Legalization and Apostille: Two Routes to Recognizing a Foreign Document
Presenting a document issued abroad in Georgia often requires its external certification, and the law recognizes two routes for it. Article 3 of the Law of Georgia on Civil Acts defines both concepts: legalization is the confirmation, by a state organ of due competence, of the authenticity of the signature on a document, of the authority of the signatory, and of the authenticity of the seal or stamp; apostille certification is the same confirmation, but in a simplified procedure — on the basis of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.
The difference is practical: between states parties to the Hague Convention, the apostille is a single, simplified form of confirming the authenticity of a document, while legalization is the full, multi-stage procedure — beginning with the organs of the issuing country and ending with the foreign department of the receiving state. Which route your case requires is determined by the state that issued the document and by the legal act for which it is needed in Georgia.