Parental Consent Translation for a Child Travelling Abroad

A parental consent is a short document, usually one page. But it brings together exactly the details a border officer checks most carefully: the names of the child and the accompanying person, passport numbers, dates of birth, countries and the travel period. A translator's mistake here is not a matter of style - it is a reason for the trip to be cancelled.

On this page we explain when a consent is required by Georgian law and when it is required by the destination country, the airline or a consulate, which parent's consent you need, and how we check every detail in the translation. The translation is ready the same or next day, with notarization.

What Georgian law says

The Law of Georgia on the Procedure for Georgian Citizens Leaving and Entering Georgia distinguishes two age groups:

• A child under 16 leaves Georgia temporarily with the permission of one of the legal representatives and accompanied by an adult with full legal capacity;
• A minor aged 16 to 18, if not in a registered marriage, leaves Georgia temporarily with the consent of one of the legal representatives.

In practice this means: if the child travels with one of the parents, Georgian law does not require the other parent's consent. If no parent travels with the child and the child goes with a grandmother, an uncle, a coach, a teacher or a family friend, the parent's permission is confirmed in writing, by a notarized consent.

If the parents cannot agree on the child's trip, neither a notary nor a translator can settle the dispute: that question is decided by a court. If this is your situation, speak to a lawyer first - you will need the translation after the court's decision.

Why a translation is needed

A Georgian notarized consent is read at the Georgian border without a translation. The problem starts at the later stages, where the document is checked by foreign staff:

• Airline check-in - some airlines ask for their own form and a parental consent for a child travelling alone or with a third person;
• The transit country - the child's documents may be checked again when changing flights;
• The border of the destination country - some countries ask for a consent in their own language or in English for a child travelling without a parent or with only one parent;
• The visa application - for a minor's visa, many consulates ask for the consent of both parents, even when the child travels with one of them.

So the phrase "the law says I don't need it" is only true at the Georgian border. Before the trip, check three sources: the official requirement of the destination country, the rule of the transit country and the airline's policy. If any of them asks for a consent, it has to be translated into the language the recipient accepts, most often English or the language of the destination country.

Consent of one parent or of both

The most common question is who has to sign. The answer depends on who travels with the child and where the child is going:

• The child travels with both parents - as a rule, no consent is needed. If the parents and the child have different surnames, carry the birth certificate and its translation;
• The child travels with one parent - Georgian law does not require the other parent's consent, but the destination country, the airline or a consulate may ask for it. In that case the other parent signs the consent;
• The child travels with a third person - a notarized parental consent is needed, naming the accompanying person by first name, surname and passport details. A visa or the destination country often requires the consent of both parents;
• One parent has died or has restricted parental rights - instead of that parent's consent, this is confirmed by a death certificate or a court decision, which is translated as well.

The details a border officer checks

The border officer compares the consent with the passports of the child and the accompanying person. So every detail in the translation has to match the passport - not what you or we think would be correct:

• First name and surname in Latin letters are written exactly as in the child's passport. If the passport says KHATIA, the translation cannot say Xatia or Hatia, even if another transliteration system would make that letter correct;
• The passport number is checked digit by digit against the original and the passport copy. If a new passport was issued after the consent was signed, the consent shows the old number - in that case it is better to sign a new consent;
• Dates - in a Georgian document 03.07.2026 means 3 July, while in the US the same entry is read as 7 March. That is why in an English translation we write the month as a word: 3 July 2026. This rule applies to dates of birth and to the travel period;
• Countries and route - if the consent lists the destination and transit countries, each one is translated by its official name;
• The accompanying person - first name, surname, date of birth and passport number, as precisely as the child's;
• The notarial certificate - the notary's name, the registration number of the notarial act and its date are translated in full, because this is exactly what confirms that the document is genuine.

If the original itself contains a mistake, for example a digit missing from the passport number, we do not correct it in the translation, because the translation reflects the document. We tell you about the mistake as soon as we start translating, so the consent can be corrected at the notary before the trip.

Travel period and validity of the consent

A consent is valid for the period and the route written in it. If the family has moved the tickets, the child is going to a different country or the accompanying person has changed, the old consent and its translation may no longer work. A translator has no right to change the terms of the original, so in such a case a new consent is signed first and then translated.

That is why we recommend stating the real travel period in the consent with a small margin, for example a few days beyond the return date. In some cases a wider period for multiple trips is acceptable, while some authorities need a specific trip. We can help you draft the text: notarized statements and consents.

A consent that comes from abroad

The reverse situation is also common: one parent lives abroad, and the child leaves Georgia with the other parent or with a grandmother. To be submitted in Georgia, a consent signed before a foreign notary usually needs an apostille or legalization and a notarized Georgian translation. We translate the text of the consent as well as the foreign notary's certificate and the apostille.

The second route is to sign the consent at a Georgian consulate: such a document is drawn up in Georgian and needs neither a translation nor an apostille in Georgia. Which route is faster in your country is explained in the article how to send a power of attorney from abroad to Georgia. More about foreign documents: translation of a power of attorney sent from abroad.

Notarization and apostille

A translation of a consent that you will submit abroad is usually notarized: the notary confirms that the translator's signature is genuine. If the destination country also asks for an apostille, the apostille on the notarial document is placed by the Public Service Development Agency, and the application is filed at the Public Service Hall.

The apostille term is the Agency's term and is not included in ours. If you have only a few days left before the trip, write to us today so the translation and the apostille can be planned in the right order. More details: apostille and notarization or apostille.

Timing

A parental consent translation is ready the same or next day, including notarization. If you also need a translation of the child's birth certificate or a passport translation together with the consent, you will receive all the documents together, with the names written the same way.

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