Work Permit in Belgium: Which Documents to Translate and How?

Working legally in Belgium as a non-EU national requires a work permit and a solid set of documents. Several of these documents must be translated - and often sworn - to be accepted by the Immigration Office and the regional authorities. This comprehensive guide explains exactly which documents to translate, what type of translation is required, and how to avoid errors that delay the grant of the permit.

See also: sworn translation: definition and use · translation for immigration in Belgium

Who needs a work permit in Belgium?

Nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not need a work permit to take up professional activity in Belgium. However, any non-EU national wishing to work in Belgium must obtain a work authorisation, except for limited exceptions (diplomatic staff, researchers, short-term trainees, etc.).

In practice, there are two main schemes for non-EU workers in Belgium:

• Work Permit B: the most common, granted for a specific employer and a precise role. It is the Belgian employer who applies to the competent regional service (Actiris in Brussels, VDAB in Flanders, Forem in Wallonia). This permit is often linked to a professional card or an occupation authorisation.
• Work Permit A: granted after several years of legal work in Belgium. It authorises work with any employer. Documentary requirements are lighter, but certain foreign documents must still be translated.
• Single Permit (Combined Permit): since 2019, Belgium has had a single permit combining a residence permit and a work authorisation. This permit is managed at regional level. The documents required for the application are the same as for the standard Work Permit B.

In all cases, the competent authorities (Immigration Office for residence, regional administrations for work) require foreign documents to be submitted in French, Dutch or German, with an official translation if necessary.

Documents to translate for the work permit

The list of documents to provide varies depending on your profile (employed worker, highly qualified worker, self-employed, etc.) and the Belgian region where you are applying. Here are the most frequently requested documents that require translation.

Documents requiring a sworn translation (mandatory)

• Diplomas and academic qualifications: your highest diploma is often required to demonstrate qualification for the post. A sworn translation is mandatory if the diploma is not already in French, Dutch, German or English. For certain regulated professions (doctor, engineer, lawyer), prior recognition of qualifications with NARIC is also necessary.
• Birth certificate: required for the residence permit file linked to the single permit. A sworn translation is mandatory if the certificate is not in an official Belgian language.
• Criminal record from the country of origin: certain regions or sectors (education, care work) require a criminal record extract. Sworn translation is mandatory.
• Marriage certificate: if your spouse accompanies you in the residence permit application, the marriage certificate must be translated and sworn.

Documents accepted with a professional (non-sworn) translation

• Employment contract: in most cases, a quality professional translation suffices, especially if the document is provided for information purposes. For certain recognition or validation procedures, a sworn translation may be requested.
• CV (curriculum vitae): the CV can be provided directly in French or Dutch. If your foreign CV is included for documentation, a professional translation is sufficient.
• Recommendation letters or professional experience certificates: a professional translation is generally sufficient.
• Foreign pay slips: if proving previous professional experience, a professional translation is sufficient.

Processing times at the Immigration Office

The Immigration Office (OE) is responsible for issuing the residence permit linked to the single permit. Legal timescales vary depending on the procedure:

• Standard single permit application: the OE has 4 months from receipt of the complete file to issue its decision. In practice, this period can be shortened if the file is complete and without anomalies.
• Highly qualified workers (ICT Directive profiles): reduced to 90 days in general.
• Trainees and intra-group secondments: 90-day deadline as well.

These are administrative deadlines. An incomplete file (missing documents or non-compliant translations) restarts from scratch or triggers a request for additional information, which can add several weeks or even months to processing.

Common errors that delay permit applications

• Non-sworn translation where it is mandatory: submitting a translation from an online service or a bilingual friend for a civil status document or diploma. These translations are systematically rejected.
• Translated diploma but not legalised: the sworn translation of a foreign diploma only has value if the original document itself is legalised or apostilled according to the requirements of the issuing country. Translation comes after legalisation, never before.
• Translation of the wrong version of the document: having an old copy of a diploma translated when the original has been modified or completed (e.g. an incomplete transcript). Always check that you are submitting the most recent and complete version.
• Inconsistencies in the transcription of proper names:proper names must be transcribed consistently across all translated documents. A difference between "Mohammed" and "Mohamed" or a non-matching date of birth can block processing.
• Expired documents: a foreign criminal record must generally be less than 3 months old. Check the freshness of documents before having them translated to avoid having to start over.