KU Leuven is one of the European universities that attracts the most Arabic-speaking students, coming from Morocco, Algeria,Tunisia, Egypt,Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. For your registration, your student visa or the nostrification of your diplomas, this guide explains to you everything you need to know about Arabic-French translation in Louvain.
Arabic-speaking students at KU Leuven: Maghreb, Middle East and Africa
Diplomas and transcripts to translate for registration
KU Leuven, regularly ranked among the best universities in the world, is particularly sought after by students from the Arab world. The profiles are varied: Moroccan and Tunisian students attracted by the engineering and medicine programmes, Lebanese and Egyptian students in humanities and economics, Saudi and Emirati scholarship holders in the master and doctoral programmes.
To register at KU Leuven, any student whose diploma is drafted in Arabic must provide an official translation. The university's admission services generally require a translation into French or Dutch of the secondary school or bachelor's diploma, as well as of the complete transcript. If your file goes through the NARIC procedure for equivalence, the sworn translation is mandatory.
Student visa and civil status certificates
Obtaining a type D student visa for Belgium requires several documents officially translated. The embassy of Belgium in your country and the Immigration Office require in particular sworn translations of your birth certificate, and in certain cases of your marriage certificate if you are married. For Moroccan, Algerian or Egyptian students, these certificates must also be apostilled or legalised before translation.
Students who wish to bring their spouse to Belgium during their studies must in addition provide a complete family reunification file, including a translated and apostilled marriage certificate. Our agency regularly supports Arabic-speaking students of KU Leuven in these procedures from Louvain.
TranslateBE
Arabic-French translation for KU Leuven
Diplomas, transcripts, civil status certificates in Arabic: sworn translations for students. Quote within 1h.
Most translated Arabic documents in Louvain
Here are the Arabic documents that our translators handle most frequently for the Arabic-speaking students of KU Leuven:
- Arabic secondary school diploma: sworn translation of the diploma of the end of secondary studies, basis of admission to KU Leuven for non-EU students.
- Foreign bachelor's or master's diploma: required for admissions to master, doctorate or the NARIC procedure of diploma equivalence in Belgium.
- Official transcript (كشف الدرجات): translation of all the semester or annual transcripts, with mention of the coefficients and the grade obtained.
- Birth certificate (شهادة الميلاد): central document for the student visa type D and registration in the foreigners register in Louvain.
- Apostille and legalisation: we guide you on the documents to be legalised or apostilled according to your country of origin and your ongoing procedure.
- Admission letter in Arabic: certain Arab universities issue the registration confirmation at another partner university in Arabic, requiring a translation for the scholarship or visa files.
- Certificate of celibacy (شهادة العزوبية): required for students wishing to marry in Belgium during their studies in Louvain.
Ordering your Arabic-French translation from Louvain
Our service is entirely online, which is ideal for students whose documents are often still in their country of origin or being legalised. Here is how to proceed:
- Send a scanned copy of your Arabic document via our online quote form. A good-quality photo is sufficient in most cases.
- Receive a firm quote in less than an hour, with the all-inclusive rate and the precise delivery time.
- Pay by bank transfer: the IBAN details are provided to you with the quote. Foreign students can make an international transfer.
- Receive your sworn translation by email in PDF. If your university or your embassy requires a paper original, we send it by registered mail in Belgium or internationally.
Our sworn translators are sworn in before the Belgian courts of appeal and master the Arab educational systems (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Syrian). They know how to interpret the grading scales, the grades and the diploma titles accurately, which is essential for the NARIC files and the admissions to KU Leuven.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does KU Leuven accept translations of Arabic diplomas in PDF format by email?
For online admission files, KU Leuven generally accepts scanned copies of the translations initially. However, to finalise the registration and obtain your student visa, an original signed and sealed by the sworn translator is generally required. We recommend that you order the original paper version directly if you need it, in order to avoid additional delays.
How long does the NARIC procedure for an Arabic diploma in Belgium take?
The NARIC Flanders procedure for the equivalence of a foreign diploma generally takes between 3 and 6 months. Our role is to provide you with the sworn translation in the shortest possible time - generally 2 to 4 working days for a diploma and its transcript - so that you can submit your complete NARIC file without delay. Note that NARIC may request additional documents, which we can also translate quickly.
Is the apostille mandatory for Arabic documents submitted to KU Leuven?
This depends on the country that issued the document. Morocco joined the Hague Convention in 2024 and its documents must therefore be apostilled. Tunisia is also a member. Conversely, Algeria and certain Middle Eastern countries (Syria, Lebanon) have different consular legalisation procedures. Contact us with your documents: we tell you precisely what must be done according to your situation and your country of origin.
Can I have my diploma and its apostille translated simultaneously?
Yes. If you send us your diploma already apostilled, we translate the entire document including the text of the apostille. If your diploma is not yet apostilled, we can begin the translation of the main document while you carry out the apostille procedures in your country, then complete the translation of the apostille once you send it to us. This makes it possible to save valuable time for urgent files.