No. A never-married couple of any nationality registers on valid passports plus proof of lawful stay, and none of those needs an apostille or a translation. Apostilles and translations only come into the file when a partner was married before, or when a name-change record is needed to connect a passport to another document.
Document checklist by nationality
Documents Required to Marry in Georgia: Country-by-Country Checklist
A never-married couple needs two valid passports and proof of lawful stay in Georgia. Only a previously married partner brings more: the final divorce or death document, authenticated at home and translated in Tbilisi.
This checklist is written for foreign couples preparing a civil marriage registration with the Public Service Development Agency (PSDA) at a Public Service Hall in Tbilisi. It covers what the registrar asks for and what it does not, the document each country issues and who apostilles or legalizes it, passport and name problems, translation in Tbilisi, and the mistakes we see most often in pre-checks.
Passports only if never married
No CNI or embassy letters
Authentication done at home
Translation done in Tbilisi
Names follow the passport
TL;DR
The short answer
- Never-married couples of any nationality register on their passports plus proof of lawful stay. Nothing needs an apostille or translation in advance.
- Georgia does not ask for a certificate of no impediment, single-status certificate, CENOMAR, birth certificate or embassy letter.
- A divorced or widowed partner brings the final divorce document or the death certificate of the previous spouse, complete and with the seal.
- That document is apostilled in Hague countries or legalized elsewhere, always in the issuing country, before travel. It cannot be done in Georgia.
- Translation into Georgian is made in Tbilisi after authentication and certified by a Georgian notary. Translations made abroad are usually redone.
- Names are recorded as the passport prints them, so every other document must be matchable to that spelling or explained by a name-change record.
Prepared by the Marry Georgia case team in Tbilisi. Last reviewed 18 October 2026 against the official sources listed below. How we write and check these guides.
What documents do we need to marry in Georgia?
Two valid passports and proof of lawful stay for each foreign partner. A previously married partner adds the final divorce or death document with apostille or legalization, translated into Georgian in Tbilisi.
Do we need a single-status certificate or CNI?
No. Georgia does not require a certificate of no impediment, a single-status certificate, a CENOMAR or an unmarried affidavit. An authority in your own country may ask for one later for its own purposes.
Where is the apostille obtained?
In the country that issued the document, before you travel. Georgia cannot apostille or legalize a foreign divorce or death document.
Where are documents translated?
In Tbilisi, after the apostille or legalization is attached. A translator prepares the Georgian version and a Georgian notary certifies the translator's signature.
Can a national ID card replace the passport?
No. The registrar records the passport, even where an ID card or residence card was enough to enter Georgia.
The core list
The documents the registrar actually asks for
The Georgian civil registry works from four things: each partner's passport, evidence that each foreign partner is in Georgia lawfully, a joint application signed at the registry, and, for a previously married partner only, proof that the earlier marriage ended. Two adult witnesses with identity documents are also required by Georgian law. That is the complete list for a marriage between foreigners, whatever the nationality or religion of the couple.
The passport is the identity document. The registrar records the names exactly as printed in the passport's Latin-script line and transliterates them into Georgian for the certificate. National ID cards, driving licences and residence cards are not used as the identity document, even where they were enough to cross the border. Lawful stay is shown by the entry stamp for visa-free nationalities, by the approved e-visa for nationalities that need one, or by a residence permit where entry was based on it. Gulf residents who entered on the strength of a UAE or GCC residence permit show that permit with the passport. Which basis applies to which passport is explained in the main guide for foreigners.
For a never-married couple nothing has to be apostilled or translated before the trip. The rest of this page concerns previously married partners and names that differ between documents.
Planning table
Document planning table: who needs what, and where it is prepared
Read the row for each partner separately. In a mixed-nationality couple each partner follows the rules of the country that issued their own documents.
| Document | Who needs it | Where it is prepared | Apostille or legalization | Georgian translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport, valid on the registration day | Every partner | Home country passport office | No | No; names are transliterated by the registrar |
| Entry stamp, e-visa or residence permit | Every foreign partner | Border, e-visa portal or country of residence | No | No |
| Final divorce judgment, decree or registry divorce certificate | Divorced partner | Court or civil registry that dissolved the marriage | Yes, in the issuing country | Yes, in Tbilisi |
| Death certificate of the previous spouse | Widowed partner | Civil registry, health authority or court where the death was recorded | Yes, in the issuing country | Yes, in Tbilisi |
| Earlier marriage certificate | Widowed partner, only if the death certificate does not name the surviving spouse | Registry that recorded the earlier marriage | Yes | Yes, in Tbilisi |
| Name-change record | Anyone whose passport name differs from another document | Court, registry, gazette or passport authority | Yes | Yes, in Tbilisi |
| Witness identity documents | The two witnesses | Their own identity documents | No | No |
| CNI, CENOMAR, single-status certificate, birth certificate | Nobody, for the Georgian registration | Only if a later authority at home asks | Only for that later use | No |
Not required
Documents Georgia does not ask for
The registrar does not ask for any document that confirms in advance that a never-married person is free to marry. Couples who arrive with such a document are not asked for it, and couples who arrive without one are not turned away. The list of things you can leave out of the Georgian file is longer than the list of things you need:
- ✓Certificate of no impediment, certificate of legal capacity, single-status certificate or CENOMAR (see the single-status section below)
- ✓Birth certificate: not required for adults
- ✓Embassy affidavit, consular letter or employer NOC: not required
- ✓Medical certificate or blood test: not required
- ✓Parental consent: not required for adults
- ✓Proof of income, accommodation or a return ticket: not required by the registrar, although border officers may ask about the trip
- ✓Nikah nama, church letter or any religious document: not required and not recorded
CNI and CENOMAR
Single-status certificate, CNI and CENOMAR: the myth and when one is still asked for
No single-status document is needed for a marriage registration in Georgia. Many countries ask a foreigner who marries there to bring a certificate from their own state confirming that they are free to marry. Georgia takes a never-married partner's declaration and passport at face value and requires positive proof only where a marriage is known to have existed. That is why so much online advice about "documents for marriage abroad" does not apply here, and why agents who insist on a CNI for Georgia are describing another country's rules.
The document has a different name almost everywhere, which causes most of the confusion. The table shows the common names and where the document may matter later.
| Country | What the document is called | Needed for the Georgian registration | Where it may be asked for later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | PSA CENOMAR or Advisory on Marriages | No | Usually at the Philippine embassy when the Report of Marriage is filed |
| India | Unmarried certificate or bachelorhood affidavit | No | Sometimes by UAE typing centres or Indian offices |
| Pakistan | Unmarried affidavit | No | Sometimes in a UAE spouse visa file |
| United Kingdom | Certificate of no impediment (CNI) | No | Not for a Georgian marriage |
| France | Certificat de capacité à mariage | No | Expected by France before the wedding, for the later transcription |
| Germany, Italy, Spain | Ehefähigkeitszeugnis, nulla osta, certificado de capacidad matrimonial | No | Not for a Georgian marriage |
| United States | Embassy affidavit of eligibility to marry | No | Not for a Georgian marriage |
| Russia, Ukraine | Certificate of marital status from ZAGS or DRACS | No | Not for a Georgian marriage |
| Lebanon | Individual civil status extract | No | Useful when the marriage is registered in Lebanon |
When marital-status proof still matters
Two situations. First, a previously married partner must prove that the earlier marriage ended. That is not a single-status certificate: it is a final divorce judgment, a civil-registry divorce certificate or a death certificate, authenticated and translated, as described below. Second, an authority in your own country may ask for a status document later, for a purpose unrelated to the Georgian registration: the Philippine embassy for a Report of Marriage, a UAE typing centre in a spouse visa file, a French consulate before the transcription. In each case the document serves that authority, so obtain it in the format that authority wants, not for the registrar in Tbilisi.
One edge case belongs in the pre-check. A partner who went through a religious ceremony that was never civilly registered anywhere is normally not treated as previously married by the Georgian registrar. But a religious marriage that was registered with a civil authority, for example a nikah registered with a Union Council in Pakistan, is a civil marriage in that country and needs a civil divorce before a new marriage. Tell us which of the two it was. Interfaith questions about religious and civil marriage are covered in the interfaith marriage guide.
Passports and names
Passport validity, names, spelling and name-change proof
The passport must be valid on the registration day, and every other document in the file must be matchable to the name it prints. Your nationality's entry rules for Georgia may require longer validity, so check them on the Georgian consular portal before booking, and renew a passport that is close to expiry at home.
How names are recorded
The registrar enters names exactly as the passport's Latin-script line prints them and transliterates them into Georgian. Problems arise when another document in the file does not match that spelling: a divorce decree that uses a maiden name while the passport still carries a former married surname; an Arabic, Cyrillic or Devanagari name transliterated differently on an older document; a middle name or father's name that appears on one document and not another; a passport renewed with a new transliteration. None of these is fatal, but each needs a connecting record, and the connecting record is obtained at home, not at the registry desk.
Single-name passports, and passports that put the father's or husband's name in the surname field, are fine for Georgia. They must be explained to the translator in advance so that the translation and the Georgian certificate match the passport exactly.
Name-change proof that works
Where a divorce decree itself orders the return to a former name, the decree is enough. Where it does not, bring the record that explains the change and authenticate it in the same way as the divorce document: a UK deed poll, a US court order, a Russian or Ukrainian certificate of change of name from ZAGS or DRACS, an Indian gazette notification, a NADRA record in Pakistan, or simply the earlier passport that shows the old spelling. Send it with the pre-check so it is translated together with the rest.
Previously married
If either partner was married before: the proof in summary
A previously married partner must prove that the last marriage ended, and nothing replaces the official document. A divorced partner shows the final divorce judgment or decree, or the civil-registry certificate or extract that records the divorce. A widowed partner shows the civil death certificate of the previous spouse, plus the earlier marriage certificate if the death certificate does not name the surviving spouse. An interim order, a decree nisi, a petition, a lawyer's letter, a hospital letter or a religious declaration does not prove that a marriage ended.
The document must be complete, with the court seal or registry stamp, not the first page only. It is authenticated in the issuing country before travel: with an apostille if that country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, or by consular legalization through its foreign ministry and the Georgian consular mission if it is not. Then it is translated into Georgian in Tbilisi. A partner with more than one earlier marriage needs proof only that the most recent one ended.
This page lists the document each country issues and who authenticates it. The full rules for divorce decrees, finality, khula and talaq, Philippine annulments and widowhood are on the divorce and widowhood documents guide, with widowhood proof in its own section. How a previous marriage affects the timing of the registration day is covered under same-day marriage for previously married couples.
Country by country
Country by country: what each partner brings and who authenticates it
Each block covers the never-married partner, the previously married partner, the authority that issues the apostille or legalization, and the name problems we see most for that passport. In a mixed couple, read one block for each partner. Entry rules for each passport are in the main guide.
Indian citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. An Indian partner who has never been married needs the passport and the basis of entry: the approved Georgian e-visa, or the valid UAE, GCC, EU, UK or US residence permit or visa that allows visa-free entry (see entry for Indian passports). Georgia does not ask for an Indian unmarried certificate, a bachelorhood affidavit or a certificate of no impediment. Some couples carry one anyway because a UAE typing centre or an Indian office may ask for it later; that is a certificate-use question, not a registration question, so obtain it in the format that later authority wants.
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the divorce decree together with the judgment of the Family Court or District Court. Mutual-consent and Special Marriage Act divorces produce the same kind of decree. A widowed partner brings the death certificate from the municipal corporation or gram panchayat registrar. The detail is in Indian divorce decrees for Georgia.
Who authenticates. India has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005, so Indian documents carry an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), not embassy legalization. In practice the document is first attested by the state Home Department or the relevant state authority, then apostilled by MEA through its authorised outsourcing agencies or the e-Sanad system. The Georgian translation follows in Tbilisi.
Name problems. Name consistency is the most common Indian issue: a surname added after a first marriage, a single-name passport, or a spelling that differs between the decree and the passport. Explain the difference with a gazette notification, an affidavit or a re-issued passport before travel, not at the registration desk. Single-name passports are accepted; flag them so the translator mirrors the passport.
Pakistani citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. The essential document is the machine-readable Pakistani passport, with the approved e-visa or a qualifying permit. Holders of a valid UAE residence permit, Pakistani citizens included, can usually enter visa-free for a short stay; we check your case against the Georgian consular portal in the pre-check (see entry for Pakistani passports). A CNIC or NICOP is not required by the registrar, though couples living abroad usually carry it for later steps. Georgia does not ask for a certificate of no impediment or an unmarried affidavit.
Previously married. The registrar needs the Pakistani paper trail that closed the marriage: usually the Union Council or Arbitration Council divorce effectiveness certificate, together with the NADRA Divorce Registration Certificate where one was issued. A khula or judicial divorce is proven with the Family Court decree plus the Union Council certificate issued after it. A widowed partner brings the NADRA death certificate of the previous spouse. The nikah nama of the earlier marriage is not needed; only the proof that it ended. See Pakistani divorce records for Georgia for khula and talaq cases.
Who authenticates. The Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for Pakistan on 9 March 2023. Since then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan issues an apostille at its attestation offices, and Georgian embassy legalization is no longer needed. Documents attested before 2023 with the old MOFA stamp and a Georgian embassy stamp remain valid, but new documents should carry the apostille.
Name problems. Pakistani passports show the father's or husband's name, and the passport spelling sometimes differs from the divorce certificate. Fix spelling differences with NADRA before travel. A woman's passport that still shows a former husband's name while the divorce certificate uses her maiden name is one of the delays we see most often.
Filipino citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married Filipino needs the passport and the basis of entry: an e-visa, or a valid Gulf, EU, UK or US residence permit or visa (see entry for Philippine passports). A PSA birth certificate and a PSA CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record) are not required by Georgia. We still recommend bringing a recent CENOMAR because the Philippine embassy usually asks for it when the marriage is later reported, and because it confirms that no earlier marriage is still on record.
Previously married. The Philippines has no general divorce, and this is the single most important Filipino issue. An earlier marriage still exists in Philippine records unless a Philippine court annulled it or declared it void, and the PSA marriage certificate carries that annotation. A divorce obtained abroad by a foreign spouse counts only after a Philippine court recognises it under Article 26 of the Family Code. Muslim Filipinos may have a Shari'a court divorce decree under Presidential Decree 1083. The documents are therefore the annotated PSA marriage certificate with the court decision, the recognition decision, or the Shari'a decree; a widowed partner brings the PSA death certificate. A Filipino who is separated but never annulled cannot register a new marriage. The divorce documents guide covers annulment and recognition cases.
Who authenticates. The Philippines joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 14 May 2019. PSA documents and court decisions are apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of Consular Affairs and no longer need Georgian embassy legalization. Order PSA copies from the Philippine Statistics Authority first.
Name problems. The usual Filipino mismatch is a passport still in a married surname from a marriage that was later annulled, while the annotated PSA record shows the maiden name, or a middle name that appears on one document and not on another. Send the annotated PSA record, the court decision and, where the names still do not connect, the earlier passport or the record that explains the change with the pre-check.
Lebanese citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married Lebanese partner needs the passport and a valid basis of entry. Confirm the current visa position for Lebanese passports before booking; holders of a valid UAE, GCC, EU, UK or US residence permit or visa normally enter visa-free for a short stay (see entry for Lebanese passports). The individual civil status extract (ikhraj qaid fardi) is not required by the Georgian registrar, but bring it: the Lebanese embassy or the Personal Status Directorate refers to it when the marriage is later registered in Lebanon.
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the divorce judgment of the religious court that dissolved the marriage, or a civil divorce judgment if the earlier marriage was a civil marriage abroad. In the second case the judgment is authenticated by the country that issued it, not by Lebanon. A widowed partner brings the death extract from the civil status office. Religious-court divorces and their civil effect are discussed in the divorce documents guide.
Who authenticates. Lebanon is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so Lebanese documents cannot be apostilled. They are legalized in two stages: certification by the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then legalization by the Georgian consular mission accredited to Lebanon. The notarized Georgian translation is made in Tbilisi afterwards. Start this chain early, because it takes longer than an apostille, and check that both stamps are on the document before you book flights.
Name problems. Lebanese documents often transliterate names differently from the passport, in a French or an English spelling. The registrar uses the passport spelling, so check that the divorce judgment or death extract can be matched to it, and send any document with a different spelling with the pre-check so the translator knows which form to follow.
Russian citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married Russian citizen needs the foreign travel passport (zagranpasport). The registrar works with that passport, not with the internal passport. Russian citizens enter visa-free (see entry for Russian passports). No certificate of marital status (spravka o semeynom polozhenii) is required by Georgia.
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the certificate of dissolution of marriage (svidetelstvo o rastorzhenii braka) issued by ZAGS, or, where the divorce went through a court, the court decision together with the ZAGS certificate issued after it. A widowed partner brings the ZAGS death certificate of the previous spouse. Whichever document applies, it is apostilled in Russia before travel; the apostille cannot be added in Georgia, and there is no Russian consulate in Georgia, only an interests section at the Swiss Embassy, so everything is ordered through the issuing region. More detail is in Russian divorce documents for Georgia.
Who authenticates. Russia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. ZAGS certificates are apostilled by the regional ZAGS administration or the regional Ministry of Justice office of the region that issued them; court decisions are apostilled through the Ministry of Justice. Legal-assistance treaties between former Soviet states are sometimes cited as a reason to skip the apostille. Do not rely on that for a marriage registration: Georgian registrars expect apostilled Russian civil status documents. The Georgian translation is then made and notarized in Tbilisi.
Name problems. The typical Russian case is a passport surname that still reflects a former marriage while the divorce certificate shows a different surname. The connecting document is the ZAGS certificate of change of name, apostilled like the divorce certificate. Differences in transliteration between the Cyrillic original and the Latin passport line are normal; the translator follows the passport spelling, so tell us if an older document uses a different Latin form.
Ukrainian citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married Ukrainian citizen needs the foreign passport, biometric or not. Georgia does not require a certificate of marital status. Ukrainians living in an EU country under temporary protection travel on the Ukrainian passport; the EU residence document is not needed for entry to Georgia but is worth carrying for the return (see entry for Ukrainian passports).
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the certificate of divorce issued by a DRACS civil registry office, or the court decision on dissolution of marriage together with the DRACS extract issued on it. A widowed partner brings the DRACS death certificate. Documents issued through Diia or as electronic extracts must be printed as official paper extracts from DRACS before travel, because the registrar and the notary translator work from paper originals; a screenshot is not enough. See Ukrainian divorce documents for Georgia.
Who authenticates. Ukraine is a Hague Apostille Convention member, and civil status documents and court decisions are apostilled through the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The apostille is not optional: a DRACS divorce or death certificate, or a court decision, is not accepted in Georgia without it, whatever you may read about treaties between the two states. Order it in Ukraine before travel, and check that it is attached to the paper extract itself. The apostilled document then receives a notarized Georgian translation in Tbilisi, and the apostille page is translated with it.
Name problems. As with Russian documents, Cyrillic names may appear in different Latin forms on an older passport and a newer one, and a surname changed after divorce needs the DRACS certificate of change of name or another name-change record. Send both passports if the spelling changed between them.
UK citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married British partner needs the passport and nothing else. There is no certificate of no impediment, no 28-day notice at a UK register office and no appointment at the British Embassy, which plays no role in the registration. A driving licence or birth certificate is not used; the passport is the only identity document the registrar records. British citizens enter visa-free; other British nationality categories should check the list (see entry for British passports).
Previously married. In England and Wales the document is the final order, called the decree absolute for divorces started before April 2022, obtained as a certified copy from HM Courts and Tribunals Service. In Scotland it is the extract decree of divorce; in Northern Ireland the decree absolute. A decree nisi or conditional order is not enough. A widowed partner uses a death certificate from the General Register Office or the local register office. See UK divorce documents for Georgia.
Who authenticates. The UK is a Hague Apostille Convention member. The final order or death certificate is apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office, which offers an online service for individuals. Court documents may need a solicitor's or notary's certification before the FCDO will apostille them; check the FCDO guidance for your document type. Because Georgia is also a Hague member, the FCDO apostille is the only authentication needed; there is no embassy legalization step. The apostilled document is then translated into Georgian and notarized in Tbilisi.
Name problems. The common British case is a surname changed by deed poll, or a former married name kept in the passport while the divorce order shows another. If the passport name differs from the name on the divorce order, apostille the deed poll as well, enrolled or unenrolled, and send it with the pre-check.
US citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married US citizen needs the passport only. Georgia does not require an affidavit of eligibility to marry, and the US Embassy in Tbilisi does not perform marriages and is not part of the process. US citizens enter visa-free (see entry for US passports). This is the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus, not the US state; US state marriage licence rules do not apply.
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the divorce decree (judgment of dissolution) as a certified copy issued by the clerk of the court that granted it. A widowed partner brings a certified death certificate from the state vital records office. The state that issued the document is the state that apostilles it, even if you have since moved to another state or abroad, so a decree from California and a death certificate from Texas go to two different offices. See US divorce decrees for Georgia.
Who authenticates. The United States is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but apostilles on state documents are issued by the Secretary of State of the issuing state, not by the federal government. Only federal documents go to the US Department of State. Many states require the court clerk's certification to be recent, and some require a county clerk's authentication first. Check the Secretary of State website for the issuing state before ordering the certified copy, because the order of steps differs between states. The apostilled decree is then translated into Georgian in Tbilisi.
Name problems. The typical US case is a maiden name restored by the decree. If the decree orders the change, it covers it, and the decree apostille is enough. Otherwise bring the court order or the marriage record that explains the change, apostilled in the same way, so the registrar can connect the passport name to the decree.
EU citizens: documents for marriage in Georgia
Never married. A never-married EU citizen needs the passport. National ID cards are accepted for entry from some countries, but bring the passport for the registration (see entry for EU citizens). Georgia does not require a certificate of capacity to marry such as the German Ehefähigkeitszeugnis or the Italian nulla osta, and there are no banns. One exception deserves early attention: French citizens are expected to obtain a certificat de capacité à mariage from the French consulate before marrying abroad, or the later transcription into French records is delayed. Start that step before booking Georgia.
Previously married. A divorced partner brings the divorce judgment with a note that it is final, or the civil registry extract that records the divorce. A widowed partner brings the death certificate. EU multilingual standard forms under Regulation 2016/1191 are not accepted by Georgia as a substitute for the apostille, because Georgia is not an EU member. See EU divorce judgments for Georgia.
Who authenticates. Every EU member state is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the document is apostilled by the competent authority of the issuing state: for example a Landgericht or Regierungspräsidium in Germany, the procura della Repubblica or prefettura in Italy, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland. The authority differs by country and sometimes by document type; the HCCH status table lists the competent authorities, and the European e-Justice Portal explains national family-law procedures. The apostilled judgment then goes to a Tbilisi translator.
Name problems. The usual EU mismatch is a married surname kept in the passport after divorce while the judgment uses the birth name, or a middle name that appears on one document and not another. The registrar follows the passport; if the divorce judgment or extract shows a different form, bring the civil registry record of the name change, apostilled.
Living in the UAE or another GCC state
Residence in the Gulf changes how you enter Georgia and where a Gulf-issued document is authenticated, not what your own country's documents look like. A divorce issued by a UAE court needs MOFAIC attestation and legalization by the Georgian embassy; Qatar and Kuwait documents are attested by their foreign ministries and legalized by the Georgian consular mission; Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman documents are apostilled. The full list for Gulf residents is on documents for UAE residents and the GCC country table. Couples where each partner holds a different passport should read the mixed-nationality section of the main guide.
Translation in Tbilisi
Translation and notarization of incoming documents in Tbilisi
Every foreign document in a language other than Georgian is translated into Georgian in Tbilisi, and a Georgian notary certifies the translator's signature. The registrar accepts translations certified by Georgian notaries. A translation made abroad, even a sworn one, is usually redone, because the Georgian notary cannot certify a translator they do not know. Paying for a translation at home is therefore usually wasted money.
The order matters. Translation comes after the apostille or legalization, so that the stamps are translated too. A translation made before the stamps were attached is missing part of the document and has to be redone. Names in the translation follow the passport spelling, which is why a divorce document in a maiden name or a different transliteration needs the connecting record described above.
Timing is predictable when scans arrive early. A two-page divorce certificate takes a few hours to translate and certify; a long court judgment can take a day. Send clear scans of the full authenticated document before you travel and the translation can be ready when you land; bring the paper originals with you to Tbilisi.
This section is about documents coming into Georgia. The opposite direction, translating and authenticating the Georgian marriage certificate for use in your country, is covered in the certificate translation guide, together with apostille or legalization of the certificate.
Step by step
How to prepare your documents for marriage in Georgia
Work through these steps in order, for each partner separately. Everything before step 7 happens at home; nothing on the list can be fixed at the Public Service Hall on the day.
- 1
Establish each partner's marital status
Never married, divorced or widowed, and how many earlier marriages there were. A partner with several earlier marriages needs proof only that the most recent one ended. Mention any religious-only ceremony, and whether it was ever registered with a civil authority.
- 2
Check both passports
Confirm each passport is valid on the registration day and meets your nationality's entry rules. Compare the printed names with every other document in the file and note any difference in spelling, surname or middle name.
- 3
Confirm the basis of entry
Visa-free entry, an approved e-visa, or a residence permit that qualifies. Apply for an e-visa well ahead and check that a Gulf residence visa is still valid and not cancelled. The rules per passport are in the main guide.
- 4
Order the final previous-marriage document
For a divorced partner, the final decree, final order or registry divorce certificate, complete with the seal; for a widowed partner, the civil death certificate, plus the earlier marriage certificate if the death certificate does not name the surviving spouse. Use the original or the certified copy issued by the court or registry, not a photocopy, because many countries authenticate originals only.
- 5
Authenticate it in the issuing country
Apostille in Hague countries, legalization through the foreign ministry and the Georgian consular mission elsewhere. Do the same for any name-change record. Legalization chains take longer than apostilles, so start those first.
- 6
Send scans for the pre-check before booking flights
Full passport data pages, the entry basis, every page of the authenticated documents and the apostille page. We reply with one of three answers: simple, register on arrival; needs a document fixed at home first, here is what; or not possible, here is why.
- 7
Translation in Tbilisi
Once the scans are approved, the Georgian translation is prepared and certified by a Georgian notary so it is ready when you arrive. Bring the paper originals.
- 8
Plan the certificate for use abroad
Before the registration, decide where the certificate will be used and how many originals you need, since a certificate tied up in one country's legalization chain cannot serve another at the same time. See authenticating the certificate for use abroad.
Expert tips
What we check first in a document pre-check
Send the scans before booking anything. We check the passports for validity and name consistency, each partner's entry basis, any previous-marriage document for finality, completeness and authentication, and the country where the certificate will be used.
Expert tips
- Photograph the passport data page flat, in daylight, with the machine-readable zone fully visible; we cannot check a cropped or angled scan.
- Ask the court or registry for the complete document with every page and the seal, and have the apostille or legalization attached to that same document.
- Start any legalization chain first (Lebanese documents, and divorces issued in the UAE, Qatar or Kuwait): it has more stages than an apostille, and every stage happens before travel.
- Put every name variant on one list: passport, divorce document, earlier passport, name-change record. If you cannot connect two of them with a document, we will tell you which record to obtain.
- Filipino partners: bring a recent PSA CENOMAR even though Georgia does not need it, because the Report of Marriage usually does.
- Ukrainian partners: print paper DRACS extracts before you leave; electronic Diia documents cannot be translated and notarized from a screen.
- Do not pay for a sworn translation at home for the Georgian registration; it will normally be redone in Tbilisi.
Common pitfalls
Document mistakes that stop a registration
Almost every delayed registration we see comes from a short list of document errors, and each of them is visible in the pre-check if the right scans are sent. The fix is always made at home, which is why a mistake found in Tbilisi usually means moving the trip rather than fixing it on the spot.
Common pitfalls
- A decree nisi, interim order, conditional order or petition instead of the final decree or final order.
- Only the first page or the operative paragraph of a judgment; the registrar needs the whole document with the court seal.
- An apostille or legalization on a photocopy where the issuing country authenticates originals only.
- No apostille or legalization at all, in the expectation that it can be added in Georgia; it cannot.
- A translation made abroad, or a translation made before the stamps were attached.
- A passport that still carries a former married surname while the divorce document uses the maiden name, with no record connecting the two.
- A passport that expires before the registration day, or a passport scan with the machine-readable zone cut off.
- A UAE or GCC residence visa cancelled by the employer, a visit visa instead of a residence visa, or an e-visa applied for but not yet approved.
- A religious divorce for a marriage that was also civilly registered, with no civil divorce; or a Philippine marriage that was never annulled.
- A death certificate that does not name the surviving spouse, brought without the earlier marriage certificate.
- Non-refundable flights booked before the pre-check, then a document that has to go home for an apostille.
Timing mistakes, such as landing after midday or arriving on a Georgian public holiday, are covered under same-day blockers.
Checklist
What to send us for a document pre-check
- ✓Both passports, full data page, machine-readable zone visible
- ✓E-visa approval or residence permit page for any partner who needs one to enter
- ✓Marital status of each partner: never married, divorced or widowed
- ✓Every page of any divorce judgment, decree or registry certificate, with the seal
- ✓The apostille or legalization page attached to that document
- ✓Death certificate of a previous spouse, if widowed
- ✓Any name-change record if a name differs between documents
- ✓Travel dates you are considering, before you book
- ✓The country where the marriage certificate will be used
Official sources
Where these rules come from
This page on documents required was last checked on 18 October 2026 against the sources below. Where a source and this page differ, the source is right.
- ✓Public Service Development Agency - marriage registration: sda.gov.ge/en/products/marriage-registration
- ✓Public Service Development Agency - apostille and legalization: sda.gov.ge/en/products/apostille-and-legalization
- ✓Hague Apostille Convention status table and competent authorities: www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
- ✓Georgian consular portal - visa rules by nationality: www.geoconsul.gov.ge/en
- ✓Georgian e-visa portal: www.evisa.gov.ge
- ✓Ministry of External Affairs, India - apostille service: www.mea.gov.in/apostille.htm
- ✓Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan - attestation and apostille: mofa.gov.pk
- ✓Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines - apostille (authentication) services: consular.dfa.gov.ph/services/authentication
- ✓Philippine Statistics Authority - civil registry documents: psa.gov.ph
- ✓Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon: www.mfa.gov.lb
- ✓Ministry of Justice of Ukraine - apostille: minjust.gov.ua
- ✓GOV.UK - get a document legalised (apostille): www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised
- ✓US Department of State - apostille requirements: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/apostille-requirements.html
- ✓European e-Justice Portal - family matters: e-justice.europa.eu
FAQ
Questions about documents for marriage in Georgia
No. Adults do not need a birth certificate for the Georgian registration. Some later steps at home may ask for one for their own reasons, for example Philippine PSA documents at the embassy when the marriage is reported, but the registrar in Tbilisi does not ask for it.
Bring the originals. The registrar and the notary translator work from paper originals, and the apostille or legalization must be on the original or on the certified copy issued by the court or registry. Scans are for the pre-check and for preparing the translation in advance, not a substitute for the paper document.
Two. Each partner prepares their own documents under the rules of the country that issued them: a British partner's divorce order carries an FCDO apostille, an Indian partner's decree an MEA apostille, a Lebanese partner's judgment a legalization. The registrar treats the two files separately, and the joint application is signed together at the Public Service Hall.
The rules of the country that granted the divorce. A US citizen divorced in the UAE needs the UAE authentication chain, and a Pakistani citizen divorced in England needs an FCDO apostille. The document is authenticated where it was issued, whatever passport the person holds, and is then translated into Georgian in Tbilisi.
Sometimes, but do not rely on it. Many countries apostille only originals or certified copies issued by the court or registry, and an apostille on a plain photocopy is a common reason for a delay. Ask the court or registry for a certified copy of the complete document and have the apostille attached to that.
Not if you can show the link. Send the earlier passport, or the record that explains the change, such as a gazette notification, a NADRA record, a deed poll or a ZAGS or DRACS certificate of change of name. The registrar records the new passport spelling, and the translator follows it in every Georgian translation.
Yes. Ukrainian DRACS certificates and court decisions are not accepted for a Georgian registration without an apostille from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, so do not rely on any treaty exemption. After the apostille, the document gets a notarized Georgian translation in Tbilisi, and electronic Diia extracts must first be printed as paper DRACS extracts.
No. An earlier marriage certificate proves that a marriage existed, not that it ended. It is only added to the file when a widowed partner's death certificate does not name the surviving spouse, so the registrar can connect the deceased to the partner. A divorced partner always needs the final decree or the registry divorce certificate.
Next step
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Send passport scans, your marital status and any divorce or death document. We tell you what is ready, what must be fixed at home and when you can book flights.
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