Translating a Family Record Book in Belgium: When and How?

The family booklet (livret de famille) is an official document used in many countries to group together the civil status records of all family members. When carrying out procedures in Belgium - family reunification, municipal registration, naturalisation - this document often needs to be translated and certified. This practical guide explains what the family booklet is, when to have it translated, and how the procedure works.

See also: certified translation: definition and purpose · translation for family reunification in Belgium · documents to translate for Belgian naturalisation

What Is a Family Booklet?

The family booklet is an official document issued by civil status authorities that groups together the fundamental records of a family's history: marriage, births of children, deaths. It constitutes synthetic proof of family ties and the civil status of the entire family.

Not every country has a family booklet. This document exists mainly in countries that have inherited French administrative influence or in Arab countries. The following countries use it commonly:

• Morocco: family booklet (دفتر الأسرة) or civil status booklet
• Algeria: family booklet (دفتر العائلة)
• Tunisia: family booklet (دفتر العائلة)
• Turkey: nüfus cüzdanı (family register, different format)
• Poland: dowód osobisty with civil status extract
• Romania: certificat de stare civila (different format from booklet)
• Ukraine: свідоцтво про... (individual certificates per record)
• France: livret de famille (historical reference of the concept)
• Democratic Republic of Congo: household booklet (livret de ménage)
• Senegal, Cameroon, Mali: family booklets following the French model

In English-speaking countries (UK, USA, India, Philippines...) and in Nordic countries, there is no family booklet. Civil status is documented through individual certificates (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.), which are the subject of separate translations.

When Should You Have Your Family Booklet Translated in Belgium?

Translation of the family booklet is often requested in the following contexts:

• Family reunification: the family booklet proves the conjugal bond and parental links with children. The Office of Foreigners may require it in addition to individual marriage and birth certificates.
• Registration at the Belgian municipality: when registering in the Belgian population register, the municipality may request the family booklet to correctly record family ties.
• Naturalisation: the Public Prosecutor's Office may request the family booklet as a supplementary document alongside individual birth and marriage certificates, notably to verify consistency of information.
• Succession: to establish heirship, the notary may request the family booklet to confirm kinship ties.
• Children's school file: some Belgian schools request children's birth certificates. If you provide the family booklet instead of an individual certificate, a translation will be necessary.
• Consular procedures: passport renewal, powers of attorney, notarial deeds - procedures in your country of origin from Belgium may require presentation of the family booklet with translation.

Page-by-Page Translation or Complete Translation?

The question often arises: must the entire family booklet be translated or only the relevant pages? The answer depends on the intended use:

• Complete translation: recommended if the family booklet is provided as the main document to an administration. The translation must cover all completed pages (including the cover with identification information, the marriage pages, the birth pages of each child, and any death notes).
• Selective translation: if you only need the birth page of a child or the marriage page, a partial translation is possible and less costly. The translator will specify in their attestation which pages have been translated.
• Empty pages: blank (uncompleted) pages do not need to be translated. The translator will note this in their attestation.

In all cases, a certified translation is mandatory for official procedures. A partial non-certified translation has no legal value in Belgium.

Most Requested Languages for Translation of Family Booklets

Here are the languages for which we most frequently carry out family booklet translations, with some specificities:

• Arabic (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia): Maghreb family booklets may be in Arabic only or in a bilingual Arabic-French version depending on the year and municipality of issue. Our sworn translators specialise in these records and know the administrative formulas specific to each country.
• Turkish: the Turkish family booklet (aile cüzdanı) groups together information on the entire household. Our sworn certified translators for Turkish produce these translations in 2 to 4 business days.
• Polish: Poland uses individual certificates (urodzenia, slubu, zgonu) rather than a true family booklet. Certified translation available.
• Romanian: same for Romania. Certified Romanian-French or Romanian-Dutch translation available.
• Ukrainian: Ukrainian records are in Ukrainian (Cyrillic). Demand has increased significantly since 2022 in connection with the influx of Ukrainian refugees in Belgium. Our sworn Ukrainian-French translators are available with short lead times.
• Russian: still used in certain former Soviet countries. Certified Russian-French translation available.
• Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili (DRC): Congolese household booklets are often in French, but certain notes may be in local languages. Specialised translators available.

The Certified Translation: What You Receive

When TranslateBE translates your family booklet, you receive:

• The certified translation of all completed pages of the booklet, numbered and paginated to correspond to the original.
• The sworn certification of the sworn translator, with their official signature and stamp, certifying the conformity of the translation with the original.
• The translation in certified PDF format (accepted by the vast majority of Belgian administrations) and/or in original paper format upon request.