How do you get a foreign diploma recognised in Georgia?
Where to apply, which documents are needed, the cost and the timing.
Short answer
The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement recognises foreign education: you apply with a notarised Georgian translation and pay a fee from 40 GEL. The regular term is about a month, and faster terms of 15, 5 and 1 working days cost 80, 120 and 250 GEL. You can apply in person or online through the my.gov.ge portal with an electronic signature.
Why
- Recognition is issued by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (EQE), which recognises general, vocational and higher education obtained abroad.
- Preschool education, residency training and education received under exchange programmes approved by the center are not eligible.
- Any document in a foreign language is accepted only with a notarised Georgian translation.
Details
You need an application form, a copy of an ID (for a foreigner, a notarised Georgian translation of the passport copy), a notarised Georgian translation of the copy of the education document and a payment receipt. If someone else applies for you, a power of attorney is required, and a parent applies for a minor with a notarised copy of the birth certificate. You can pay through TBC Pay or by transfer to the State Treasury, stating the holder's name and document number in the payment purpose. Postal delivery costs another 5 GEL.
Terms count from the working day after submission. For the regular term, documents can be collected on the first working day after 30 calendar days. Discounts for some categories (for example pensioners and people with severe disabilities) apply only to the regular term. For admission, read how to enter a university or college in Georgia, and for children who studied abroad how many grades Georgian schools have and what age children start.
Tip
Order the notarised translation in advance: if documents have deficiencies the term is paused until they are fixed, and the fee for faster service is not refunded when a deficiency is found.
What may differ
The document list depends on the type of service and education, and the center can request documents from the foreign institution itself. There are separate services for refugees, internally displaced persons and education from the occupied territories. Amounts and terms may change, so check the center's website.
Common misconception
It is enough to attach a foreign diploma in the original, in Russian or English.
What actually happens
The center requires a notarised Georgian translation of any document in a foreign language. A bilingual diploma may be translated from either of its languages as long as the texts match.
People also ask
- Where can I get a foreign degree recognised in Georgia?
Sources
This answer is for reference only and is not legal advice. Amounts and terms change, so check eqe.ge.
How to enter a university or college in GeorgiaRelated questions
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What is vocational education (colleges) in Georgia?
Vocational education in Georgia trains people for a specific profession in colleges and runs on programmes at levels 3, 4 and 5 of the national qualifications framework.
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Where can you learn Georgian for free in Georgia?
Free Georgian lessons are offered by the Training Center of Justice as a 20-lesson online course and by the Zhvania School as a state programme in regional centres.
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How do you get a residence permit for study in Georgia?
The Public Service Development Agency issues the study residence permit to an adult studying a higher or vocational programme at an authorised Georgian university or college.
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What is a state study grant in Georgia?
A state grant pays university tuition in Georgia in full or in part based on the Unified National Exams and remains in place for students enrolled before 17 December 2025.