Navigating Georgian Bureaucracy: Public Service Hall, Notaries & Getting Documents Done (2026)

Georgia is famous for being easy to do business in. And compared to most post-Soviet countries, it genuinely is. You can register a company in a day. You can buy property in an afternoon. The bureaucracy is concentrated into a single building with a queue system and air conditioning — a luxury if you've ever dealt with a government office in, say, Italy or India.

But "easy by post-Soviet standards" still means you'll spend dozens of hours in Public Service Hall during your first year. You'll need documents notarized, translated, apostilled, and sometimes all three in a specific order that nobody explains upfront. You'll learn that "1 business day" and "same day" have very different price tags. And you'll discover that the phrase "you need a notary" is the Georgian equivalent of "that'll be another 50 lari."

This guide covers every bureaucratic process you'll actually encounter as an expat — from the mundane to the maddening. Consider it the manual that Public Service Hall forgot to write.

Public Service Hall: Your One-Stop Government Office

Public Service Hall (იუსტიციის სახლი — "Justice House") is Georgia's answer to the multi-ministry nightmare that plagues most countries. Instead of visiting five different offices across the city, you walk into one building and handle almost everything: business registration, property transfers, residency permits, birth certificates, marriage registration, notary services, and apostilles.

The main Tbilisi location is the mushroom-shaped glass building on the Kura River bank, near Dry Bridge. You can't miss it — it looks like an alien spacecraft landed on the riverfront. The architecture is intentional: it was designed to symbolize transparency. Whether the actual service matches that aspiration depends on the day.

How PSH Actually Works

When you walk in, you're greeted by a consultant who asks what you need and directs you to the right area. The building is divided into three zones:

You take a number from the electronic queue system and wait. The system actually works — it's not a free-for-all like in some countries. Screens show your number and the window you need to go to. Most staff at the Tbilisi branch speak basic English. Outside Tbilisi, bring a Georgian-speaking friend or use Google Translate.

PSH Locations

The main Tbilisi PSH is at #2 Alexandre Kazbegi Avenue (the glass mushroom building near Dry Bridge). But there are branches all over Georgia — Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Gori, Telavi, Zugdidi, Mestia, and more. The Tbilisi branch has the most services and the most English-speaking staff. For anything complex, go to Tbilisi.

Working Hours

The Speed Tax: How Urgency Costs Money

This is the most important concept to understand about Georgian bureaucracy: almost everything has a tiered pricing system based on how fast you need it. The service itself might cost 20 GEL on the standard 4-business-day timeline, but if you need it same-day, it's suddenly 100 GEL. Budget for this — or plan ahead.

The Processes You'll Actually Need

Most expats in Georgia will encounter the same handful of bureaucratic processes. Here's every one of them, in the order you're likely to need them.

Notaries: The Gatekeepers of Georgian Bureaucracy

If Public Service Hall is the engine of Georgian bureaucracy, notaries are the oil. You'll need a notary for an astonishing range of things: power of attorney, property transactions, business agreements, certified copies, sworn translations, rental agreements (sometimes), marriage consent forms, and more.

Georgian notaries are licensed by the Notary Chamber and can be found both inside Public Service Hall and at private offices throughout the city. There are important differences between the two:

What a Notary Actually Does

Georgian notaries do more than stamp papers. They verify identities, confirm that signatories understand what they're signing (including in translation), witness signatures, certify document copies, and authenticate the signatures of translators. A notarized document in Georgia carries legal weight — it's treated as proof of the facts stated within it unless challenged in court.

Common Notary Services and Costs

Translations: The Hidden Cost of Expat Life

Almost every foreign document you use in Georgia needs to be translated into Georgian. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, bank statements, criminal record checks, driver's licenses — all of it. And not just any translation: it needs to be done by a certified translator whose signature is then authenticated by a notary.

This two-step process (translate → notarize the translator's signature) is where most of the cost and confusion comes from. The translation itself might cost 30–50 GEL per page, but the notarization adds another 15–30 GEL on top. A simple birth certificate that's one page becomes 50–80 GEL. A multi-page academic transcript can run 200+ GEL.

How to Get Documents Translated

Translation Tips That Save Money

• Batch your translations. If you need multiple documents translated, do them all at once. Some bureaus give discounts for volume.
• Keep the original Georgian translations. You may need additional notarized copies later. Having the original translation saves redoing the work.
• Ask if the bureau handles notarization. Most do, but confirm before leaving. Getting a translation that isn't notarized is useless for official purposes.
• Standard documents are cheaper. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, and passports have template translations. Academic transcripts and legal documents cost more because they require custom work.

Apostille: Making Documents Travel Internationally

An apostille is an international certification that makes a document valid in other countries that are part of the Hague Convention (most of the world). If you need a Georgian document to be recognized abroad — say, a birth certificate for your child's passport application, or a marriage certificate for immigration purposes — you'll need an apostille.

Georgia is a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, which means Georgian apostilles are accepted in 125+ countries. The process is handled at Public Service Hall.

How to Apostille a Document

Using Foreign Documents in Georgia

The process works in reverse too. If you need to use a document from your home country in Georgia, it usually needs to be:

1. Apostilled (or legalized) in your home country
2. Translated into Georgian by a certified translator
3. The translation notarized in Georgia

Some countries have bilateral agreements with Georgia (Minsk Convention members — mainly CIS states) that simplify this process. For these countries, a simple notarization may be sufficient instead of an apostille.

Power of Attorney: Letting Someone Else Deal With It

A power of attorney (მინდობილობა — "mindobeloba") lets someone act on your behalf for specific tasks or broadly. This is extremely useful in Georgia because many processes require your physical presence — unless you've granted someone power of attorney.

When You Need One

• You're leaving Georgia but have pending paperwork (property closing, residency renewal)
• You want a lawyer or accountant to handle Revenue Service matters
• Property transactions — your spouse or lawyer signs on your behalf
• Vehicle registration — someone else handles the paperwork
• Bank operations — limited PoA for specific account actions
• Child travel consent — one parent authorizing the other to travel internationally with the child

Types of Power of Attorney

PoA From Abroad

If you're not in Georgia, you can issue a power of attorney from your home country. The process:

1. Have a notary in your country notarize the PoA document
2. Get an apostille from your country's competent authority
3. Send the apostilled PoA to Georgia
4. Have it translated into Georgian and the translation notarized

Some Georgian embassies can also notarize powers of attorney directly — check with your nearest Georgian consulate first, as this skips the apostille step entirely.

Residency Permit Process

Citizens of most countries can stay in Georgia visa-free for 365 days. But if you want to stay longer, work officially, or access certain services, you'll need a temporary residence permit. The full details are in our visa and residency guide, but here's the bureaucratic process overview:

All applications are submitted at PSH. You can track your application status online at psh.gov.ge. If additional documents are requested, you'll be notified and have 30 days to provide them.

Property Registration

Buying property in Georgia is remarkably straightforward compared to most countries. There are no restrictions on foreign ownership of apartments or commercial property (agricultural land has some limitations). The entire transfer happens at PSH.

The process is detailed in our property buying guide, but the bureaucratic steps are:

1. Agree on terms with the seller
2. Go to PSH together (buyer + seller) with passports
3. Sign the purchase agreement in front of a registrar
4. Pay the registration fee (50 GEL standard, 150 GEL expedited, 200 GEL same-day)
5. Receive the property extract with your name as owner

That's it. No lawyer required (though recommended). No separate notarization (the PSH registrar acts as the authority). No stamp duty or transfer tax. It's one of the simplest property purchase processes in the world.

Marriage Registration

Getting married in Georgia as a foreigner is relatively simple, but the document requirements can be tricky depending on your nationality.

Documents You'll Need

The trickiest part is the CNI. Some countries don't issue them (the US, for example — you'll need a sworn affidavit instead). Some countries require you to get it from your embassy in Tbilisi. Start this process early — it can take weeks depending on your nationality.

Once you have all documents, both parties go to PSH, submit the application, and can be legally married the same day (with the expedited fee) or within 1–2 business days.

Revenue Service: Taxes and Business Compliance

The Revenue Service (საგადასახადო სამსახური) is separate from Public Service Hall. It handles tax registration, tax returns, VAT, customs, and tax disputes. As a business owner or IE, you'll interact with them regularly.

For a complete breakdown of Georgian taxes, IE registration, and tax compliance, see our comprehensive tax guide and business registration guide.

Labour Permit (Right to Work) — New for 2026

Starting March 1, 2026, Georgia requires most foreign nationals to obtain a labour permit before they can legally work or do business in the country. This is a major change — previously, registering as an IE or LLC was enough.

The process is online — no PSH visit required. Self-employed applicants need personal details, business registration ID, professional experience, and either Revenue Service turnover documents (existing businesses) or a detailed business plan (new businesses). A video call with a government representative is part of the process. Fees: 200 GEL standard (30-day processing) or 400 GEL expedited (10 business days).

Online and Digital Services

Georgia has made real progress in digitizing government services. Not everything requires a physical visit anymore.

Finding Professional Help

Sometimes you need a human to navigate the system for you. Here's who does what:

Do You Need a Lawyer?

For most standard processes — IE registration, apartment rental, basic tax matters — no. PSH staff can guide you through, and a good accountant handles the tax side. But for property purchases over 100,000 GEL, complex residency applications, business contracts, or anything involving disputes, a lawyer is worth every lari.

Find English-speaking lawyers through expat Facebook groups ("Expats in Tbilisi"), embassy recommendations, or firms that specifically serve foreign clients. Expect to pay 100–300 GEL per hour. Always agree on fees before starting.

The Expat Document Checklist

Keep these documents organized and accessible. You'll need them repeatedly throughout your time in Georgia.

Common Mistakes

Understanding Georgian Bureaucratic Culture

Georgia has come a long way from the Soviet-era bureaucracy that used to paralyze the country. The reforms since 2004 (particularly the Public Service Hall concept) genuinely transformed how government services work. But some old habits persist, and understanding them helps:

• Relationships matter. A local friend who knows someone at PSH won't get you special treatment, but they might help you understand what documents you actually need before you show up. This saves wasted trips.
• Be patient with language barriers. Not all staff speak English, especially outside Tbilisi. Bring a Georgian-speaking friend or use translation apps. Showing that you're making an effort goes a long way.
• Don't expect written procedures. Many processes have unofficial requirements that aren't published anywhere. The consultant at the door is your best resource — ask them exactly what you need before queuing.
• Check requirements the day before. Rules change without announcement. What your friend needed six months ago might not match today's requirements. A quick phone call or visit to confirm saves time.
• Smile. Georgian government workers are generally helpful — especially at PSH, which has a service-oriented culture. Being polite and patient gets you further than being frustrated.

Frequently Asked Questions