Notarized and Certified English Translation - the Right Format for Every Authority

Certified translation versus notarized translation for English documents

In the English-speaking world "certified translation" means a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or agency confirming that it is complete and accurate. There is no notary involved. In Georgia, by contrast, the legally recognized form is the notarized translation: a licensed Georgian notary attests the signature of the translator, who is registered with that notary as competent in the language. These two formats are not interchangeable, and sending the wrong one is the single most common reason an English-Georgian file gets rejected.

The rule of thumb is simple. If the document is going into the Georgian system - Public Service Hall, Public Registry, Revenue Service, a Georgian bank, a Georgian court - it must be notarized in Georgia. If the document is going out to an English-speaking authority, it needs the certification format that authority publishes, which is usually a certified translation with specific wording, and sometimes a notarized one on top.

What US authorities require: USCIS, universities, state courts

USCIS regulations (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)) require any foreign-language document to be accompanied by a full English translation and a certification by the translator that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate. Our certification page includes the translator's name, signature, date, contact details and that exact statement. Notarization is optional; we add it free of charge on request because some attorneys and state courts still expect it.

US universities and credential evaluators such as WES, ECE and Educational Perspectives accept the same certified format for Georgian diplomas and transcripts, but some require the translation to be sent directly from the translator or sealed in an envelope. We prepare sealed and stamped packets for these cases. State courts handling Georgian evidence - divorce decrees, custody orders, property deeds - typically want the translation notarized and, if the original is a Georgian public document, apostilled.

What UK authorities require: Home Office, HMPO, courts, UK ENIC

The UK Home Office guidance for visa and settlement applications states that a translation must include confirmation from the translator or translation company that it is an accurate translation of the original, the date of the translation, the translator's full name and signature, and their contact details. We print all of this on letterhead with our stamp. HM Passport Office follows the same rule for foreign birth and marriage certificates used in British passport applications. UK courts accept certified translations but often ask for a statement of truth, which we add.

UK ENIC (formerly NARIC) assesses Georgian qualifications from certified translations of the diploma and the diploma supplement; the supplement matters more than the diploma itself, so we never abbreviate the course list.

What Canadian, Australian, Irish and EU authorities require

Canada. IRCC accepts translations from a certified Canadian translator, or from any translator together with an affidavit sworn before a notary. Since our translators are not members of a Canadian provincial order, we always attach a notarized translator's affidavit to Canadian files. Provincial regulators for engineers, nurses and accountants generally follow IRCC's rule.

Australia and New Zealand. The Department of Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand require translations completed by a qualified translator outside Australia to show the translator's full name, qualifications and contact details. Our stamp and credentials block satisfies this. NAATI certification is only mandatory for translations produced inside Australia.

Ireland and the EU. Irish immigration, the Department of Foreign Affairs and EU institutions normally want a notarized translation together with an apostille on the Georgian original. See our apostille and legalization page for the sequence.

What Georgian authorities require from English documents

Any English-language document used in Georgia must be translated into Georgian and notarized here. The notary does not check the translation's quality; the notary attests the translator's signature, which is why the translator's competence is what really matters. Our English translators are registered with the notary at Agmashenebeli 117, so the translation is signed and stamped while you wait. The typical English documents entering the Georgian system are:

• Passports and driving licenses (translated from a photo, no visit required)
• Police clearance certificates (FBI, ACRO, RCMP, AFP, Irish Garda) for residence permits
• Degree certificates for work permits and diploma recognition
• Powers of attorney and corporate resolutions for company registration
• Bank statements and employment letters for residence and property purchases

If the English original is a public document (certificate, court order, notarial act), Georgian authorities also expect an apostille from the issuing country on the original before the translation is notarized.

e-Notary and digital certified translations in English

For a growing number of uses a paper stamp is no longer necessary. Georgia's e-Notary system lets the notary certify the translator's signature with a qualified electronic signature, producing a PDF whose authenticity can be verified online; Georgian registries, the Revenue Service and many banks accept it, and it is ideal for a founder in Chicago who needs a notarized Georgian translation of a board resolution by tomorrow morning. For English-speaking authorities we issue digitally signed certified translations that carry our electronic stamp and the translator's statement; USCIS accepts uploaded PDFs, most UK visa applications are submitted online, and Canadian and Australian portals take PDFs as standard. Where the receiving office insists on paper - some courts, some universities, most consulates - we print, sign, stamp and courier the same file, so you never have to choose in advance. Our advice is simply to tell us how you intend to submit, and we will produce the version that will be accepted.

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