Spanish-French Translation in Liège: Immigration, ULiège and Civil Status

Liège has one of the most historically established Spanish communities in Belgium, with roots going back to the great post-war industrial migrations to the steel mills and coal mines of the Meuse valley. Today, second and third-generation Spanish-Belgians live alongside newer arrivals from Spain and Latin America. When they need to deal with the Liège commune, the Tribunal de première instance or the DVZ/OE, TranslateBE provides certified Spanish translation services in Liège, with sworn translators delivering certified documents within 24 hours.

A deep-rooted Spanish community in Liège

The Spanish presence in Liège is among the oldest in Belgium. From the 1950s onwards, thousands of Spanish workers - predominantly from Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Extremadura - settled in the Liège basin to work in the steel plants of Seraing, Herstal and Flemalle. Their descendants form a well-integrated community that still maintains strong ties with Spain: dual nationality, Spanish social security entitlements, property ownership across the border and family members who never left.

These cross-generational connections generate a steady and varied demand for certified Spanish-French translation: inheritance documents, Spanish pension files, recognition of Spanish marriages in Belgium, and Spanish criminal record extracts for Belgian administrative procedures.

Key translation needs for the Spanish community in Liège

Civil status and commune of Liège

• Spanish birth, marriage and death certificates for registration with Liège communes (Seraing, Herstal, Ans, Flemalle, Liège centre)
• Marriage certificates for family reunification or change of civil status
• Spanish divorce decrees for civil status updates at the commune
• Certificates of single status (fe de vida y estado) for civil marriage in Liège

Court of Liège and legal proceedings

• Spanish wills and notarial acts for succession proceedings before the Tribunal de première instance de Liège
• Spanish court decisions for enforcement in Belgium
• Contracts and commercial documents for cross-border disputes involving the Liège courts
• Powers of attorney and statutory documents in Spanish for Belgian notaries

DVZ/OE and immigration

• Spanish criminal record certificates (certificado de antecedentes penales) for residence and naturalisation applications
• Employment documents and payslips in Spanish for single permit procedures
• Full naturalisation files for Spanish nationals applying for Belgian citizenship - see our guide on sworn translators in Liège

Spanish ↔ French translation for Walloon institutions

All Belgian courts and institutions in Liège work exclusively in French. Spanish nationals or Belgians of Spanish origin who need to submit a Spanish document to the Court of Liège, a Liège commune or the SPF Justice must provide a certified French translation signed and stamped by a sworn translator registered with the FPS Justice.

Our sworn translators are accredited before the Court of Appeal of Liège and are thoroughly familiar with the administrative landscape of Wallonia and the Liège province. Their translations are accepted by all courts, communes, notaries and administrative bodies in the district without further attestation.

Spanish translation for the new generation

Beyond the historical community, Liège also hosts a newer wave of Spanish-speaking arrivals: students at the University of Liège (ULiège), young professionals attracted by Liège's creative and tech scene, and Latin American newcomers. These groups need certified translation of their academic credentials for ULiège admission, and of their employment and immigration documents for DVZ procedures.

For a broader overview of Spanish translation across Belgium, see our guide on Spanish translation in Belgium.

See also: Spanish translation in Belgium, Sworn translator in Liège, Immigration translation Belgium