can be arranged under a power of attorney - we obtain it, apostille it, translate it and send it to you.