🇦🇫 Pashto Interpreter and Document Translation

A Pashto interpreter is needed when a document issued in Afghanistan or Pakistan has to be submitted to a Georgian agency, court, clinic or university, or when a person whose native language is Pashto needs language assistance in dealing with a Georgian institution. TARGMANEBI prepares written translations from Pashto into Georgian and from Georgian into Pashto, and, by prior arrangement, provides an interpreter to attend a meeting, an interview or a visit.

Pashto-language material rarely arrives in a single language. On an Afghan form, Dari often appears alongside Pashto, and in some fields English too. The official papers of a Pakistani Pashtun are mostly in English or Urdu, while Pashto itself turns up in a personal letter, a written explanation or a voice message. That is why we start the work by looking through the material: we establish which languages are on the page, which text is the main one and which part the receiving party asks for.

From Pashto into Georgian and from Georgian into Pashto

The first direction is the most common: Afghan civil records, identity documents, educational documents, medical records and personal letters are prepared in Georgian for submission in Georgia. The second direction is used when a person has to understand a Georgian certificate, court act, medical report or information sheet in their native language, or when a Georgian document is being sent to a Pashto-speaking environment.

When translating from Georgian into Pashto, attention is paid to the reader. An official text is prepared in precise, neutral standard language, while an information sheet - for example one intended for a patient or an applicant - uses simpler, easy-to-understand sentences. On first mention we add a short explanation to the names of Georgian institutions, because they often have no established equivalent in Pashto.

Where Pashto is spoken and why the origin of the document matters

Pashto belongs to the group of Iranian languages. Most of its speakers live in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Afghanistan both Pashto and Dari are used in state documents, while in Pakistan Pashto is widespread in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern part of Balochistan, as well as in the Pashtun communities living in the big cities.

The language is one, but the document systems are two. On an Afghan form Pashto is the language of the document itself, whereas in Pakistan official forms are mostly printed in English and Urdu. When ordering, tell us in which country the material was issued: the terminology, the route of certification and even whether you need a Pashto interpreter or an Urdu or English specialist all depend on it.

The Pashto script: an Arabic-Persian basis and letters of its own

Pashto is written right to left in a script built on the basis of the Arabic alphabet. Letters that do not exist in the Persian alphabet are added to the signs familiar from Persian: ټ, ډ, ړ and ڼ mark retroflex sounds, while ښ, ږ, څ and ځ mark other consonants typical of Pashto. The retroflex letters differ from their base form only by a small ring, which is easily lost on a poor scan or under a stamp.

The sample shows typical field headings: name, father's name, date of birth, tazkira number and place of issue. Digits and Latin codes inserted into RTL text read left to right, so in a tabular form we link each value to its own field and do not rely only on the visual order of the line.

Pashto and Dari on one sheet: which text is translated?

A large share of Afghan forms is bilingual: the field headings and the wording of the stamp may be in both Pashto and Dari at once, while the handwritten data is in only one of them. According to the available descriptions, on the electronic tazkira the personal data is in Dari and Pashto, and the field names are also printed in English.

Both language layers are fully reflected in the translation. If the texts in the two languages repeat each other, we show this with a note; if they differ in some field (for example, the form of a name or a date is different), we do not correct the discrepancy but keep both versions. Our Persian, Farsi and Dari interpreter page tells you more about the specifics of Dari.

Dialects and the Latin spelling of names

Some sounds are pronounced differently in the southern and northern dialects of Pashto. The best-known example is the letter ښ: in one region its pronunciation is close to "sh", in another to "kh". That is exactly why the name of the language itself is written in two ways in Latin letters, Pashto and Pakhto, and personal names and surnames appear in different forms in different documents.

One and the same person may be Mohammad in one document, Muhammad in another and Mohammed in a third. Many Afghan documents give the names of the father and grandfather instead of a family surname, and a surname-like form appears only in the passport. In the Georgian translation we choose the form of the name according to the Latin entry in the passport, if there is one, and agree every differing version with the client in advance.

The tazkira and the electronic tazkira

The tazkira is Afghanistan's national identity document. The old paper tazkira differs significantly from the electronic version in both form and content: the paper version often has handwritten entries and register references, and the age is sometimes recorded not as a full date of birth but as an age or a year. The electronic tazkira is a plastic smart card with a photo, issued on the basis of biometric data.

When either form is translated, every number and code is carried over unchanged, and the father's and grandfather's names, the place of birth, the date of issue and the wording of the stamp are checked. A discrepancy between old and new documents - for example between an age and an exact date - is a common occurrence. The translator does not correct it, only renders it accurately.

Birth, marriage and family documents

In Afghanistan an official birth certificate has historically not been issued to everyone, so in many cases the fact of birth is confirmed by other sources: the tazkira, a hospital certificate or family records. In the translation it must be clear exactly what a particular sheet confirms and what it does not.

Marriage documents include both civil registration records and the marriage contract concluded under religious rules, the nikah, with the names of the witnesses and a note of the mahr, i.e. the property obligation set at the time of marriage. In such a text the role of each participant (the spouses, the representative, the witnesses) has to be rendered separately. Matters of divorce, guardianship and inheritance are often formalized as a court act and require particular precision with legal terms.

School documents, diplomas and transcripts of grades

Afghan educational documents are often in Pashto or Dari, and some universities also have an English-language version. Pakistani diplomas and transcripts are mostly issued in English. In both cases it is important that the name of the institution matches its official Latin form and that no new, freely translated name is created.

In Georgia, questions of the recognition of foreign education are handled by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement; check the list of required documents and the form of the translation in advance. For general information see the diploma translation page.

The Solar Hijri calendar and the names of the Afghan months

Dates in Afghan documents are mainly in the Solar Hijri calendar, whose new year begins around 21 March. In Afghanistan the months are traditionally named after the signs of the zodiac (for example, Hamal, Sawr, Jawza), while in Iran the same months have other names. So one and the same date may be written with different words in the two countries, and in a Pashto text the month may also have its own Pashto form.

In the translation we keep the date in its source form and add the Gregorian equivalent in brackets if the receiving party needs it. The conversion is done to the exact day and is checked independently; an approximate conversion based on the year alone is not acceptable. In religious or old records a lunar Hijri date may also appear, and in such a case we first establish which calendar is meant.

Pakistani Pashtuns: English and Urdu in official documents

In Pakistan the identity card (CNIC), the passport, registration certificates, educational documents and court acts are mostly in English or Urdu. The CNIC number has 13 digits and is usually written with hyphens in a 5-7-1 pattern; in the translation it is carried over digit by digit. Such a document is mostly translated into Georgian from English or Urdu - for details see the Urdu interpreter page.

A Pashto interpreter is needed in a Pakistan-related case when the material is personal in nature: a family letter, a handwritten explanation, a witness's account, a voice message in a messenger app or a video recording. Also when a person who has come from Pakistan needs help in their native language while talking to a Georgian institution.

Apostille on a Pakistani document

According to the official status table of the Hague Conference, Pakistan acceded to the Apostille Convention, and the Convention entered into force for it on 9 March 2023. For Georgia the Convention has been in force since 14 May 2007. In Pakistan the apostille is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and some documents first need prior verification by the issuing system. For example, for academic documents such verification is done by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

According to the same table, several states raised objections to Pakistan's accession, and the Convention does not apply in their relations with it; Georgia is not on that list. Even so, the final conditions for accepting a document are set by the specific Georgian agency, so check in advance. The text of the apostille is also translated together with the document. For the general rules see the apostille page.

Afghan documents: legalization and prior agreement

Afghanistan is not on the list of parties to the Apostille Convention. For a document from such a country, the general rule is chain certification: first the relevant authority of the issuing country, then that country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally the Georgian embassy or consulate responsible for that country - or another route that the receiving authority recognizes.

In practice, the consular legalization of Afghan documents is a complicated matter and may be resolved differently in different cases. Which certification will be accepted is decided by the Georgian authority to which you submit the document. We do not give an opinion on the legal force of a certification: in the translation we accurately reflect every stamp, signature and certification mark on the sheet.

Notarized translation in Georgia

In Georgia the official form of a translation of a foreign-language document is, as a rule, a notarized translation. The notary confirms the authenticity of the translator's signature; the notary does not check the content of the translation and does not confirm the authenticity of the foreign document. The translator signs in the presence of the notary, and the translation is attached to the original or to a copy of it.

For a rare language, Pashto included, it is important that the signing translator really knows the source language. If the document is bilingual (Pashto and Dari, or English and Urdu), we agree in advance which text is translated and how the other is reflected. For details see the notarized translation page.

Oral interpreting: migration, police, court and medicine

A Pashto oral interpreter is often needed when dealing with state services: at an immigration interview, during a police or investigative action, at a court hearing, at a notary's office, at a bank or in a medical facility. In such a situation the interpreter renders what is said fully and neutrally: adds no advice, leaves out no detail and softens neither the question nor the answer.

At the formal stage of proceedings, the rules for involving an interpreter are often set by the relevant authority itself, so the participation of a private interpreter has to be agreed with it in advance. Before a doctor's appointment, tell us the topic of the conversation so that the interpreter can prepare the terminology. If the person speaks a particular dialect and understands others poorly, let us know that in advance too.

Asylum and residence cases: accuracy and confidentiality

In international protection and residence cases, even a single translation error can seriously affect the examination of the case. In such cases we translate interview records, the applicant's written explanation, witness accounts and documents confirming identity and family ties. Our task is to render the text accurately; we do not judge the credibility of what was said and do not give legal advice.

Such material contains sensitive personal data, so we decide together with the client on the channel for transferring the files and on who will receive the finished translation. Names, places and dates must be rendered the same way in every document of the case; for this we create a single list of names and terms for each case.

Handwritten letters, accounts and audio recordings

In everyday life Pashto is often a language of spoken communication, so part of the material is not a written document but a recording: a voice message, a phone conversation or a video. In such a case, where needed, we first prepare a transcription and then a Georgian translation with time stamps. We mark unclear passages as unclear and do not fill them in by guesswork.

In a handwritten letter the additional Pashto letters are often written without their dots and ring or in a simplified way, and some writers mix in Persian or Urdu spelling. We check difficult passages against the context, and if the meaning is still ambiguous, we give both possible readings in a note.

Medical and employment documents

A mix of languages is normal in Afghan and Pakistani medical records: the diagnosis and medicines are often given in Latin or English terms, while the doctor's note is in Pashto, Dari or Urdu. In the translation the dose, the unit, the frequency of intake, the test values and the dates are carried over unchanged, and illegible handwriting is not guessed.

In employment certificates, references and contracts, the name of the organization, the position, the period of work and the identity of the signatory must be rendered accurately. If the organization has an official English name, we keep it in brackets in the Georgian translation so that the receiving party can find it easily.

How do I order a Pashto translation?

A clear photo or PDF is enough for the first step. Send us every page and the back of the document if there is a stamp or an entry on it, and tell us in which country the document was issued and where you have to submit the translation. For oral interpreting, contact us to agree the date, the place and the estimated duration.

Tbilisi office, remote service and turnaround times

Our office is located in Tbilisi, at 118 Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue, but the material can also be sent remotely from any city in Georgia or from abroad. For notarization we may need the original or a physical copy; this depends on the document and the chosen procedure.

A translation of a standard-length document is usually ready the same or the next day, but this is not a guarantee: the turnaround time is affected by the number of pages, handwriting, the quality of the recording and the time of the visit to the notary. For the full list of services in other languages see the interpreter services page, and for the neighbouring languages of the region - the Tajik and Arabic interpreter pages.

Quality control in Pashto translation

We check the finished translation both linguistically and against the data. Every name, figure, date and stamp wording is read separately, and on a bilingual form the texts in the two languages are compared with each other. Because of the RTL layout, particular attention is paid to the columns and rows of tables.

• The Latin form of names is compared with the passport and other documents.
• The conversion of Hijri dates is checked independently.
• Tazkira, CNIC and other numbers are checked digit by digit.
• Unclear passages are marked, not guessed.

If the check reveals a discrepancy between documents - for example, the year of birth or the father's name is written differently in the tazkira and the passport - we inform you before handing over the translation. This way, before submitting to the agency, you will have time to decide whether you need an additional certificate or a written explanation.

Frequently asked questions