Diploma Translation with Notarization

Diploma translation is one of the most important services for anyone planning to study or work abroad, have a qualification recognized, prepare a visa application or submit a proof of education to an official authority. A diploma confirms your education, academic degree, specialization and qualification, so it has to be translated accurately, in a clear format and in line with official requirements.

When translating a diploma, what matters is not only moving the text from one language into another but also carrying over every detail correctly: first name and surname, the name of the institution, the specialization, the qualification, the diploma number, the date of issue, the academic degree, seals, signatures and the subjects or grades listed in the supplement. If any detail is translated incorrectly, the receiving university, employer or public authority may send the document back.

When do you need a diploma translated?

A diploma translation is most often needed when a proof of education has to be submitted abroad. This may be admission to a university, a master's or doctoral application, a scholarship programme, a work visa, a professional licence, recognition of a qualification, submission to an embassy or a requirement of a foreign employer.

Different countries and organizations have different requirements. In some cases a translation of the diploma is enough, sometimes a notarized diploma translation is needed, and sometimes an apostille or a translation of the diploma supplement is mandatory too. That is why it is important to find out in advance what format the receiving party requires.

• to continue your studies abroad;
• for admission to a university or college;
• for a master's or doctoral application;
• for a scholarship programme;
• for a work visa or employment;
• for recognition of a professional qualification;
• for submission to an embassy or consulate;
• to send documents to an international organization;
• for nostrification or recognition of education, including recognition of a foreign diploma in Georgia.

Which documents are translated together with the diploma?

Often a translation of the diploma alone is not enough. Universities, embassies and foreign public authorities often ask for the diploma supplement, a transcript of grades, an academic reference, a description of the study programme or another additional educational document. In that case it is best to send the whole package at once, so that you receive the translation of every document the same or next day.

The diploma supplement has to be translated with particular care, because it often contains the list of subjects, credits, grades, years of study and the academic workload. Carrying this data over without mistakes is important, because the university or evaluation organization makes its decision on the basis of exactly this information.

• diploma;
• diploma supplement;
• transcript of grades;
• academic reference;
• student status certificate;
• syllabus or study programme;
• certificate;
• document confirming a professional qualification;
• other official document issued by a university or school.

Accurate translation of degrees and titles

The academic degree is the most sensitive field on a diploma. The Georgian "ბაკალავრი" is translated as Bachelor, "მაგისტრი" as Master, "დოქტორი" as Doctor or PhD, but on a diploma the degree is always written together with the field: "ბიზნესის ადმინისტრირების ბაკალავრი" is Bachelor of Business Administration, "განათლების მაგისტრი" is Master of Education. If the university has an official English name for the qualification and it is given in the diploma supplement, we use exactly that form in the translation, so that the diploma and the supplement match word for word.

The translator neither raises nor lowers the degree. The translation renders what is written on the document, and equivalence is established by the recognition body: in Georgia, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement; abroad, the ENIC-NARIC centre of the receiving country or the university. If the translation says "Master's Degree" where the original says something else, that becomes grounds for returning the document.

Soviet 5-year diplomas require separate knowledge. A Soviet higher education institution did not award an academic degree - the diploma stated a qualification, for example "инженер-механик" or "историк, преподаватель истории", often in Russian or in Georgian and Russian. Such a document is translated as a Diploma with the qualification Mechanical Engineer, and not as a Master of Engineering. The link to a degree is set by law: under paragraph 8 of Article 89 of the Law of Georgia on Higher Education, a diploma issued on completion of a one-cycle programme before 1 September 2010 is equated with a master's diploma, and under paragraph 9, a Candidate of Sciences degree obtained before the Law entered into force is equated with the academic degree of Doctor.

• "с отличием" or "წარჩინებით" (the so-called red diploma) - Diploma with Honours;
• the 5-point grading scale ("отлично", "хорошо", "удовлетворительно") - Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, keeping the numerical mark;
• "зачтено" - Pass, without converting it into a mark;
• "кандидат наук" - Candidate of Sciences, and not PhD;
• the name of the institution - as it was on the day of issue, regardless of any later change of name.

Translation of student status certificates, recommendation letters and motivation letters

An application to a university abroad rarely consists of the diploma alone. The standard package includes a CV, a student status certificate, one or two recommendation letters and a motivation letter. TARGMANEBI handles this package as a single order: consistent terminology across all documents and one turnaround - the same or next day.

Consistent terminology has a practical meaning. If the faculty is written one way in the CV, another way in the status certificate and a third way in the recommendation letter, the admissions committee starts to wonder whether they are talking about the same programme. That is why we write the names of the university, the faculty, the programme and the degree the same way in every document, following the diploma translation.

• Student status certificate - the certificate has a date of issue, and embassies and universities often ask for a recently issued one. Before translation, check how recent a certificate the receiving party accepts;
• Recommendation letter - a Georgian letter signed by a professor or employer is translated with the signature and seal noted. If the university accepts the letter only from the referee, the referee uploads the translation to the portal themselves;
• Motivation letter - we translate a text written in Georgian keeping your arguments and style, without adding new facts. If the programme sets a word limit, state the limit when you order;
• CV - we keep your structure, and if the programme asks for the Europass format, we arrange the translation in its fields.

Not every document in the package needs the same format. The diploma, the supplement and the status certificate often need notarization, while the CV and the motivation letter are, as a rule, sent as an ordinary translation. Unnecessary certification means an unnecessary step, so tell us when you order what the application portal asks for. Full list: how to prepare documents for admission to European universities.

Which languages do we translate diplomas into?

TARGMANEBI translates diplomas from Georgian into foreign languages and from foreign languages into Georgian. The most frequently requested are diploma translations into English, German, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Arabic, Chinese and other languages.

If you need the diploma for a university in Germany, a German or English translation may be required. For studies or family matters in Italy, an Italian translation is often requested. For the USA, Canada or the UK, an English translation is used most often. The specific language must always match the requirement of the receiving organization.

In educational documents it is often the recording of the first name and surname that causes difficulty, because each language has its own rules. For example, the Hungarian interpreter page describes the question of the order of first name and surname, the Lithuanian interpreter page the form of foreign surnames, and the Romanian interpreter page the specifics of how educational and civil documents are drawn up.

Does a diploma need notarization?

Notarization of a diploma is often needed when the document has to be submitted abroad. A notarized translation confirms the official form of the translation and in many cases is mandatory for a university, an embassy, an employer or a public authority.

Notarization is especially important when the diploma is used in a legal or administrative process: recognition of education, confirmation of a professional qualification, obtaining a licence, a work visa or employment abroad. In such cases a simple translation may not be enough. The difference in detail: ordinary and notarized diploma translation.

Our team pays attention to the format of the diploma, the correct transliteration of first names and surnames, the exact rendering of the institution's name, the correct use of academic terms and the full reflection of every official entry on the document.

Does a diploma need an apostille?

An apostille is a form of certification for using a document internationally. In the case of a diploma, whether an apostille is needed depends on the country where you have to submit the document. Sometimes the apostille is needed on the original diploma, sometimes on a copy of the diploma, and in some cases a notarized translation alone is enough; a notarized translation made in Georgia, however, is not apostilled.

If you need the diploma for a university, an embassy or recognition of education, be sure to check their requirements. If you have a list of requirements, you can send it to us and we will help you find out whether the diploma needs an apostille, notarization or a translation of the diploma supplement as well.

Apostille on educational documents

In Georgia apostilles are placed by several authorities, and which one depends on the type of document. For a diploma, a diploma supplement, a school certificate and a transcript of grades, the competent authority for the apostille is the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement. You submit the application at the Public Service Hall, but the Public Service Hall does not verify the educational document itself: the application is sent electronically to the Center, which checks the authenticity of the document and decides on the apostille.

When checking authenticity, the Center confirms that the document was issued by an authorized institution and to the person named in it. That is why the apostille term on an educational document is several working days; a faster paid term exists, including the same day - plan this stage separately. Checking a diploma from the Soviet period or from an institution that has been liquidated may take longer - in such a case, plan the apostille a few weeks before your deadline.

• Apostille on the diploma - placed on the original educational document after the Center has checked its authenticity;
• Translation - in Georgia a notarized translation is not apostilled. If the recipient needs the translation itself confirmed, the Public Service Development Agency can translate the diploma into one of eight languages and apostille its own translation; or ask the recipient whether our notarized translation next to the apostilled diploma is enough.

The correct order is usually: first the apostille on the original, then the translation, in which the text of the apostille is translated too, and finally notarization. If you translate the diploma first and add the apostille afterwards, the apostille will not appear in the translation and you will have to have the translation prepared again. Some countries also want the translation itself confirmed, and a notarized translation is not apostilled in Georgia, so check the receiving party's requirements before ordering. For details, see the apostille page and the guide how to get an apostille on a diploma and a transcript.

Diploma translation for Germany, Italy, the USA and other countries

Diploma translation is often tied to a specific country. For example, for studies or recognition of a qualification in Germany, the documents must be prepared according to the requirements of the university or the relevant authority. For studies, family reunification or residence in Italy, an Italian translation of the diploma may be needed. For the USA and the UK an English translation is often used, while for Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey or other countries the requirements may differ.

That is why, when ordering a diploma translation, it is best to state not only the language but also where you have to submit the document. This helps us determine correctly whether you will need notarization, a translation of the supplement, apostille advice or another additional step.

How do you order a diploma translation?

You can order a diploma translation online or at the office. You can send us a photo or scan of the diploma and the supplement on WhatsApp, by email or through the order form on the website. Once we receive the documents, we check the volume, the language and whether certification is needed. The translation is ready the same or next day.

• send us a photo or scan of the diploma;
• if you have a supplement or a transcript of grades, send it too;
• state the target language;
• tell us in which country or to which organization you have to submit the document;
• indicate whether you need notarization;
• if you have a deadline, let us know in advance;
• receive the translation the same or next day.

For an official translation, it is important that every part of the document is clearly legible. If the scan is blurred, the seal is not visible or the diploma supplement has not been sent in full, you may need to send an additional file. This helps us avoid mistakes and prepare the translation accurately.

How long does a diploma translation take?

A diploma translation is ready the same or next day. The same turnaround applies to the diploma supplement, the transcript of grades and other educational documents that you send together with the diploma.

The time needed for the apostille is not included in the translation turnaround, because the apostille is placed by a public authority. If you need the document for a specific deadline, state the date when you order.

Diploma translation online

You can also order a diploma translation online. This is especially convenient for students, emigrants, job seekers and anyone preparing documents to send abroad. Simply send us a photo or scan of the diploma and the supplement on WhatsApp or by email, and you will receive the translation the same or next day.

Ordering online does not lower the quality. The documents are handled with the same accuracy as files brought to the office. Where needed, you can receive an electronic version, and in the case of notarization, a printed version as well, by arrangement.

Why choose TARGMANEBI?

Diploma translation requires a sound knowledge of academic terminology, compliance with the official format and accuracy in the details. TARGMANEBI works with educational, personal, legal, medical, technical and financial documents, so we understand well how important it is to prepare proofs of education correctly.

• we work in more than 14 languages;
• notarization of the diploma is available;
• the diploma supplement and the transcript of grades are translated;
• we offer apostille advice;
• you can send the document online;
• we protect confidentiality;
• the translation is ready the same or next day;
• we work in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and online across all of Georgia.

When a diploma is recognized, the official name of the issuing institution and the grading system matter. The specifics of Korean and Slovak educational documents are described on separate pages.

Frequently asked questions