Using a fake sworn translator in Belgium risks having your document rejected by an authority, a court or a notary - and having to start all over again. This guide explains how to verify that a translator is genuinely sworn in Belgium, the pitfalls to avoid and what TranslateBE guarantees.
What is a sworn translator in Belgium?
In Belgium, a sworn translator (or juré translator) is a professional who has taken an oath before a judicial authority. This formal act commits them to carrying out their work with integrity, fidelity and impartiality. In return, their translations have official probative value recognised by courts, authorities and notaries.
Being bilingual, holding a translation degree or calling yourself "certified" is not enough to be sworn. Official recognition requires a specific procedure imposed by the Belgian State.
The Belgian system for accrediting sworn translators
In Belgium, two systems coexist depending on the period and the modalities of the translator's accreditation:
Accreditation by the Courts of Appeal (historical system)
Historically, sworn translators were accredited by the competent Courts of Appeal according to their region: Brussels, Liège, Mons, Ghent, Antwerp. They appear on the lists drawn up by these courts and are assigned judicial cases within their jurisdiction. This system remains in force for many translators currently active.
The CNTI Commission (National Commission for sworn translator-interpreters)
Since the Act of 10 April 2014 reforming the status of the sworn translator-interpreter, the National Commission for sworn translators, interpreters and translator-interpreters (CNTI) has been created. It is responsible for examining accreditation applications and maintaining a national register of sworn translator-interpreters. This register is publicly accessible via the FPS Justice.
Good to know
The full implementation of the 2014 Act and the CNTI register has experienced delays in Belgium. In practice, translators accredited by the former Courts of Appeal remain perfectly valid and recognised by Belgian authorities. Do not reject a sworn translator solely because they do not (yet) appear in the CNTI register.
How to officially verify a translator's accreditation
Several methods allow you to verify the sworn status of a translator in Belgium:
Consult the FPS Justice register
The national register of sworn translator-interpreters is accessible online on the FPS Justice website (justice.belgium.be). You can search for a translator by name, language or region. If the translator appears there, their accreditation is confirmed. However, as noted above, not all sworn translators accredited by the Courts of Appeal necessarily appear in this digital register.
Contact the Court of Appeal registry directly
If you have doubts about a translator who does not appear in the online register, you can contact the registry of the Court of Appeal in whose jurisdiction they operate (Brussels, Liège, Mons, Ghent, Antwerp) to check whether they are on the list of sworn experts.
Request certification documents from the agency or translator
Any sworn translator must be able to present you with documents attesting their accreditation: registration number, attestation from the Court of Appeal or CNTI, professional card. A serious agency like TranslateBE provides this information on simple request before the start of the assignment.
TranslateBE
Need a sworn translation whose authenticity you can verify?
At TranslateBE, all our sworn translators are verified and referenced. We provide their official details on request.
Certified, sworn, juré: the differences you need to know
These terms are often used interchangeably but they do not mean the same thing. Confusion is common and can have significant practical consequences.
| Term | Actual meaning | Legal value |
|---|---|---|
| Sworn / juré | Accredited by a Court of Appeal or the CNTI, bound by oath | Official probative value - recognised by courts |
| Certified (agency) | Agency's internal quality attestation | No official legal value |
| Professional / expert | Qualified translator but not sworn | No official legal value |
| Association member | Voluntary membership of a professional body (SFT, UFTI, etc.) | Indicator of professionalism, not sworn status |
The real risks of using a fake sworn translator
Using a translator who claims to be sworn without actually being so can have serious consequences for your file:
- Rejection of the document by the authority: a birth certificate, diploma or company articles translated by a non-sworn person will be rejected by the BCE, municipalities, the FPS Foreign Affairs or courts
- Loss of time and money: you will have to redo the translation with a genuine sworn translator, sometimes urgently if a deadline is approaching
- Legal risk: in certain cases (judicial proceedings, real estate transactions), a non-compliant document can invalidate an entire procedure
- Difficulty of recourse: a non-sworn translator is not subject to the same deontological and disciplinary rules as a sworn translator
At TranslateBE: verified and referenced sworn translators
At TranslateBE, every sworn translator we mandate has been verified: we have confirmed their accreditation with the competent Court of Appeal or the CNTI register before including them in our network. We can provide, on request, the registration number or official details of the translator so that you can verify this yourself.
Our network covers more than 70 languages with sworn translators specialising by domain: legal, medical, technical and financial. Every sworn translation bears the translator's official stamp and handwritten signature, in accordance with Belgian requirements.
To understand in detail what a sworn translation involves, see our detailed article on the definition and uses of sworn translation. For the differences with a certified translation, read our comparison sworn translation vs certified translation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a French or Luxembourg sworn translator recognised in Belgium?
Not automatically. Sworn status is national: a translator sworn in France (expert near the French Courts of Appeal) is not automatically recognised as such in Belgium. For documents intended for Belgian authorities, it is preferable to use a Belgian sworn translator. For Belgian documents used in France, a French sworn translator is generally required.
How do I recognise a genuine sworn translation physically?
A genuine Belgian sworn translation contains: the statement "I the undersigned, sworn translator-interpreter near the Court of Appeal of...", the translator's official stamp (with their name and accreditation number), their handwritten signature, and a statement of conformity with the original. If any of these elements is absent, the translation is probably non-compliant.
Can I request the sworn translator's accreditation number before placing an order?
Yes, and it is in your interest to do so for important documents. Any serious agency or translator will agree to provide this information before the assignment begins. If a provider refuses or is evasive on this point, it is a warning sign. At TranslateBE, we provide this information on simple request.
Must a sworn translation be on paper or can it be electronic?
In Belgium, the traditional form is a paper document with a physical stamp and handwritten signature. Some authorities now accept PDFs with a qualified electronic signature, but this is not universal. For documents intended for courts, notaries or foreign authorities, the original paper document remains the norm. Check with the receiving authority before choosing the format.
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