How to Get a Foreign Birth Certificate Translated in Belgium

Do you need to have a foreign birth certificate translated for a municipality, a marriage, a naturalisation or a school enrolment in Belgium? Here is the exact procedure, step by step: which type of translation is required, who can carry it out, in which language, whether an apostille is needed, how long it takes and how much it costs.

📖 See also: sworn translation within 24h · apostille and legalisation · translations for naturalisation

Which translation is needed for a birth certificate in Belgium?

To be accepted by a Belgian authority (municipality, public prosecutor's office, family court, Immigration Office, FPS Foreign Affairs), a foreign birth certificate must be accompanied by a sworn translation: a translation carried out by a sworn translator recognised by a Belgian court of appeal and registered in the national register of sworn translators of the FPS Justice.

A free translation (Google Translate, DeepL, or a non-sworn translator) is systematically refused, even if it is perfectly accurate. What the authority requires is not only a faithful translation, but the official commitment of a sworn translator, materialised by their signature, their stamp and their sworn statement stapled to the document.

In which language should the translation be done?

The target language depends on the region and the receiving authority:

• Flanders: Dutch.
• Wallonia: French (and German in the German-speaking Community).
• Brussels: French or Dutch, your choice depending on the counter.

This is the costliest mistake: having a translation done in the wrong language means starting over. Always ask your municipality or the relevant service for the exact language before ordering.

The step-by-step procedure

1. Check the required language and form: ask the municipality (or public prosecutor's office) for the target language, and whether an apostille or legalisation of the original certificate is necessary.
2. Have the original apostilled if needed: depending on the country of issue, the original certificate must first be apostilled (Hague Convention) or legalised in its country. The translation comes afterwards.
3. Send a quality scan: a clear scan or photo of the certificate, with all marginal notes, is enough to start the sworn translation.
4. Sworn translation: the sworn translator translates, signs, stamps and attaches their sworn statement; the translation remains stapled to a copy of the original.
5. Submission to the authority: you hand over the original (apostilled if required) together with the sworn translation to the municipality or the relevant authority.

For which procedures is a translated birth certificate required?

• Marriage in Belgium: the municipality requires the translated birth certificate of both spouses.
• Birth declaration or acknowledgement of a child when the parents were born abroad.
• Application for nationality or naturalisation: a core document of the file at the public prosecutor's office.
• Residence permit, family reunification, visa: with the Immigration Office.
• School or university enrolment, opening of social rights, inheritance.

Is an apostille needed in addition to the translation?

The apostille certifies the authenticity of the original certificate (the signature of the foreign civil status officer), not the translation. Two scenarios:

• Country that signed the Hague Convention: an apostille affixed by the competent authority of the country of origin is enough.
• Non-signatory country: a consular legalisation is necessary (embassy or consulate).

Be careful with the order of operations: the apostille is often part of the document to be translated. Having the certificate translated before apostilling it sometimes means having to retranslate the apostille note afterwards. When in doubt, we will guide you to the right procedure depending on the country of issue of the certificate.

Indicative timeframes and rates

Rates vary according to the language, the length of the certificate and the presence of marginal notes. They are net, without VAT (exemption scheme, art. 44 §3 of the Belgian VAT Code): the quoted price is the final price, with no hidden fees or surcharge for the certification.