Good news for the Filipino community in Belgium: the Philippines is a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Your official Philippine documents therefore qualify for an apostille, a simplified procedure that replaces the old consular legalisation. Once the apostille has been obtained, however, there remains one step that is often overlooked: the sworn translation into French or Dutch, which Belgian authorities require. This guide walks you through every stage, from Manila to your file in Belgium.
The Philippines and the Hague Convention
The Philippines acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which entered into force for the country in May 2019. In practical terms, this means that a Philippine public document intended for Belgium no longer needs to pass through the Belgian Embassy: a single apostille stamp is enough to authenticate the signature and seal of the Philippine authority. The Philippine apostille is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the foreign ministry, through its Apostille and Authentication service in Manila and its regional consular offices. To understand the difference between the two regimes, see our guide on apostille versus legalisation.
The most commonly requested Philippine documents in Belgium
The documents handled most frequently generally come from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the national civil registry body. The most common are:
- PSA Birth Certificate: required for marriage, legal cohabitation, naturalisation or family reunification
- PSA Marriage Certificate: for recognition of the marriage in Belgium
- CENOMAR: the Certificate of No Marriage Record, a certificate of single status, indispensable for getting married in Belgium
- NBI Clearance: the criminal record extract issued by the National Bureau of Investigation, required for naturalisation and certain jobs
- Diplomas and transcripts: for the recognition of qualifications through NARIC in Belgium
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Sworn translation of your PSA certificates, CENOMAR and NBI clearance into French or Dutch. Our sworn translators are familiar with the Philippine apostille procedure.
Why a sworn translation if my documents are in English?
This is the most frequently asked question. Most Philippine documents, in particular PSA certificates, the CENOMAR and the NBI clearance, are drawn up in English, one of the official languages of the Philippines. One might therefore assume that no translation is needed. Yet Belgian authorities almost always require one, for two reasons.
First, English is not an official language in Belgium. Municipalities, the Immigration Office, the courts and the civil registry services work in French, Dutch or German. A Belgian official is entitled to refuse a document that is not in the language of their region. Second, only a translation produced by a sworn translator recognised by a Belgian Court of Appealhas official value: it bears the translator's stamp and signature, and the translator takes responsibility for the accuracy of the text. An informal translation, however accurate, carries no legal weight.
In practice, you submit your document in Brussels or Wallonia with a French translation, and in Flanders with a Dutchtranslation. It is the receiving authority that determines the target language.
The complete procedure: apostille first, then translation
The 3 steps to follow
- Apostille at the DFA: have your original document apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines. For a PSA certificate, first request the official PSA version, then present it to the DFA Apostille service
- Sworn translation in Belgium: once the apostille is affixed, entrust the apostilled document to a Belgian sworn translator who produces the certified translation into French or Dutch
- Submission to the Belgian authority: present the apostilled original together with its sworn translation to your municipality, the Immigration Office or the relevant authority
Practical tips for a smooth file
- Apostille before you translate: the translator must be able to reference the apostille in the translation. Translating first often means starting over
- Check how recent the documents are: many Belgian municipalities require a PSA certificate or an NBI clearance issued less than 3 to 6 months ago. Request recent versions before the apostille
- Scan in high resolution: a legible scan, including the apostille stamp, speeds up both the quote and the translation
- Plan for the timelines: between obtaining the PSA certificate, the apostille at the DFA and the translation, allow several weeks. Start the process early
To learn more about how the apostille works, read our article on the Hague Apostille Convention in Belgium.
In summary
- The Philippines is a member of the Hague Convention: your documents receive a DFA apostille, not a consular legalisation.
- PSA certificates, the CENOMAR and the NBI clearance are often in English, but a sworn FR or NL translation is still required by Belgian authorities.
- Order to follow: DFA apostille, then sworn translation, then submission.
- The target language depends on the region: French in Brussels and Wallonia, Dutch in Flanders.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
My PSA documents are in English, do I really need to have them translated?
Yes, in almost every case. English has no official status in Belgium: municipalities, the Immigration Office and the courts work in French, Dutch or German. They therefore require a sworn translation produced by a translator recognised by a Belgian Court of Appeal. An informal translation, however faithful, has no legal value before the Belgian authorities.
Where do I obtain the apostille for a Philippine document?
The Philippine apostille is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through its Apostille and Authentication service in Manila and certain regional consular offices. For a civil registry document, first request the official version from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), then present that document to the DFA for the apostille. You may also authorise a relative on site or a local service provider.
What is the CENOMAR and why do I need it to get married in Belgium?
The CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record) is a certificate issued by the PSA confirming that no marriage is registered under your name in the Philippines. It is the equivalent of a certificate of single status. Belgian municipalities require it to put together a marriage file. Like the other Philippine documents, it must be apostilled by the DFA and then translated by a sworn translator.
Does the translation itself need to be legalised or apostilled?
No. It is the original Philippine document that receives the DFA apostille in the Philippines. The sworn translation subsequently produced in Belgium by a translator recognised by a Belgian Court of Appeal is directly valid for Belgian authorities: it already bears the translator's stamp and signature and does not require an additional apostille.