Apostille certification and consular legalisation of documents
A foreign clinic, embassy or university accepts a Georgian document only when its authenticity has been confirmed by the state. We check which procedure your document needs for the destination country, prepare it with a notary, submit it to the Public Service Hall and the embassy and return the finished document to you by courier.
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No queuing at the Public Service HallWe submit and collect the document on your behalf
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Checked by countryApostille, legalisation or neither: we tell you before you order
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Originals by courierIn Tbilisi and the regions, delivery against signature
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Transparent priceThe state fee and our fee shown separately, before you order
Apostille or legalisation: which does your document need?
Both procedures do the same thing: they assure a foreign authority that the signature and seal on a Georgian document are genuine. The difference lies in who confirms it and how many stages there are. You can see which one your country requires in the apostille and legalisation checker.
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Apostille: one stamp, one authority
A standard stamp which, in Georgia, is affixed by the Public Service Hall. It is valid in more than 120 countries party to the Hague Convention, including all of Europe, Turkey, Israel and the USA. There is no need to visit an embassy.
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Consular legalisation: two stages
For countries that have not joined the Hague Convention. The Public Service Hall certifies the document first, then the embassy or consulate of the destination country. It takes longer, and embassies' requirements differ.
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Neither: treaty countries
Georgia has legal assistance treaties with some countries that remove the need for certification altogether. In that case the document and its certified translation are enough. So that you do not overpay, this is the first thing we check.
| Criterion | Apostille | Consular legalisation |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is valid | In countries party to the Hague Convention | In countries not party to the Convention (e.g. the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt) |
| Who confirms it | The Public Service Hall | The Public Service Hall and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the embassy of the destination country |
| Number of stages | 1 (plus a notary for private documents) | 2-3 |
| Indicative timescale | From the same day to 5 working days | 1-3 weeks, depending on the embassy |
| What it is placed on | The original or a notarised translation | The original and the translation, as the embassy requires |
The timescales are indicative and depend on the Public Service Hall service option and the embassy's workload. We tell you the exact timescale once you name the document and the country, before you order.
Why foreign clinics and authorities ask for this
An official in another country cannot verify a Georgian seal and signature: they do not know whether the clinic exists, whether the notary is authorised, or whether the certificate really comes from a state registry. An apostille or legalisation settles these questions once and for all: the Georgian state confirms that the document is genuine.
In practice, this comes up most often in three situations:
- A medical visa and treatment funding. Embassies and foreign insurers ask for Form 100 or a discharge summary with an apostille to be sure that the diagnosis was made by a real clinic.
- An accompanying person and family ties. When the patient is accompanied by a parent or spouse, the clinic and the immigration service ask for a certified birth or marriage certificate.
- Making decisions on the patient's behalf. During treatment abroad, a relative often needs a power of attorney to sign with the clinic, make payments or receive documents. A Georgian power of attorney is valid abroad only with an apostille or legalisation.
Most clinics themselves do not ask for an apostille to start treatment: a notarised translation is enough for them. The requirement arises when the document goes to a state or financial body. That is exactly why we first establish who the recipient is, and only then start the procedure.
Which documents we certify and what each one needs
Documents of a public body, a court, or a medical or educational institution are apostilled directly, including documents of a private clinic or school. Documents of other private organisations, such as a bank, an employer or a company, cannot be apostilled, so a notary first certifies a copy or translation of them.
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Form 100 and discharge summary
Medical documents issued by a clinic can be apostilled directly. In practice the recipient also needs a translation, so we often apostille the notarised translation as well. Most often required by an embassy or an insurer.
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Civil status certificates
Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. Instead of an old Soviet-era certificate, we first need to obtain a new-format extract, then the apostille.
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Criminal record certificate
For long-term treatment, residence of an accompanying person and some visas. The certificate has a validity period, so we obtain it and apostille it in one cycle, so that it is not out of date when submitted.
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Diplomas and education documents
When treatment is combined with study or work, or a family member stays abroad during the treatment. Some countries also require prior recognition of the diploma.
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Power of attorney
So that a relative can sign at the clinic on your behalf, manage money at the bank or receive documents in Georgia while you are being treated. We prepare the text in Georgian and in the target language.
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Documents for non-member countries
Any of the documents listed above that is going to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt or another non-member country. We confirm the embassy's requirements in advance.
How the procedure works
You only need to be involved at two points: at the start and at the end. We do everything in between.
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Check
Send us a photo of the document and tell us the country and the recipient. We will tell you whether it needs an apostille, legalisation or neither, and what it will cost.
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Preparation
We collect the original by courier. Where needed, we prepare a notarised copy or translation and order new extracts.
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Certification
We submit the document to the Public Service Hall under the agreed service option. For legalisation, we then take it to the embassy and monitor the timescale.
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Return
We return the finished document against signature, by courier or at the office. If you wish, we also send a scan so you can forward it to the clinic in advance.
Services in this area
- Apostille on documents On the original or a notarised translation, on the standard or expedited option.
- Consular legalisation The Public Service Hall and the embassy in one cycle, with the embassy's requirements checked in advance.
- Preparing and certifying a power of attorney A text that a foreign clinic and bank will accept, a notary and, where needed, an apostille.
- Obtaining certificates and extracts on your behalf Criminal record certificate, civil status extracts, copies of documents from a clinic.
Frequently asked questions about apostille and legalisation
How long does an apostille take?
In Georgia the apostille is issued by the Public Service Hall under several service options: within a few working days on the standard option, and within one working day or on the same day on an expedited one. The faster the option, the higher the state fee. On top of this comes a preparatory stage: if the document was issued by a bank, an employer or a company, a notary certifies it first. The total time is usually 1-5 working days, and we tell you exactly before you order.
Which countries require legalisation rather than an apostille?
An apostille is valid only in the countries party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. European countries, Turkey, Israel, the USA, Canada and China are on this list. Countries that have not joined the Convention, for example the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Vietnam, require consular legalisation. There is also a third group: countries with which Georgia has a legal assistance treaty, where the document needs neither an apostille nor legalisation. We check which group your country belongs to before you order.
Is the apostille placed on the original or on the translation?
Both options exist, and the receiving party decides which it needs. For a document issued by a public body (a birth certificate, a criminal record certificate, a diploma), the apostille is placed directly on the original and the translation is certified separately. A document from a medical institution, including Form 100 and a discharge summary from a private clinic, is apostilled directly under the apostille rules, while a certificate from a bank or employer is first certified by a notary. Often the most practical solution is to apostille the notarised translation: a single stamp covers both the document and the translation.
Can I get an apostille without being present?
Yes. Anyone can submit a document to the Public Service Hall for an apostille; neither the owner's presence nor a power of attorney is required. You hand us the original by courier or at the office, and we do the rest. You only need a power of attorney when you want us to obtain a certificate or extract on your behalf, for example a criminal record certificate or a copy of a document from a clinic. In that case we prepare the power of attorney as well.
How long is an apostille valid?
The apostille itself has no expiry date: it confirms that the signature and seal on the document are genuine, and that fact does not change over time. The document itself or the receiving organisation's requirements may have a time limit: foreign authorities often do not accept a criminal record certificate, a health certificate or an extract on family status that is more than 3-6 months old. That is why we apostille the document as soon as it is obtained and plan around the submission date.
What is often needed alongside certification
- Medical document translation Before the apostille, a document often needs a notarised translation. We do both in one cycle.
- Medical tourism If you are preparing documents for a foreign clinic, we also handle communication with the clinic and the visa documents.
- International shipping with DHL Sending the certified original safely to the clinic or a foreign authority, with tracking.
Not sure what your document needs?
Send us a photo and name the country. The check is free: we will not have you do an unnecessary procedure or let you miss a required one.