Apostille and Sworn Translation for Senegalese Documents in Belgium

Good news for the Senegalese community in Belgium: Senegal is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. Your Senegalese documents therefore qualify for an apostille, a simple and fast procedure that replaces the former consular legalisation. And because French is the official language of Senegal, you can often avoid translation altogether. This guide explains how to save both time and money.

Senegal and the Hague Convention: the apostille is enough

Senegal has acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. In practical terms, this means that a Senegalese public document intended for use in Belgium no longer has to pass through the embassy or consulate: it is enough to have an apostille affixed by the competent Senegalese authority. This single stamp, recognised by all member states including Belgium, certifies the authenticity of the signature and seal appearing on the document.

The competent authority in Senegal for issuing the apostille is the territorially competent Court of Appeal (notably the Court of Appeal of Dakar). The procedure is considerably faster and cheaper than the former chain legalisation.

The Senegalese particularity: French as the official language

Here is the key point that can save you money: French is the official language of Senegal. The vast majority of Senegalese administrative documents (civil status records, diplomas, criminal record extracts) are therefore drawn up directly in French. This changes everything depending on the region of Belgium where you submit your file.

• For French-speaking Belgium (Wallonia, Brussels): as your Senegalese document is already in French, no translation is required. The apostille alone is sufficient to submit it to the administration.
• For Flanders (Dutch-speaking authorities): a sworn translation from French into Dutch (FR -> NL) is required, as the Flemish administration requires documents in Dutch.

Understanding this nuance avoids unnecessary expense: do not pay for a translation if your file stays in Wallonia or Brussels. Conversely, anticipate the FR -> NL translation if your application concerns a Flemish municipality. To learn more, see our guide on translating your Senegalese documents in Belgium.

Which Senegalese documents are concerned?

The Senegalese documents most frequently apostilled and used in Belgium are:

• Civil status records: birth certificate, marriage certificate, death certificate, for municipal registration, naturalisation, marriage or family reunification.
• Diplomas and transcripts: for academic or professional recognition (NARIC-Vlaanderen procedure or equivalence in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation).
• Criminal record extract (bulletin no. 3): required for Belgian naturalisation and certain types of employment.

All these documents, once they are drawn up in French, are directly usable in French-speaking Belgium after being apostilled.

The steps, one by one

• Step 1 - Obtain the apostille in Senegal: have the apostille affixed to your original document by the competent Court of Appeal (most often Dakar). A trusted person or an authorised agent can carry out this step for you on site.
• Step 2 - Sworn translation if necessary: only if your file is intended for a Flemish administration, have a sworn FR -> NL translation produced by a Belgian sworn translator.
• Step 3 - Submission of the file: present the apostilled document (and its translation, where applicable) to the relevant Belgian administration.

Practical tip: first check with the receiving administration whether it accepts French. If so, you avoid the translation. To understand the difference between the two regimes, read apostille or legalisation in Belgium and our complete guide on the Hague Convention and the apostille in Belgium.