Where to Get an Official Document Translated in Belgium?

You need a birth certificate, a diploma, a criminal record extract or a court judgment translated, and you are wondering where to get an official document translated in Belgium? The short answer: this kind of document requires a sworn translation, produced by a sworn translator registered in the National Register of Judicial Experts (RNEJ). A simple translation agency without a sworn translator is not enough. This guide explains who to turn to, how to verify the translator and how to receive your certified translation anywhere in Belgium.

📖 See also : Complete guide to sworn translation in Belgium · Who can produce a sworn translation?

Official document : simple or sworn translation?

Before looking for where to translate, you must understand the most important distinction. Not all translations are equal in the eyes of an administration.

• The simple translation : produced by any translator or agency, it faithfully renders the meaning of the text but has no official value. It is suitable for internal use, a website, a brochure or an email.
• The sworn translation : produced by a sworn translator registered in the RNEJ, who has taken the oath before a Belgian Court of Appeal. It bears the translator's VTI number, stamp, signature and date. Only this translation is recognised by the administrations.

For an official document - civil status record, diploma, criminal record, court judgment, contract submitted in court - a sworn translation is almost always required. If you entrust your birth certificate to an agency that does not work with a sworn translator, the commune, the court or the university will simply refuse the document. To fully grasp the meaning of the term, see our page on the definition of sworn translation.

Who is authorised to translate an official document in Belgium?

In Belgium, only a sworn translator can produce a translation recognised by the authorities. To obtain this status, the translator must be registered in the RNEJ, managed by the FPS Justice, and have taken the oath before a Court of Appeal. This registration requires training, attested experience, a clean criminal record and the completion of a legally mandated legal training.

In practice, the administrations that require a sworn translation include :

• The communes : for foreign civil status records (birth, marriage, divorce) during a transcription or a nationality procedure.
• The courts : for any document submitted in a judicial procedure (foreign judgment, contract, certificate).
• Universities and NARIC : for the recognition of a diploma or an equivalence.
• The FPS / SPF : Justice, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, for many administrative steps.
• Embassies and consulates : for visas, family reunification and documents intended for abroad.

For more on the authorised profiles, read who can produce a sworn translation in Belgium.

Where to go in practice : online or in person?

There are two main routes to get an official document translated in Belgium.

1. The online sworn translation service

This is now the most convenient solution, especially if you do not live in a large city. You send a photo or a legible scan of your document, you receive a quote, then the certified translation is delivered to you :

• As a certified PDF : an electronically signed file, accepted by a growing number of administrations.
• As a stamped original by courier : the paper copy bearing the stamp and handwritten signature of the sworn translator, sent anywhere in Belgium and abroad.

The advantage : no travel, an often shorter turnaround, and the ability to compare a quote quickly. This is the approach used by TranslateBE.

2. Going in person to a sworn translator

You can also consult a sworn translator directly in your region. This is useful if you must hand over the original in person or if the receiving administration requires a physical delivery. The drawback : availability depends on the language pair and the location, which can lengthen turnaround times for less common languages.

How to verify that the translator is genuinely registered in the RNEJ

Whichever route you choose, always verify that the translator is genuinely registered. The RNEJ can be consulted publicly and free of charge via the FPS Justice website. A valid translation always bears the VTI number, the stamp, the signature and the date. Our guide details the procedure step by step : how to verify a sworn translator in the RNEJ.

The steps to get your document translated

1. Identify the language pair : depending on the region and the receiving administration, the translation is done into French or Dutch (sometimes German in the Eastern Cantons). In Brussels, both French and Dutch are possible ; check the requirement of the administration concerned.
2. Check whether an apostille or legalisation is also needed : for a document intended for abroad, or a foreign document used in Belgium, an additional authentication step may apply. Our comparison helps you : apostille or legalisation in Belgium.
3. Request a quote : send a legible scan of your document. The quote depends on the number of pages, the language pair and the urgency. To understand how prices are set, see our sworn translation rates.
4. Receive the certified translation : as a certified PDF and/or a stamped original by courier, ready to be submitted to the administration.

Common documents and where they are used

• Birth, marriage, divorce certificates : commune (transcription, nationality), notary, family court.
• Diploma and transcript of records : universities, colleges, NARIC for equivalence.
• Criminal record extract : employers, immigration authorities, visa applications.
• Judgment and court decision : courts, lawyers, notaries.
• Driving licence, company articles, contracts : administrations, banks, business partners.

Depending on the language, dedicated pages can guide you, for example for an Arabic sworn translator or an English sworn translator in Belgium.

How TranslateBE helps you

TranslateBE is an agency that works exclusively with sworn translators registered in the RNEJ, verifiable on the FPS Justice website. In practice, you benefit from :

• A compliant sworn translation : VTI number, stamp, signature and date, recognised by communes, courts, universities and FPS.
• Delivery as a certified PDF and stamped original : by courier anywhere in Belgium, and abroad on request.
• A remote service : no travel needed, wherever you are in Belgium or Luxembourg.
• A free quote in 1h : send your document, we reply quickly with a clear price and a deadline.