Executing a power of attorney remotely: by video link or through a consulate
The most common situation is this: a patient or family member is abroad, while in Georgia someone has to go to the bank, sign with a clinic or collect a document from an authority. They need a power of attorney, but the signatory cannot physically get to a notary's office. There are three lawful routes for this, and none of them involves someone else signing. We choose the right one, prepare the text and organise the session.
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Video session with a notaryWith electronic identification, where the notary offers it
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Text from a lawyerPrecise powers, nothing superfluous, checked by Advocat.Ge
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To your attorney in GeorgiaThe document by courier or electronically, ready to use
Three lawful routes when the signatory cannot go to a notary
The choice depends on where the principal is, whether they have a means of electronic identification and how urgent the matter is.
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1. A Georgian notary by video link
The principal connects with the notary by video link, confirms their identity with an electronic ID card and signs the document with an electronic signature. This is the fastest route, but it only works when the principal has a valid ID card and PIN codes and the notary offers this format.
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2. A Georgian consulate
The consulate performs notarial functions, and a power of attorney it certifies needs no apostille in Georgia. The downside: booking an appointment, travelling to the city where the consulate is, and the queue. We prepare the text in advance and agree it with the consulate so that one visit is enough.
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3. A local notary + apostille
The principal executes the power of attorney with a notary in their country of residence, where it is also apostilled, and in Georgia the document is translated and notarised. This is the universal route when the first two are unavailable; we prepare the text in two languages so that the foreign notary understands what they are certifying.
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In hospital or at home in Georgia
This is not a remote route, but the two are often confused: the notary makes a call-out visit to the ward or the home and carries out the certification on the spot. Where strong medication is involved, we provide confirmation of legal capacity with a doctor's report.
What the notary on the other side of the screen requires
For a notary, remote certification carries the same responsibility as certification in the office. So the requirements are strict, and meeting them has to be prepared before the session.
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Establishing identity
A valid Georgian ID card with an electronic chip and PIN codes, or a qualified electronic signature. Holding a passport up to the camera is not enough: identification must be done electronically.
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Live video link
The session takes place in real time, not as a recording. The notary sees the principal's face throughout the session, asks them to show the room and satisfies themselves that the principal is alone and not under pressure.
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Reading and confirming the text
The notary reads out the essential terms of the power of attorney or asks the principal to read them: to whom, with what powers, for what term, with or without the right to delegate. The principal confirms each point unambiguously.
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Electronic signature and registration
The principal signs the document electronically, the notary certifies it, registers it in the notarial register and keeps the session recording for the period set by law. The electronic document is ready the same day.
Which route is best, and when
| Criterion | By video link | At a consulate | Local notary + apostille |
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| What the principal needs | Georgian ID card with PIN codes, a camera, internet | Passport or ID card, an appointment, a visit | Passport, a visit to the notary and to the apostille authority |
| Time until the document is in Georgia | 1-2 days | Appointment wait + courier, 1-3 weeks | Apostille + courier + translation, 1-3 weeks |
| Apostille needed? | Not for use in Georgia | No | Yes, in that country |
| Translation needed? | No | No | Yes, into Georgian, with notarisation |
| Most convenient when | The ID card is to hand and the matter is urgent | A consulate is nearby and there is no ID card | There is neither an ID card nor a consulate nearby |
We prepare the text of the power of attorney in all three cases: powers for exactly the acts you need, the term, and the right to delegate or a ban on it. A general "on all matters" power of attorney is often not accepted by banks and authorities and causes problems on revocation. What a power of attorney should say for different purposes is explained on the power of attorney preparation page.
Frequently asked questions about a remote power of attorney
Can a family member sign the power of attorney for me if I am in hospital?
No. A power of attorney is an expression of personal will and is signed only by the principal, in the presence of a notary who verifies their identity and understanding. Someone else's signature, even a spouse's or a child's, makes the document void and may even lead to criminal liability. If the patient is physically unable to sign, the law allows another person to sign on their behalf, at their request and in the notary's presence, and the notary makes a separate note of this. In such cases the notary comes to the hospital ward or the home; we arrange this.
Can a relative make medical decisions under a power of attorney?
Only partly, and we tell you so plainly. A power of attorney covers property-related and organisational acts: signing a contract with a clinic, paying, collecting documents, managing an account, representation before authorities. The decision to consent to or refuse treatment is the patient's personal right, which the law regulates separately: while the patient has decision-making capacity they make it themselves, and after that their relatives do so in the order set by law. That is why we do not write the right to make medical decisions into a power of attorney, and we recommend recording the patient's wishes in another document intended for that purpose.
How do I revoke a power of attorney issued remotely?
By the same route it was issued, or with any notary: the principal executes a revocation statement before a notary, the notary registers the revocation in the notarial register, and from that moment the power of attorney ceases to be valid. An obligation people often forget: the attorney and the organisations where the power of attorney was presented must be notified of the revocation in writing, otherwise the document remains valid for a third party acting in good faith. We also execute the revocation statement remotely and send the notifications ourselves. A power of attorney ends automatically on expiry of its term, on the principal's death or on restriction of their legal capacity.
Is a power of attorney issued electronically valid at a bank or notary abroad?
In Georgia an electronic notarial document is equivalent to a paper one, and banks, the registry and authorities accept it. For use abroad the document is converted to paper form: a notary certifies a paper copy of the electronic document, the Public Service Hall places an apostille on that copy, and the document is then translated into the language of the destination country and notarised. In this form a foreign bank or notary accepts it just as it would a power of attorney issued at an office. We carry out the full cycle, from the video session to the apostilled translation, as a single order.
Services related to the power of attorney
- A will and a power of attorney after a serious diagnosis Two documents that, if put in place in time, spare a family months of court proceedings.
- Translation of a power of attorney A power of attorney issued by a foreign notary into Georgian, or a Georgian one into a foreign language, with notarisation.
- Apostille on a power of attorney When a Georgian power of attorney must work abroad, or a foreign one in Georgia.
Wherever you are, there is a route to a power of attorney
Tell us where you are and what needs to be done in Georgia on your behalf. In one conversation we will tell you which route will work and what it will cost.