Almost every delay in a notarized translation comes from one of three places: the photo was not good enough to work from, the original was not available on the day the notary needed it, or nobody said which authority the document was for until after the translation was made.
None of those is about translation. All three are about preparation - which is what this page is for.
What to send, and in what quality
The first message decides how fast everything else moves. Four things make it complete.
The document itself
- Photograph it flat, from directly above
- Natural light, no flash on glossy paper
- All four corners visible in the frame
- The reverse side too, if anything is printed there
- Each page as a separate photo, in order
Where it is going
- The name of the authority, embassy or institution
- The country, if it is going abroad
- Their written requirement, if you have it
- Whether an apostille was already added
Two details that save a day
- The spelling of your name as in the passport
- The date by which you need it
- Any earlier translation of the same name
- How many certified copies you will need
The most common avoidable problem is the reverse side. Many Georgian certificates carry a stamp, a note or an apostille on the back, and it is the part people forget to photograph. If it is missing from the translation the notary will still certify it, and the receiving authority will still send it back.
When the original becomes unavoidable
A photograph is enough for the translation itself. It is not enough for the notary.
A Georgian notary is obliged to see the original document before certifying a translation of it. That is a legal requirement, not an office policy, and no bureau can work around it. So the moment you choose the notarized form, the original has to reach the notary somehow.
Three ways it can get there. You bring it to the office at 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue. Someone else brings it on your behalf - no power of attorney is needed simply to hand in and collect a document. Or a courier brings it, which is how most orders from the regions work. When your own presence is required. Only when you are the person signing the document - a power of attorney, a consent, a declaration. In that case the notary is establishing your identity and your will, not the translator's signature, so nobody can stand in for you. If you need to keep the original. Say so at the start. In many cases a notarized copy can be made first and the translation attached to that copy instead, leaving the original with you. It is an extra notarial act with its own tariff, but it solves the problem.How long each stage really takes
Three separate clocks run, and only the first one is ours.
Translation
A one-page certificate: same or next day. A diploma with its supplement: one to two days. A contract or discharge summary: by volume. Field documents always pass the editing stage, which is not skipped even under pressure.
The notary
Usually adds half a day, depending on the notary's own schedule. This is why an order arriving in the morning fits into the same day far more often than one arriving at five in the afternoon.
The apostille, if needed
The Public Service Hall's timing, never same-day, and it comes before the translation rather than after. If you have a consulate appointment already booked, this is the stage to start with.
If you have a fixed date, tell us the date and the hour in the first message. We would rather tell you honestly that something is not achievable than promise it and miss it - and quite often a stage can be reordered to make it work after all.
What to check before you leave
Four checks take about a minute and you can do all of them without reading the target language.
1. Page count. The translation should have as many pages as the original. If the original had something on the reverse, it should be there too. 2. Your name. Letter by letter against your passport. If you have several documents in the package, the same spelling in all of them. 3. The figures. Dates, document numbers, personal numbers, amounts. These transfer as digits, so you can compare them directly. 4. The binding. A notarized translation is normally bound together with the original or its certified copy, sealed and signed. Check that nothing is loose and that the notarial page is attached.If something is wrong, say so there and then - it is far easier to correct before the package leaves. A confirmed error on our side is corrected free of charge under the terms of service.
Ordering from the regions or from abroad
Most of this process does not require you to be anywhere in particular.
From a Georgian region. Send the photo, agree the price and deadline, then send the original by courier. The notarized package comes back by courier to your address. If Kutaisi or Batumi is closer than Tbilisi, you can hand in and collect there instead - the offices are at Nikea St 18 and Pirosmani St 18. From abroad. The same, with one difference: if the Georgian document you need is still in Georgia, someone has to obtain it. That is done by power of attorney, and we can run the whole chain - obtaining the document, the apostille, the translation and notarization - returning the finished package to you. What cannot be done remotely. Signing a document yourself before a notary. For a power of attorney or a consent that you are the author of, either you appear, or you execute it before a notary where you are and have that document apostilled there.The process, start to finish
Send the photo and say where it is going
By email to info@targmanebi.ge or by WhatsApp. Include the authority, the country and the date you need it by. If an apostille is involved we will tell you at this point, before anything is translated.
Agree the price, the deadline and the form
You receive all three components - translation, notary tariff and, if relevant, the apostille fee - in one reply. Work starts after you confirm, and the price is fixed from that moment.
Get the original to the notary
In person, by someone acting for you, or by courier. This is the one stage with a physical requirement, so it is worth arranging early rather than at the end.
Collect, and run the four checks
Pages, name, figures, binding. Collect at the office or have it couriered. If you need more than one certified copy, it is cheaper to say so now than to come back later.
What you pay for
Two components on a notarized translation, sometimes three. The translation fee is ours, agreed after we see the material and fixed when the order starts. The notary tariff is set by Georgian law and is the same at every notary - we have no influence on it. If the document is going abroad, the apostille state fee is a third.
We quote all of them in advance, in one reply. The reason is practical: the notary tariff is charged per document and per act, so on a package of five documents it becomes a significant part of the total, and it is better known before than after.
One genuine saving: if you will need the same document in two places, ask for two certified copies in the same order. Doing it in one visit is cheaper than returning a week later. Orientations under translation prices.
Ready to order? Send a photo of the document and say which authority it is for - you will get the price, the deadline and the exact form in one reply.
Call: 501 113 200Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be at the notary myself?
Not for a translation. The notary certifies the translator's signature, not yours, so the translator attends and you do not. Your presence is required only when you are the person signing the document - a power of attorney, a consent or a declaration - because then the notary is establishing your identity and your will.
Can I send a photo instead of the original?
For the translation itself, yes. For the notarization, no - the notary is legally obliged to see the original. That is why the notarized form always has a physical step in it. The original can arrive by courier or with someone acting for you; it does not have to be you in person.
I need to keep the original. Is there a way?
Often yes. A notarized copy of the document can be made first, and the translation attached to that copy rather than to the original. It is an additional notarial act with its own tariff, but the original stays with you. Tell us at the start so the process is arranged that way from the beginning.
Will it be ready the same day?
A short certificate arriving in the morning often is. Two things never accelerate: the notary's schedule and, if an apostille is involved, the Public Service Hall. So tell us the hour of your appointment and we will give you the real deadline rather than the desirable one.
I live in a region and cannot come to Tbilisi.
That is routine. Photo by WhatsApp, original by courier, notarized package back by courier to your address. If Kutaisi or Batumi is closer, you can use those offices instead - Nikea St 18 and Pirosmani St 18.
How many certified copies should I order?
As many as the number of places that will keep a copy. Each certified copy carries its own notary tariff, but producing them together in one order costs less than coming back for a second one later. If you are unsure, order the number you are certain about and tell us there may be more.
The notary refused. What now?
Ask for the exact reason and tell us what was said. It is almost always about the document rather than the translation: no original presented, damage or illegibility, an unclear seal, or a document that needs prior certification by the issuing authority. Most of these are fixable, and we will tell you how.