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Notarised translation and certification of copies as true copies of the original

The visit to the notary is the stage at which a good translation becomes an official document, and it is also where the most time is lost: the wrong copy, an unregistered translator, an original nobody brought along. We carry out both notarial acts, notarisation of the translation and certification of a copy against the original, in one visit, and you do not have to go to the notary at all.

  • Registered translatorsIn every language we translate

  • The original stays with youThe translation is bound to a certified copy whenever possible

  • Notarised the day of translationOr the next working day, depending on the notary's schedule

Find out the price and timing before you order

Tell us what needs certifying and upload the document. We will tell you whether we need the original or a copy is enough.

Document

The assessment is free; we state the notary's fee under the tariff separately.

In short: what a notary confirms on a translation and what not

  • The notary confirms the translator's identity and signature, but does not check the content of the translation linguistically.
  • Responsibility for the accuracy of the translation lies with the registered translator who signed it before the notary.
  • The original or its certified copy and the translation are bound together, the pages are numbered and sealed with the notary's seal, so a package that has been taken apart loses its official force.
  • Certifying a copy lets you keep the original and send each recipient their own certified copy.
  • In some countries a translation is certified not by a notary but by a sworn translator appointed by a court or ministry, and the recipient may ask for exactly that kind of translation.
  • For a foreign clinic or doctor, notarisation is as a rule an unnecessary expense; it is mostly embassies, courts and government authorities that ask for it.

Two different notarial acts that people confuse

"Notarised" is a single word, but the notary does two different things, and the receiving authority asks for one of them specifically.

Criterion Certification of the translator's signature Certification of a copy against the original
What the notary confirms That the translation is signed by a registered translator who is responsible for its accuracy That the copy is an exact reproduction of the original: page by page, including seals and corrections
What it does not confirm The accuracy of the translation's content and the authenticity of the original The authenticity and content of the original; only that the copy matches it
What you must present The original or a certified copy, to which the translation is bound The original only; a damaged, laminated document or one corrected in pencil may not be certified
Where it is used Foreign authorities, embassies, insurance companies, foundations, courts When the original must stay with you, you have several recipients, or the original has been submitted elsewhere
How it is priced Tariff per certified signature, plus the translation Tariff by the number of certified pages

In most cases both acts are needed together: first the copy is certified, then the translation is bound to that copy. This way the original stays untouched and several packages are prepared from one document.

What happens at the notary in five minutes, and what comes before it

  1. Translator registration

    The translator is registered with the notary in advance, with proof of language skills and a specimen signature. This is a one-off step that our translators have already completed.

  2. Preparing the translation

    The translation ends on the last page with the translator's declaration: languages, completeness, signature. The document is printed so that it can be bound precisely to the original or the copy.

  3. The notarial act

    The notary checks the translator's identity, certifies the signature, binds and numbers the pages, adds the seal and the certification text, and records the act in the notarial register.

  4. Handover

    We hand the certified package to you at the office or send it by courier; you receive a scan by email the same day, so that you can send it to the recipient in advance.

When you do not need a notary and can save money

Notarisation is not always necessary, and we never add it "just in case". A translation certified with the bureau's stamp and the translator's declaration is enough when:

  • the document is going to a foreign clinic for a treatment plan and cost estimate;
  • the translation is for a Georgian doctor or pharmacy, from a foreign discharge summary or prescription;
  • the recipient is a private company, school or partner with no official procedure;
  • you need the document for your own use, to understand it, and are not submitting it anywhere.

If you do not know what your recipient requires, tell us who it is and we will tell you which certification they need. Sometimes the answer is "none".

Notarised or sworn translation: how the receiving country sees it

In Georgia a translation is given official force by a notary. In many European countries the same role is played by a sworn translator, and in English-speaking countries a written statement by the translator is often enough. You should take this difference into account in advance, so that the package does not have to be translated again on arrival.

Country Local model What it means for a Georgian notarised translation
Germany A translator sworn in or authorised by a court (beeidigter, ermächtigter Übersetzer) Some authorities accept a Georgian notarised translation with an apostille, others ask for a translation by a local sworn translator
France A sworn translator registered with a court of appeal (traducteur assermenté) Government authorities often prefer a local sworn translator; clinics and universities are more flexible
Spain A sworn translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (traductor jurado) A Spanish sworn translation is often mandatory for official procedures, so we confirm the recipient's requirement in advance
Italy Sworn translation (traduzione asseverata): the translator swears to its accuracy in court or before a notary Depending on the authority, either a Georgian translation with an apostille or a version sworn in Italy is accepted
Turkey A sworn translator (yeminli tercüman), whose signature is certified by a Turkish notary The model is similar to the Georgian one, so a Georgian notarised translation with an apostille is often accepted without difficulty
USA, United Kingdom Certified translation: a written statement of accuracy by the translator or the bureau A notary is often not needed, though it does no harm; we attach an English certification statement to the translation

A notarised translation used abroad as a rule also needs an apostille or consular legalisation. Before going to the notary, check whether your destination country needs an apostille or legalisation, because this determines how many copies are prepared and in what order.

Five mistakes that mean a second visit to the notary

A notarial act takes a few minutes, but going there with a badly prepared document costs a whole day. Below are the cases we check as soon as we receive an order.

  • A laminated or damaged original

    A translation cannot be bound to a laminated sheet, and a notary may refuse a torn or partly illegible document. In that case we either plan a certified copy or request a new copy from the issuing authority.

  • An apostille after the translation

    If the translation has already been notarised and the apostille was put on the original only afterwards, the apostille stamp does not appear in the translation. For the recipient this is an incomplete package, and for you it means paying for the same work twice.

  • Removing the binding

    Taking a package apart to copy or scan it is the most expensive mistake: the seal confirms that the sheets belong together, and a document that has been taken apart no longer counts as certified. We send you the scan ourselves; the package must stay intact.

  • Different Latin spellings of a surname

    The notary does not correct transliteration, and the recipient will certainly notice two versions of one person's surname. Before signing we compare the Latin spelling with the passport and write it identically in every document of the package.

  • An incompletely submitted document

    A reverse side, an annex or a stamp on a separate sheet that you did not give us cannot be reflected in the translation, and the translation must correspond to every page of the original. That is why we ask for photos of all pages as soon as you order.

You can calculate the cost of the translation part in advance with the translation price calculator; we add the notary's fee separately, because it is set by the notarial tariff and not by our prices.

Frequently asked questions about notarisation

The translation is bound to the original. Does that mean I lose the original?

No, if we plan it properly in advance. The translation is bound to the original when the recipient needs the original together with the translation, for example in an embassy visa case or at a foreign authority that does not return documents. In every other case the notary first certifies a copy of the document as a true copy of the original and binds the translation to that certified copy, while the original stays with you. This way several certified packages can be made from one original for different recipients. We establish which option you need in the very first conversation.

I did the translation myself. Can a notary certify it?

No. The notary certifies not the text but the translator's signature, and only the signature of a person who is registered with the notary as a translator and has submitted proof of their language skills can be certified. Your own translation or one by a friend, however good, cannot be certified in this form. If you already have a translation, a registered translator will check it, correct it where needed and confirm it with their own signature; this is cheaper than a full translation and also saves time.

Does an electronically certified translation exist, and is it accepted abroad?

Georgian notaries can perform a notarial act in electronic form and issue an electronic document whose authenticity is verified through the notarial register. Georgian authorities and banks accept such documents. Abroad the situation differs by country and recipient: many clinics and universities accept the electronic version as a scan, while embassies and courts ask for a paper document with an apostille. That is why we prepare the paper version as standard, and the electronic one when the recipient expressly allows it.

What does the price of notarisation consist of?

Three parts, which we state separately before you order: the cost of the translation by number of pages; the notary's fee, calculated under the notarial tariff set by law according to the number of certified signatures and copy pages; and our organisational service, if we take the document to the notary and return it to you by courier. We do not set the notary's part and cannot give a discount on it; we give the exact amount for the other two as soon as we see the document. Certifying several documents in one visit reduces the organisational part.

Several authorities need the document. How many certified copies should I order?

As many as there are recipients who will keep the document. Embassies, courts and recognition centres as a rule do not return a certified package, while a clinic is often satisfied with a scan. The translation is done once; for each additional copy the notary certifies a new copy of the original and confirms the translator's signature again, so a second copy is usually cheaper than a full translation. It is better to have all copies certified in one visit: separate visits take time and add to the organisational cost. We work out the number needed together when you order.

The receiving country asks for a sworn translator's translation. Will a Georgian notarised translation do?

Often yes, but this depends on the specific authority, not only on the country. Some authorities in Germany, France, Spain and Italy accept a Georgian notarised translation with an apostille without difficulty, while others recognise only a translation by a local sworn translator. That is why we recommend asking the recipient in writing which form is accepted. If a local translator is essential, we prepare the original with an apostille and a clear certified copy, so that the translator there can do the work quickly and without further questions.

You do not need to go to the notary yourself

Send us the document and name the recipient. We will tell you which certification is needed, whether we need the original or a copy, and what each of the three parts will cost.

Get the price and timing

Notary: price before you order.

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