Polish-French Translation in Namur: Practical Guide for the Namur Province

The province of Namur hosts an active Polish community, mainly engaged in the sectors of construction, agriculture and services. For their administrative procedures, these nationals regularly need a Polish-French translation in Namur recognised by the municipalities, the FOREM and the Immigration Office. This guide explains everything to you.

Polish nationals in the province of Namur

Since Poland joined the European Union in 2004, Polish nationals can settle freely in Belgium. The province of Namur, with its diversified economic fabric around agriculture in the Namur Hesbaye, construction and the agri-food industry, has attracted a significant number of Polish workers. The municipalities of Gembloux, Andenne, Sambreville and Fosses-la-Ville concentrate part of this population.

As European citizens, the Poles enjoy the right to free movement but must nevertheless complete registration formalities with the Namur municipalities. These procedures, as well as family reunification with relatives in Poland, the recognition of diplomas or the naturalisation dossiers, generate regular needs for sworn Polish-French translation.

Agricultural and construction sectors

The province of Namur has notable agricultural activity, notably in the Condroz, the Fagne and the Namur Hesbaye. Polish seasonal workers and then permanent residents are active there in market gardening, livestock farming and horticulture. Polish employment contracts, social security documents and employment attestations must sometimes be translated within the framework of inspections or recognition applications.

In construction, Polish workers are very present on the construction sites of the Namur region. Workplace accidents, dossiers with the Labour Court of Namur or applications for the recognition of professional qualifications generate occasional but recurring needs for certified translation.

Administrative procedures and civil status documents

The Polish nationals who wish to register durably in the province of Namur must present their identity and civil status documents to the municipality. A Polish birth record (akt urodzenia) or a marriage record (akt malzenstwa) must be accompanied by a translation into French carried out by a sworn translator.

For Belgian naturalisation, the Polish criminal record (Krajowy Rejestr Karny) is required in certified translation. The candidates residing in Namur, Jambes, Salzinnes or in the municipalities of the arrondissement must ensure that their translator is recognised by a Belgian court of appeal, an indispensable condition for the admissibility of the dossier.

The most translated Polish documents in Namur

Here are the Polish documents most frequently handled for residents of the province of Namur:

• Akt urodzenia: Polish birth record, required for the registration in the Namur population register, family reunification and the procedures of naturalisation.
• Akt malzenstwa: Polish marriage record, for the recognition of a marriage contracted in Poland or for the civil status procedures with the municipalities.
• Krajowy Rejestr Karny (KRK): extract from the Polish criminal record, almost systematic document in the dossiers of naturalisation and family reunification.
• Dyplom: Polish diploma, for the academic or professional recognition by NARIC Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
• Dowód osobisty: Polish identity card, for the procedures of registration with the municipalities of the province of Namur.
• Akt zgonu: Polish death record, necessary for the international successions handled by the Namur notaries.
• Umowa o pracę: Polish employment contract, for the social dossiers, dossiers of workplace accident or recognition of career.
• Świadectwo pracy: Polish employment certificate, for the dossiers of pension and calculation of the social rights in Belgium.

Ordering your Polish-French translation

Our sworn Polish-French translation service operates entirely online. From Namur, Gembloux, Andenne or any other municipality of the province, the procedure is identical:

1. Digitise your Polish document: sharp scan or photo. The modern Polish civil status records are accepted in digital version by most of the Namur administrations.
2. Submit your request online: indicate the type of document, the language pair Polish-French and the recipient administration.
3. Receive a quote in less than 1h: firm price all inclusive, VAT not applicable according to article 44 §3 of the Belgian VAT Code.
4. Delivery by email or mail: certified PDF within 24-48h, or sending by registered mail if your municipality or court requires the paper original with the stamp of the sworn translator.