If a Georgian authority, employer, university, bank, notary, or immigration adviser has requested a UK criminal-record document, begin with the exact document named in the request.
Do not assume that every Georgian visa or residence route requires a UK Police Certificate. The receiving institution determines whether it requires one, how recently it must have been issued, whether authentication is needed, and which translation format it accepts.
For overseas-use and immigration purposes, the relevant document may be an ACRO Police Certificate. It is not interchangeable with a subject-access request or another criminal-record disclosure simply because the information also comes from UK police data.
Start with the Georgian recipient’s instructions
Before ordering the certificate or arranging a translation, establish:
- Whether the recipient specifically requests an ACRO Police Certificate.
- Whether it requires the original certificate.
- Whether it requires an apostille or another authentication step.
- Whether it requires a Georgian translation.
- Whether it requires a specific certified or notarized translation format.
- Whether it specifies a maximum document age.
- Whether it accepts a scan for preliminary review or needs a paper package.
Keep the written instruction with the certificate. It helps ensure the final document set matches the requested purpose.
ACRO and apostille are separate steps
ACRO issues Police Certificates. ACRO does not issue apostilles.
If the Georgian recipient requires an apostille, the legalisation step is handled through the UK Legalisation Office after the final certificate is available.
Current UK guidance states that ACRO Police Certificates for England and Wales are not eligible for an e-Apostille. If apostille is required, plan for the paper-based document route and the associated delivery time.
Do not order an apostille simply because the certificate will be used abroad. Start with the recipient’s requirement.
Prepare the final document package in the right order
- Obtain the final ACRO Police Certificate.
- Check the recipient’s instructions for document age, apostille, language, translation format, original/copy requirements, and delivery method.
- If apostille is required, complete the UK legalisation step on the final certificate.
- Send the complete package for translation: the certificate, attached apostille or authentication page, stamps, seals, and any other attached pages.
- If the recipient requires a notarized Georgian translation, Caucasus Translations can prepare the translation for that process.
- Submit or deliver the package in the form requested by the recipient.
Include attached authentication pages in the translation package
If an apostille or other authentication page is attached, include it in the translation package so the recipient can read the authentication details as well as the underlying certificate.
A translation that includes only the first certificate page may not show the full document chain the recipient expects to receive.
Send readable scans of every page before work begins.
For a broader guide to incoming documents, see how to use foreign documents in Georgia.
For the visa and residence document workflow, see visa and residence document workflow in Georgia.
For residence-route translation context, see residence-permit translation guidance.
For the difference between certified and notarized translation, see certified and notarized translation in Georgia.
What Caucasus Translations can help with
Caucasus Translations can:
- Review the complete scan pack and define the translation scope.
- Translate the ACRO certificate and attached apostille or authentication pages into Georgian.
- Prepare the translation in the formal format requested by the recipient.
- Flag obviously incomplete scans, missing referenced pages, or unclear authentication pages in the translation package.
- Help organize the final translation package for delivery.
We do not decide whether a Georgian authority requires an ACRO Police Certificate, determine the required certificate age, or guarantee acceptance by an authority.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ACRO Police Certificate automatically required for a Georgian residence permit?
No. Document requirements vary by residence and visa route. Use the current requirement for the specific submission you are making.
Can ACRO issue an apostille?
No. ACRO does not provide apostille services.
Should I translate the certificate before apostille?
Start with the recipient’s required final package. If an apostille is attached to the final certificate, include that page in the translation package.
Does every Georgian translation need notarization?
No. Notarization is a separate formal step. If the recipient requires a notarized Georgian translation, we can prepare the translation for that process.
Need a translation quote?
Send us the complete ACRO certificate and the Georgian recipient’s instructions. We can quote translation of the certificate and any attached apostille or authentication pages.
For Georgian-language document support, see Georgian translation services.