If a foreign embassy, immigration authority, employer, university, licensing body, or other institution has asked for a Georgian police or criminal-record document, start with the recipient’s exact instructions.
The document commonly described in English as a Georgian police clearance or police certificate is listed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs Service Agency as the Certificate of Conviction (ნასამართლობის შესახებ ცნობა). The Service Agency states that it records information on a person’s conviction and wanted-status information.
Foreign recipients do not always use the same terminology. A request for a “police certificate,” “police clearance,” “criminal-record certificate,” or “certificate of no convictions” may not mean the same thing in every country. Keep the recipient’s written instruction with the application and document package.
What to establish before ordering the certificate
Before applying, identify:
- The destination country.
- The receiving authority.
- The exact document name requested.
- Whether the recipient needs the original, a certified copy, or an electronic document.
- Whether it specifies a maximum document age.
- Whether the destination requires apostille, legalization, or neither.
- The required language and translation format.
- Whether the recipient requires a notarized translation.
- How the final package must be delivered.
The Service Agency currently states that its Certificate of Conviction has a 15-calendar-day validity period from issuance. A foreign recipient may also impose its own separate freshness or submission-date requirement. Plan the order, authentication, translation, and delivery sequence around both requirements.
Which Georgian authority issues the certificate?
The Certificate of Conviction is issued by the Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
The Service Agency’s current information states that applications can be made through its website or application after registration, or at its structural units. It also states that a third party needs identification and the interested person’s written consent or power of attorney.
If you are outside Georgia, first establish whether you will apply personally, through an authorized representative, or through the Service Agency’s available remote process. The appropriate route depends on the Service Agency’s current requirements and the document format the foreign recipient will accept.
Do not confuse the certificate with other Georgian police or criminal-record documents
A foreign recipient may ask for a certificate covering conviction history, police records, prison records, or a particular period of residence. The Georgian Service Agency certificate should not be assumed to satisfy every differently worded overseas request.
Send the recipient’s instructions together with the certificate. Caucasus Translations can review the complete scan pack, define the translation scope, and help organize the practical document-preparation steps. The receiving authority remains responsible for deciding which document it accepts.
Apostille, legalization, or neither?
Authentication depends on the destination and the receiving authority’s instruction.
For a document issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs Service Agency, the Service Agency states that it can apostille or legalize documents it has produced or issued. HCCH’s current Georgia authority record also identifies the Service Agency as authorized to apostille documents executed or issued by that agency.
An apostille is generally relevant when the document will be used in a state covered by the Hague Apostille Convention. Legalization is a different route used for destinations or situations that do not use the Apostille Convention. The Service Agency also lists countries covered by applicable treaty arrangements where documents it issues may not require apostille or legalization. Check the current destination-country position before processing the certificate.
For a fuller explanation, see our guide to apostille and legalization in Georgia. For the wider document-routing workflow, see visa and residence document workflow in Georgia.
Prepare the final package in the right sequence
- Obtain the recipient’s written document instructions.
- Apply for the Georgian Certificate of Conviction through the appropriate Service Agency route.
- Check the issued certificate for names, dates, document number, stamps, seals, and every attached page.
- If authentication is required, arrange apostille or legalization for the final certificate through the competent authority.
- Send the complete authenticated package for translation.
- If the recipient requires a notarized translation, Caucasus Translations can prepare the translation for that process.
- Deliver the original, authenticated document, translation, and any copies in the format the recipient requires.
Include the whole authentication package in the translation
If an apostille or legalization page is attached, include it in the translation package so the recipient can read the authentication details as well as the underlying certificate.
Send clear scans of the full certificate; every apostille, legalization, stamp, seal, attachment, or reverse page; any document referenced by the certificate; and the receiving authority’s written instructions.
Caucasus Translations can flag obviously incomplete scans, missing referenced pages, or unclear authentication pages when reviewing the translation package. This is a practical document-handling review, not a legal determination of what the foreign authority will accept.
Original, electronic, and courier questions
A readable electronic copy may be enough for a preliminary review, but it may not replace an original or authenticated paper package. The foreign recipient decides whether it accepts an electronic document, a printed electronic document, a certified copy, or the original.
Ask before arranging delivery:
- Does the recipient require the original certificate?
- Must the apostille or legalization be attached to the original?
- Does it accept an electronic document or scanned copy for filing?
- Does it require the translation to be physically attached or separately certified?
- Must the package be sent directly by courier, or can the applicant submit it?
Plan courier delivery only after the document format and recipient address are confirmed.
Translation and notarization
The required translation language depends on the destination and recipient. A foreign embassy may request English, while a national immigration authority, licensing body, or local institution may require its official language.
Notarization is separate from translation. If the receiving authority requires a notarized translation, Caucasus Translations can prepare the translation for that process. For a practical explanation, see certified and notarized translation in Georgia. For language support, see Georgian translation services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Georgian police-clearance document called?
The Ministry of Internal Affairs Service Agency lists it as the Certificate of Conviction (ნასამართლობის შესახებ ცნობა). English descriptions can vary, so use the foreign recipient’s wording to confirm whether it is the document required.
Who issues a Georgian Certificate of Conviction?
The Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia issues the certificate.
Does every foreign authority require apostille or legalization?
No. The authentication route depends on the destination country, applicable international arrangements, and the receiving authority’s instructions.
How long is the certificate valid?
The Service Agency currently states that its Certificate of Conviction has a 15-calendar-day validity period from issuance. A foreign recipient may also impose its own separate freshness or submission-date requirement.
Should the apostille or legalization page be translated?
Yes. If attached, include it in the translation package so the recipient can read the authentication details as well as the underlying certificate.
Need help preparing a Georgian police-clearance package for use abroad?
Tell us the destination country, receiving authority and required language, and send the certificate if already issued. We can quote translation and document handling for the final package.