How Can a Foreign Citizen Prepare a Power of Attorney Abroad for Divorce Proceedings in Georgia?

How to Prepare a Power of Attorney While Abroad

To issue a valid Power of Attorney for a divorce case in Georgia, you need to visit a licensed notary public in your country of residence. The process generally includes the following steps:

1. Take the draft Power of Attorney to the notary (we can provide this draft electronically before your appointment).

2. Present your passport or another valid identification document.

3. Obtain an apostille or consular legalization, if your country requires one (see below).

4. Send the original signed and certified document to Georgia so your lawyer can submit it to the court.

Once we receive the original hard copy, we handle the certified Georgian translation in Georgia — you don't need to arrange translation yourself.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is an international certification that verifies the authenticity of a public document — including a notarized Power of Attorney. It confirms that the notary who signed and stamped your document is genuinely authorized to do so.

Countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention can issue an apostille through a designated local authority (often the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State, or a similar body, depending on the country).

Once your Power of Attorney has been apostilled, it can generally be used in Georgia without any additional legalization — no need to visit an embassy or consulate.

What Is Consular Legalization?

If your Power of Attorney is issued in a country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, it will typically require consular legalization instead of an apostille.

Consular legalization is a multi-step certification process in which the authenticity of the document is verified by the relevant local authorities and, finally, by the Embassy or Consulate of Georgia.

If there is no Georgian embassy in your country, you can complete the legalization process at the nearest Georgian embassy located in a neighboring country.

When Are Neither an Apostille nor Legalization Required?

Thanks to bilateral legal assistance treaties, citizens and residents of certain countries can skip both the apostille and the consular legalization process entirely. A simple notarized Power of Attorney is generally sufficient for people issuing their POA in:

• Armenia

• Azerbaijan

• Belarus

• Kazakhstan

• Kyrgyzstan

• Moldova

• Russia

• Tajikistan

• Turkmenistan

• Ukraine

• Uzbekistan

Even in these cases, a certified Georgian translation of the Power of Attorney is still required before it can be submitted to a Georgian court.

Do I Need to Translate the Power of Attorney Myself?

No. Once we receive the original, notarized (and apostilled or legalized, if applicable) Power of Attorney in Georgia, our office arranges the certified translation into Georgian. This ensures the translation meets the formal requirements of the Georgian courts and avoids delays caused by incorrect or non-certified translations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to travel to Georgia to file for divorce? No. With a properly prepared and, where necessary, apostilled or legalized Power of Attorney, your lawyer can represent you in court without you being physically present in Georgia.

How long does it take to prepare a Power of Attorney abroad? This depends on your local notary's availability and, if required, how quickly your country's apostille or legalization authority processes documents. We recommend starting the process as early as possible.

Who prepares the Power of Attorney document? We prepare a customized electronic draft based on the specifics of your case, which you then bring to a notary in your country of residence for signing.

What if my country doesn't have a Georgian embassy? You can complete consular legalization at the nearest Georgian embassy or consulate in a neighboring country.

Does the translation need to be done in my country? No — once we receive the original document in Georgia, we handle the certified Georgian translation locally.

Need Help Preparing Your Power of Attorney?

Contact us today, and we will send you a customized electronic draft of the Power of Attorney tailored to your divorce case, along with clear instructions on notarization, apostille, or legalization requirements based on your country of residence.