How to certify documents for use in Georgia

1. Introduction

The documents issued or caused to be issued by the authorities of foreign countries for use in the territory of Georgia needs to be certified, either by having an apostille affixed to it, or legalized.

2. Apostille

An Apostille is a French word meaning certification. It is simply a specialized certificate attached to the original document to verify it is legitimate and authentic. Each country will designate that authority (one or more) empowered to issue the Apostille. Typically and depending on each country it may be the dean of the Public Notaries, the Foreign Affairs Department, Justice Department, etc. In the official website of the Convention all competent authorities in each and every country are listed.

The Apostille does not certify the content of the document but its origin, that is, the authenticity of the signature and stamp of the authority, as well as its capacity to issue it within the legal system of such country.

Apostilles are available in countries, which signed the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, popularly known as The Hague Convention. The Hague Convention provides for the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries and territories that are the members of the convention.

The Apostille Convention applies only if both the country of origin of the document and the one in which it will be used are signatory parts.

There are currently 121 countries that are incorporated into the Convention and this number is growing almost every year. The list of member countries as well as any restrictions arising from objections of some members to the accession of others, can be found on the official website of the Convention (www.hcch.net). Georgia is the member of Hague Convention from 2007. 

Apostilles are usually issued on the same day they are requested (if requested in person at the issuing office) and the price varies by country and the type of document to be apostilled, although they rarely cost over 70 $.

Once a document is certified with an apostille, it is acceptable for use in Georgia.

3. Legalization

In countries that are not the member to the Hague Convention documents must undergo a more involved process known as authentication and legalization of documents. You will not be able to use your documents in Georgia without first getting them legalized.

3.1. Authentication

Document legalization procedure can be divided into two stages: first stage is the internal authentication procedure performed by the competent authorities of document issuing country and second – the authentication procedure performed by the consular officer of the country of destination. For example, in order to use in Georgia a document issued in Canada some procedures of authentication should be performed by competent authorities of Canada (internal procedures) and at final stage the document should be presented to the Consular office of Georgia in Canada for the authentication (Consular legalization).

Internal legalization procedures vary by countries and depend on the legislation of a particular country. The process may be one or multi step, which means that the document should be presented to one or several state authorities in order to complete internal legislation procedures. Authentication usually begins with the relevant party signing a document and having it notarized. Then, relevant government agency examine the notary acknowledgement, and finally certify the document.

3.2. Legalization

Once a document is authenticated, it must be certified by the foreign jurisdiction to be valid there. This process, called legalization, usually occurs at the country’s embassy or consulate, and can be considered the final step in the authentication process.

Each country also has its own standards of proof. Once the documents have already undergone and internal legalization procedures in a respective foreign country are finished the documents must be legalized by Georgian Consulate. Consular legalization are provided based on an application of any interested person, within 10 working days of an application being filed.

The applicant may receive the service by visiting the Consulate in person or by post;

A list of documents to be submitted:

• Submit online application and upload all the documents on the official website: https://www.geoconsul.gov.ge/ka/register/visit
• Printed and signed application form;
• Document to be legalized;
• Document certifying the applicant’s identity (passport or ID card);
• In case of applying for legalization by proxy – a proxy form and an ID card of a person acting as proxy;
• If you are in another country of which you are not a citizen, then it is necessary for legalization to attach a document proving your legal stay in that country (eg visa, residence permit, etc.) together with the consular fee payment receipt.

The applicant may be denied legalization if:

• Only translation of a document to be legalized is submitted;
• Documents or acts submitted are not subject to legalization;
• Document submitted for legalization is not complete;
• Document submitted for legalization requires translation;
• Stamp or signature in a document submitted for legalization is either absent or does not conform to the sample preserved in the register;
• Document or act submitted for legalization is not issued by an authorized body of the consulate in question;
• Documents required for receiving the service were not submitted.

The service fee for the legalization of each document: 15 US dollars or its equivalent amount in the currency of the host country.

Legalization and authentication can be very time-consuming processes and brings its own set of requirements. Before you submit documents for authentication and legalization it is important to consider the following:

• What are the fees involved?
• What form of payment does the agencies accept?
• Will courier service be required? At what cost?
• What are the expected turnaround times?
• Familiarize yourself with the  current local jurisdictional requirements;
• As you will need to make schedules with government agency and embassy plan ahead and anticipate delays;
• Have direct contact with the relevant Georgian consulate (their contact information is given on the official website here) and clarify  their requirements in advance.

4. Neither apostille nor legalization

Georgia is also the member country of Minsk Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters was signed in 1993. According to Minsk Convention, for member country citizens and persons with the residence permit, only the notarized document is sufficient to be submitted and valid to another member country, thus avoiding the apostille and legalization procedures. In order to avoid the the apostille and legalization procedures it is necessary the Minsk Convention member country to be the member of Hague Convention as well.

Member countries of the Minsk Convention are:

• Republic of Armenia
• Republic of Azerbaijan
• Republic of Belarus
• Republic of Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyz Republic
• Republic of Moldova
• Russian Federation
• Republic of Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Republic of Uzbekistan

5. Conclusion

Whether the document is subject to Legalization or Apostille certification or is exempt from any requirement of authentication see the table below or on the official website of the Georgian Consulate here.

For more information please feel free to contact us.