Arabic-French Translation in Namur: Guide for the Arabic-Speaking Walloon Community

Namur, capital of Wallonia, welcomes a steadily growing Arabic-speaking community, mainly of Moroccan and Algerian origin. Between procedures with the Immigration Office, registrations in the municipalities of Namur and files submitted to the SPW, the needs for official Arabic-French translation are a daily reality in the Walloon capital.

The Arabic-speaking community of Namur and the province

The province of Namur, and its capital in particular, has an Arabic-speaking population whose presence has asserted itself over the decades. The Moroccan community is the largest numerically, followed by the Algerian community. There are also Tunisian, Syrian nationals and those of other Arabic-speaking countries, some arriving within the framework of the international protection granted by the CGRS.

As capital of Wallonia, Namur concentrates important regional institutions - the Parliament of Wallonia, the Walloon Government, the SPW (Public Service of Wallonia) - as well as the regional headquarters of numerous federal administrations: the regional office of the Immigration Office, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons for the Walloon region, and the labour and family courts. These institutions regularly receive files containing Arabic documents that must be accompanied by official translations.

The city of Namur itself and its suburban municipalities - Jambes, Champion, Wepion, Salzinnes - have seen their Arabic-speaking population increase, which raises the demand for translation for procedures at the civil status office, school registrations and procedures related to residence.

Moroccan and Algerian civil status certificates

Moroccan birth and marriage certificates make up the category of documents most often submitted to our translators for files in Namur. These certificates, drafted in Arabic - often with a part in French for the recent bilingual Moroccan certificates - must be accompanied by a sworn translation into French for the Walloon and federal administrations present in Namur.

The question of the apostille is central for these documents. Since Morocco's accession to the Hague Convention in November 2024, recent Moroccan certificates can be the subject of an apostille issued in Morocco, which simplifies the procedures. For older certificates and for Algerian certificates, the consular legalisation procedure remains applicable.

Algerian certificates are drafted exclusively in Arabic and require a complete translation into French. They must first be legalised by the embassy of Algeria in Belgium to be accepted by the Belgian administrations. The sworn translators of TranslateBE master the specific wording of the Algerian civil status certificates of the various wilayas.

Procedures with the SPW and the municipalities of Namur

The Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) manages numerous procedures that directly concern the Arabic-speaking residents of Namur: housing assistance, access to regional social services, procedures related to employment via the Forem. Although these procedures do not systematically require translations of Arabic documents, certain specific files do require them, in particular when foreign documents must be attached to justify a personal or family situation.

The municipalities of Namur - Namur, Gembloux, Andenne, Ciney - regularly receive applications for registration in the population register accompanied by Arabic documents. The civil status services of these municipalities require sworn translations for foreign birth, marriage and death certificates. Our agency delivers translations recognised by all of these municipalities.

Most translated Arabic documents in Namur

• Moroccan or Algerian birth certificate: for registration in the population register in the municipalities of Namur, the Immigration Office files and naturalisations.
• Marriage certificate and family record book: for family reunification, the recognition of the marriage by the Walloon civil status and international successions.
• Criminal record (sahifat as-sawaabiq): required by the Immigration Office for naturalisation and family reunification files.
• Diplomas and university certificates: for the validation of acquired skills by the French-speaking service for trades and qualifications (SFMQ) or for applications in Wallonia.
• Divorce judgment (repudiation deed or judicial divorce): for the procedures of change of civil status with the municipalities of Namur.
• Death certificate and inheritance documents: for successions involving heirs in Namur and assets in Morocco or Algeria.
• Certificate of celibacy: for civil marriage with the municipality of Namur for a Moroccan or Algerian national.
• International protection documents: refugee status certificates or CGRS documents in Arabic for various Walloon administrative procedures.

Ordering your Arabic-French translation from Namur

TranslateBE is an entirely online agency: you do not need to travel to Namur or to a physical office. Scan your Arabic documents (sharp photo or scan), submit them via our quote form, and receive within the hour a firm quote specifying the all-inclusive rate and the delivery time.

After validation of your order and payment by bank transfer (IBAN provided with the quote), our sworn translators begin work immediately. The sworn translation is delivered to you by email in a secure PDF bearing the signature and seal of the sworn translator. This format is accepted by all the Walloon and federal administrations. If your municipality or your court requires a paper original with an original signature, we send it by registered mail.

Our sworn translators master Moroccan Arabic, Algerian Arabic, Berber when it appears as an annex to Moroccan certificates, and the modern standard Arabic of official certificates. Their translations are recognised by the municipalities of Namur and the province, by the Immigration Office, by the CGRS, by the Walloon courts and by the embassies. Standard turnaround times are 48 hours, with a 24h express option available for urgent files.