Apostille at the Public Service Hall: how it works, step by step
The apostille itself is a five-minute procedure: an official compares the signature with the specimen and affixes the stamp. Everything that comes before those five minutes is where documents get sent back: a wrongly prepared copy, a signature missing from the specimen database, a laminated certificate. This page explains exactly what happens at the Public Service Hall and how to go there once, not twice.
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Checked before submissionEvery typical reason for return ruled out in advance
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A mode to fit your deadlineStandard, expedited or same day
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Apostille number provided separatelySo the recipient can check it in the registry in advance
What an apostille says and why it is the same everywhere
The apostille is a standard form set by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. In every country it contains the same ten fields in the same order, so a foreign official can read it without knowing Georgian.
| Field | What it contains | What the recipient checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Country | Georgia | That the document really comes from a Georgian authority |
| 2-4. Signatory, capacity, seal | Who signed the document, in what capacity and with which body's seal | That this matches the signature and seal on the document |
| 5-7. Place, date, issuing authority | Where, when and by which authority the apostille was issued | The issuing authority's competence |
| 8. Number | The apostille's unique registration number | The key for checking it in the online registry |
| 9-10. Seal and signature | Seal of the issuing authority and signature of the authorised officer | That the apostille itself is genuine |
An apostille confirms that the signature and seal on a document are genuine, not what the document says. So an apostilled Form 100 does not "prove" a medical fact; it only confirms that a notary really did certify the clinic's certificate.
Which documents are apostilled directly and which need a notary first
The rule is simple: an apostille certifies a public signature. If a document was signed by a state authority, a court, a notary, or a medical or educational institution, it is apostilled directly; if it was signed by another private organisation or a private individual, a notary must first "make it public".
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Apostilled directly
Civil status certificates and extracts, criminal record certificates, Public Registry extracts, certified court copies, diplomas and certificates from educational institutions, clinics' Form 100, discharge summaries and other medical documents, and any document certified by a notary.
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Notary first, then apostille
Employer's letters, company contracts and articles of association, bank statements, personal statements. For this group the stamp does not certify the document itself but the signature and seal of the notary who certified the copy or translation.
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Cannot be apostilled in Georgia
Documents issued by a foreign authority (the apostille is done in that country), Soviet-era forms, laminated and damaged documents, passports and ID cards (a notarised copy of them can be apostilled), commercial and customs documents.
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What we check before submission
That the signatory's specimen exists, that the seal is legible, the physical condition of the document, that its date and validity meet the recipient's requirements, and that the destination country is a party to the Hague Convention.
The procedure at the Public Service Hall
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Submission
Anyone can submit the document; no power of attorney is needed. An application is filled in stating the destination country and the processing mode, and a fee is paid, which varies by mode.
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Signature check
The official compares the signature and seal on the document with the specimen database. If the specimen is not in the database, a request is sent to the authority concerned, which extends the timeline; that is why we check this in advance.
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Stamp and registry
The apostille is placed on the document or on a sheet attached to it, given a number and entered in the registry. From that moment anyone can check it by number.
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Return and translation
We collect the document, translate it including the apostille and have it notarised if needed, then return it to you by courier with the apostille number noted separately.
The standard mode takes a few working days, the expedited mode one, and same-day service carries the highest fee. Rates change, so we check the current amount before you order and confirm it in writing. Which countries need legalisation instead of an apostille is explained on the consular legalisation page.
Frequently asked questions about the apostille procedure
How does a foreign authority check that an apostille is genuine?
Every apostille has a unique number and date of issue, which are kept in the issuing authority's register. The Hague Convention obliges the issuing authority to let anyone with an interest check, by number, whether an apostille with that number and that date was issued. In Georgia this check is done online by entering the number, so a foreign official does not need to phone Georgia. When we return the document, we give you the apostille number separately so that you can send it to the recipient in advance, should they wish to check it.
Why might a document come back without an apostille?
The Public Service Hall affixes an apostille only when the signature and seal of the signatory on the document match those in the specimen database. The most common reasons for return are: the specimen of the signing official or notary is not yet in the database, the seal is illegible, the document is laminated or has corrections, the document comes from a foreign or Soviet-era authority, or a private document has been submitted without notarisation. We check most of these before submission and prepare the document where needed, so that you do not have to go twice.
Can a laminated or damaged certificate be apostilled?
A laminated document, as a rule, cannot: the apostille is physically attached to the document, and lamination makes it impossible to check the seal and signature. A damaged or corrected document, or one filled in with pencil, meets the same fate. There is almost always a way out: for civil status certificates the Public Service Hall issues a repeat certificate or an extract in the new format, for a diploma the educational institution issues a duplicate, and for a court decision the court issues a new certified copy. We can also obtain these documents on your behalf.
Can one apostille cover several documents?
No. An apostille certifies a specific person's signature on a specific document, so each document has its own apostille and its own fee, even if they were issued by the same authority on the same day. The exception is a notarially bound bundle: if a notary has bound several documents into one certified bundle and closed it with a single certification note, the apostille is placed on that one notarial act. This sometimes saves on fees, but not every receiving country accepts such a bundle; we check this in advance.
What comes before the apostille and what follows
- Notarisation Making a private document "public" before the apostille: a certified copy or a certified translation.
- Consular legalisation When the destination country is not a party to the Hague Convention.
- Complete medical document package Form 100, discharge summary, translation and apostille in a single order, in the right sequence.
One visit to the Public Service Hall is enough if the document is prepared properly
Send us a photo and name the country. We will check what has to happen before the apostille in your case and go through the procedure on your behalf.