Divorced or Widowed: Previous-Marriage Documents for Marriage in Georgia

The Georgian registrar accepts a divorce document that passes four tests: it is final, complete, authenticated and translated. Only a document that meets all four proves that the earlier marriage ended, and a statement, a lawyer's letter, a religious declaration or a marriage certificate with a handwritten note does not replace it.

• ✓Final. A final divorce judgment or decree from the court, or a divorce certificate or extract from the civil registry where the divorce was recorded. An interim order, decree nisi, conditional order, petition, separation agreement or court summons proves nothing.
• ✓Complete. The full judgment with the court seal, every page, not the first page or the operative paragraph alone.
• ✓Authenticated. An apostille or consular legalization from the issuing country, on the original or on the certified copy that country authenticates.
• ✓Translated. A Georgian translation by a translator whose signature a Georgian notary certifies, made in Tbilisi after the stamps are attached.

A religious divorce is accepted when it is also a civil document in the country that issued it, and refused when the earlier marriage was civilly registered and no civil divorce exists. A talaq or khula registered with the Union Council in Pakistan, or a religious-court judgment in Lebanon where the marriage itself was religious, is the official record of divorce in that country and is accepted after authentication. A talaq pronounced privately after a civil marriage in Europe, by contrast, does not end that civil marriage, and the registrar cannot accept it.

The reverse case also comes up: a partner whose earlier marriage was religious only and never civilly registered anywhere is usually not treated as married by the registrar. Tell us about it in the pre-check so the file is right. Interfaith couples, who often face this question, will find more on interfaith marriage in Georgia.

The registrar must be able to match the divorce document to the passport, so a surname that changed needs a connecting record. Typical cases: a maiden name restored by the decree while the passport still shows the married name, a married name kept in the passport, or a new passport issued with a different transliteration. If the decree itself orders the name change, it is enough.

Otherwise bring the record that explains the change, authenticated like the decree: a UK deed poll, a US court order, a Russian or Ukrainian certificate of change of name, an Indian gazette notification, or a NADRA record. Arabic, Cyrillic or Devanagari spellings that differ from the Latin passport are normal; the translator follows the passport. The wider passport and name rules are on passport and name problems.