International adoption in Belgium must pass through the competent central authorities: the ACAA (Centrale Gemeenschapsautoriteit voor Adoptie / Autorité Centrale Communautaire d'Adoption) in Wallonia and Brussels, Kind en Gezin (Child and Family) in Flanders, or the Centrale Autoriteit voor Adoptie of the German-speaking Community. All require complete files translated by an NRJE-registered sworn translator. TranslateBE translates your entire adoption file with a quote within 1 hour and express delivery in 24 hours.
The 1993 Hague Convention and the Belgian procedure for international adoption
Belgium has ratified the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. This Convention applies to adoptions between contracting states and imposes a co-operation framework between the central authorities of the two countries: the child's country of origin and the receiving country (Belgium).
The Belgian procedure for international adoption is lengthy and heavily regulated. It involves several key stages: the preparation and approval of prospective adoptive parents (by the competent central authority according to the region), being matched with a child proposed by the central authority of the country of origin, formal acceptance of the match, the judicial procedure in the country of origin, and finally the recognition and registration of the adoption in Belgium. At every stage, documents must be translated.
The three competent Belgian central authorities
In Belgium, adoption is a community-level competence (not federal). Three central authorities divide the Belgian territory according to linguistic communities:
- ACAA — Autorité Centrale Communautaire d'Adoption (French Community / FWB): competent for prospective adoptive parents residing in the Walloon Region and in Brussels-Capital Region who belong to the French Community. The ACAA is attached to the ONE (Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance).
- Kind en Gezin (Child and Family) (Flemish Community): the Flemish agency for childhood and family is the competent central authority for prospective adoptive parents belonging to the Flemish Community, whether residing in Flanders or Brussels.
- Centrale Autoriteit voor Adoptie (German-speaking Community): competent for prospective adoptive parents belonging to the German-speaking Community, mainly residing in the Province of Liège (Eupen-Malmedy region).
It is important to note that competence is determined by the language of instruction of the adoptive family, not simply by their place of residence. A French-speaking person living in Brussels falls under the ACAA; a Dutch-speaking person living there falls under Kind en Gezin.
TranslateBE
International adoption file: complete translations in 24 hours
TranslateBE translates your international adoption file (foreign adoption judgment, birth certificate, biological parents' consents) through NRJE-registered sworn translators for the ACAA, Kind en Gezin and Belgian courts. Quote in 1 hour.
Documents to translate for an international adoption
The documents to be submitted as NRJE-registered sworn translations are numerous and come from both the Belgian file and the file of the child's country of origin:
- Foreign eligibility file for the child: drawn up by the central authority of the country of origin, certifying that the child is adoptable under local law and that the required consents have been obtained.
- Adoption judgment pronounced abroad: the decision of the competent court of the country of origin granting the adoption. This is the central document for recognition in Belgium.
- Birth certificate of the adopted child: full extract with all annotations (biological filiation, if known).
- Biological parents' consents (where available): a document signed before the competent authority of the country of origin attesting to the free and informed consent of the biological parents to the adoption.
- Declaration of abandonment (where applicable): if the child has been declared abandoned by the authorities of the country of origin.
- Social report on the child: often required by the Belgian central authority to assess compatibility with the prospective adoptive parents.
- Child's passport: if entries are in a local language not official in Belgium.
Recognition in Belgium of a foreign adoption (Art. 365-2 Civil Code)
An adoption pronounced abroad is not automatically recognised in Belgium. Recognition is governed by Article 365-2 of the Belgian Civil Code (introduced by the Act of 24 April 2003 reforming adoption). It is subject to several conditions: the adoption must have been pronounced by a competent authority of the country of origin, under the applicable law, and must not be contrary to Belgian public policy.
If the child's country of origin is a contracting state to the 1993 Hague Convention, recognition is facilitated by co-operation between central authorities. If the country is not a party to the Convention (e.g. certain sub-Saharan African countries, the United States for certain direct adoptions), the recognition procedure is more complex and may require a Belgian court decision. In all cases, the foreign adoption judgment must be translated by an NRJE-registered sworn translator.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which central authority should be contacted for an international adoption in Wallonia?
In Wallonia and for French-speakers in Brussels, the competent authority is the ACAA (Autorité Centrale Communautaire d'Adoption), attached to the ONE (Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance). The ACAA processes the approval files of prospective adoptive parents, accompanies them throughout their process, and coordinates with the central authority of the child's country of origin.
Which foreign documents need to be translated for an international adoption in Belgium?
Documents to be translated by an NRJE-registered sworn translator include: the adoption judgment pronounced abroad, the birth certificate of the adopted child, the eligibility file for the child drawn up by the foreign central authority, the biological parents' consents, and any social or medical report on the child in a foreign language. All these documents must also, depending on the country, be apostilled or legalised before translation.
Is kafala treated as adoption by the Belgian authorities?
No. The Belgian Court of Cassation confirmed (ruling of 3 February 2022) that Moroccan kafala cannot be equated with full adoption under Belgian law, as it does not create a legal filiation link. International adoption under the 1993 Hague Convention necessarily implies creating such a link. Kafala therefore falls under a distinct regime — legal guardianship — which opens different procedures but not those of international adoption.
How long does an international adoption take in Belgium?
International adoption is a lengthy procedure. Accounting for all stages (preparation of the approval file, approval by the central authority, waiting for a child to be matched, procedure in the country of origin, recognition in Belgium), you should generally plan for 3 to 7 years, depending on the country of origin and the specific situation. Some countries have suspended international adoptions, which may extend these timelines further.
Urgent adoption file? Express translation in 24 hours
Foreign court hearing, ACAA deadline, Kind en Gezin: TranslateBE translates your adoption judgment, birth certificate and complete file in express 24 hours through NRJE-registered sworn translators.