Translating Documents to Study in Belgium: Complete Guide

Every year, thousands of foreign students enrol in Belgian universities. Whether you apply to KU Leuven, ULiège, UCLouvain or VUB, building your admission file almost always involves the translation of your diplomas and transcripts. This guide explains what each university and equivalence body concretely requires.

Academic documents to translate for admission to a Belgian university

The list of documents to translate varies according to the type of admission (first cycle or master) and according to the targeted university, but the basic requirements are common to most institutions:

• Secondary school diploma (or baccalaureate equivalent): for admission to the first cycle (bachelor), the proof of obtaining the diploma giving access to higher education in the country of origin. This diploma must be translated and, depending on the country, apostilled or legalised.
• Transcripts: detailed records of all previous years of study, with the subjects, the credits and the grades obtained. For admission to a master, the bachelor's transcripts are essential.
• University bachelor's diploma: for admission to a master or a master after master.
• Letters of recommendation: some programmes (specialised masters, research, MBA) require letters of recommendation written in English or in the language of instruction. If they are written in another language, they must be translated.
• Language certification: TOEFL, IELTS, DELF, Dutch TaalTest, etc. These documents are generally issued directly in the required language and do not require translation.

Specific requirements of Belgian universities

Belgian universities do not all have the same requirements regarding translation and equivalence:

• KU Leuven: accepts documents in Dutch, French, English and German without translation. For any other language, a certified translation into Dutch or English is required. The sworn translation is not systematically requested but may be required depending on the origin of the document.
• UGent: requires that documents not written in Dutch, French, English or German be translated by a sworn translator.
• UCLouvain: requests an official translation of documents in a foreign language. The definition of "official" may vary depending on the department.
• ULiège: generally accepts documents in French, English or Spanish. Other languages require a translation into French.
• VUB: translation into Dutch or English for documents in other languages, certified by a professional or sworn translator.

ARES and NARIC Vlaanderen: the equivalence of the access diploma

Before enrolling in many programmes, foreign students must have their diploma of access to higher education recognised by the competent equivalence body according to the language community:

• ARES (Academie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur): competent body for the French Community (Wallonia-Brussels). ARES issues an equivalence certificate confirming that your foreign secondary school diploma is recognised as equivalent to the Belgian higher secondary education certificate (CESS). Documents must be translated into French.
• NARIC Vlaanderen: equivalence service for the Flemish Community. Handles applications for the equivalence of foreign secondary and higher diplomas for access to the educational institutions of the Flemish Community. Documents must be translated into Dutch or English.

The equivalence procedure can take several weeks. It is advisable to begin the translation and equivalence procedures several months before the desired enrolment date.

Student visa and Erasmus+ programme: documents to prepare

Non-European Union nationals must obtain a student visa (type D visa) issued by the Belgian embassy or consulate of their country of residence. The documents to translate for this visa generally include the admission letter from the Belgian university (no translation required if it is in French or Dutch), the proof of sufficient financial resources (bank statements, scholarship agreement to be translated if written in another language), and sometimes the criminal record of the country of origin.

For incoming students under Erasmus+, the main documents are the transcript of records (transcript from the university of origin) and the learning agreement. These documents are often written in English under the programme, which simplifies the procedures.

Scholarships and recognition of prior learning (VAE)

Candidates for Belgian government scholarships (ARES/DGD for the French Community, VLIR-UOS for the Flemish Community) must build a multilingual file: the candidate's documents are translated into the language of the body, while the academic project may be written in English or in French.

For the Valorisation of Acquired Experience (VAE), candidates who assert professional experience acquired abroad must provide translated proof: employment contracts, employer certificates, professional training certificates. These documents must be translated by a professional translator to be examined by the competent commission.