Let's figure it out - what is an apostille?

An apostille is a special stamp on a document that makes the document legal in other countries that have joined the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961.

If you send a power of attorney, for example, to register an individual entrepreneur or to buy/sell real estate in Georgia from Spain, then the power of attorney must have an Apostille stamp. In this case, the apostille stamp indicates for which country the apostille was affixed (e.g. from Spain to Georgia).

In the case of countries such as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Georgia, an Apostille is not needed, since there is a mutual agreement on the recognition of documents (the so-called "Minsk Convention on the Mutual Recognition of Documents", 1991).

That is, if you make a power of attorney in Russia or Ukraine, then there is no need to affix an Apostille stamp to the document.

It should also be noted that there are a number of countries (e.g. Thailand) that have not joined the Hague Apostille Agreements. In this case, the power of attorney is certified at the embassy.

In order to present a foreign power of attorney to the House of Justice in Georgia (for example, to register a business in Georgia or buy/sell real estate), the power of attorney must be notarized and the translation must be notarized. Both the text of the power of attorney and the apostille stamp are translated.

If you need help in preparing documents, putting an apostille stamp on a document or legalizing documents in Georgia, contact our manager.