The Turkish community is one of the largest in Flanders: more than 100,000 Turkish speakers live in Ghent, Genk, Mechelen, Beringen, and other Flemish municipalities. All Flemish administration operates in Dutch. For the integration pathway (inburgeringstraject), naturalisation procedures, or civil status documents, only a sworn NL-TR translation recognised by the FPS Justice is valid.
The Turkish community in Flanders: a multigenerational presence
The first Turkish workers arrived in Belgium in the 1960s under bilateral labour agreements signed between Belgium and Turkey. Established mainly in Flanders' industrial cities — Genk (coal mines), Beringen,Mechelen, and Ghent— these families are now in their third and fourth generation in Belgium.
Despite this long integration, ties with Turkey remain strong: marriages to partners in Turkey, inheritances involving real estate in Turkey, children schooled in both Belgium and Turkey, regular consular procedures. These situations generate a constant need for certified translations between Dutch (the language of Flemish administration) and Turkish (the language of official Turkish documents).
Most frequently translated NL-TR documents in Belgium
- Inburgeringstraject: Turkish documents translated into Dutch to enrol in the Flemish integration pathway (birth certificates, diplomas, Turkish residence permit)
- Turkish birth and marriage certificates: nüfus cüzdanı (Turkish identity card) and evlenme cüzdanı (marriage booklet) translated into Dutch for Flemish municipalities
- Family reunification files: Turkish civil status documents translated into Dutch for immigration procedures with the DVZ (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken)
- Turkish criminal record: sabıka kaydı translated into Dutch for residence permit, naturalisation, or public employment applications in Belgium
- Turkish diplomas: training certificates and Turkish diplomas translated into Dutch for NARIC Vlaanderen and recruitment in Flanders
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Sworn Dutch-Turkish translation in Belgium
NL-TR sworn translators registered with the FPS Justice for all your procedures in Flanders and Turkey. Inburgeringstraject, family reunification, express 24h.
Legal requirements: FPS Justice and Flemish administration
In Belgium, NL-TR translations with official value must be produced by a sworn translator registered with the FPS Justice. This status is the guarantee of a translation recognised by Flemish municipalities, the DVZ, OCMW offices, courts, and the Agentschap Integratie & Inburgering.
For Turkish documents, Turkey is party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Official Turkish documents must therefore be apostilled in Turkey before being translated in Belgium for official use. Our agency advises you on the preliminary steps required before entrusting us with your documents.
Rates and turnaround times
Our sworn Dutch-Turkish translations are available from €65 per standard document. Complete files (inburgering, naturalisation, family reunification) are quoted as a package based on the number of documents. The express 24hservice is available for urgent needs. We cover all of Flanders — Ghent, Genk, Mechelen, Beringen, Hasselt — with digital delivery throughout the region.
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