Foreign School Report in Belgium: Translation for Enrolment and Equivalence

Every year, thousands of families arrive in Belgium with children who have been schooled abroad. To enrol their child in a Belgian school, they must provide a certified translation of the foreign school report. This guide explains why this translation is required, which authorities handle recognition, and how to obtain a compliant document quickly.

📖 See also: Foreign school report in Brussels · Foreign school report in Antwerp · Foreign school report in Liège

Belgian compulsory education and newly arrived pupils

Belgium has a constitutional obligation of compulsory education from the age of five to eighteen. This obligation applies equally to Belgian nationals and to children of foreign nationals residing in Belgium. As a result, newly arrived families must enrol their children in school as quickly as possible after settling in the country.

However, Belgian schools - whether they operate under the Flemish, French Community (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles) or German Community educational systems - need to place each child in the correct year level. This placement is based on the child's academic history abroad, which is documented in school reports, transcripts or leaving certificates from the country of origin.

When these documents are not in one of Belgium's three official languages (Dutch, French, German), a certified translation is required. In practice, this means that documents in Arabic, Turkish, Romanian, Dari, Tigrinya, Amharic, Chinese, Spanish or any other language must be rendered into the language of the relevant Community before they can be processed.

NARIC-Vlaanderen (Flanders) and ARES (Wallonia and FWB)

Belgium's three Communities each have their own academic recognition system:

• NARIC-Vlaanderen: the Flemish recognition body, based in Brussels. It evaluates foreign school reports and diplomas for pupils and students wishing to continue their education in a Flemish school. Documents not in Dutch, French, German or English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
• ARES (Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur): the body of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles responsible for recognising foreign higher education qualifications. For primary and secondary school reports, it is the school itself and the relevant inspection bodies that assess placement, often with the support of DASPA (Dispositif d'Accueil et de Scolarisation des élèves Primo-Arrivants) welcome classes.
• German Community: smaller in scale, but applying the same principles - documents in foreign languages must be translated into German for school procedures.

Regardless of which Belgian Community your family is settling in, a certified translation of foreign school documents is a systematic requirement for any non-German-French-Dutch source document.

Reception programmes for newly arrived pupils

Belgium has developed specific reception programmes for newly arrived pupils who do not yet speak the language of instruction:

• In Flanders: the Onthaalonderwijs voor Anderstalige Nieuwkomers (OKAN) programme, offered in specialised reception schools and classes. OKAN classes teach Dutch as a second language while integrating pupils into Belgian school life. A translated school report helps the CLB (Centre for Student Guidance) determine the most appropriate OKAN level.
• In the French Community: the Dispositif d'Accueil et de Scolarisation des élèves Primo-Arrivants (DASPA). DASPA classes are integrated into regular schools and provide intensive support in French and subject content. Placement in the correct DASPA level depends partly on assessment of the child's academic background abroad.

In both systems, a clear and accurate translation of the foreign school report helps guidance counsellors and teachers understand what the child has studied, at what level, and with what results - enabling faster and better integration.

What documents need to be translated?

For school enrolment in Belgium, families may be asked to translate various academic documents depending on the child's age and situation:

• Annual school reports (bulletins) for primary and secondary school pupils
• Leaving certificates or diplomas from secondary schools abroad
• Official transcripts from foreign universities (for higher education entry)
• School attendance certificates
• Documents certifying the completion of a specific year or cycle

The translation should reproduce all information faithfully: the name of the school, the school year, the subjects studied, the marks or grades obtained, the scale used, and any remarks by teachers or the school director.

Why choose a sworn translator?

A sworn translation (in French: traduction assermentée; in Dutch: beëdigde vertaling) is produced by a translator who has taken an oath before a Belgian court and is registered on the official list of the SPF Justice. This official status gives the translation legal value: Belgian authorities, schools and NARIC-Vlaanderen accept it as a true and faithful rendering of the original document.

A standard - non-sworn - translation may be refused by schools or recognition bodies, creating delays and complications for families who are already navigating a complex administrative situation. TranslateBE works exclusively with sworn translators registered with the competent Belgian Courts of Appeal.

Frequently asked questions

Can an ordinary translation be accepted for school enrolment in Belgium?

In some cases, particularly for initial placement in a reception class (OKAN or DASPA), a school may provisionally assess a child without a formal certified translation. However, for definitive placement and for any NARIC-Vlaanderen recognition procedure, a sworn translation is required. To avoid having to redo the process, it is strongly advisable to obtain a certified translation from the outset.

How long does a certified translation of a school report take?

With TranslateBE, the standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours for most languages. For urgent requests - particularly at the start of the school year - we offer an express 24-hour service. Rare languages may require an additional day. Contact us to confirm availability for your specific language pair.

Does the translation need to be apostilled or legalised?

In most cases, Belgian schools and NARIC-Vlaanderen do not require an apostille on the translation itself (the apostille concerns the original document, not the translation). However, if the original school report was issued by a country that is not party to the Hague Convention, or if a specific institution requests it, legalisation of the original may be necessary before translation. We advise families to check the requirements of the specific authority they are dealing with, and we can guide you through the process.