Translating a Foreign Driving Licence in Charleroi: Moroccan, Turkish, HGV Licences

Living in Charleroi with a Turkish or Moroccan driving licence and looking to exchange it for a Belgian one? Or driving professionally with a foreign category C or D licence? The procedure goes through the City of Charleroi and the DIV. This guide walks you through it step by step.

See also: driving licence translation in Belgium · translation agency in Charleroi

Charleroi: foreign licences and large Moroccan and Turkish communities

Charleroi is one of the Belgian cities with the highest proportion of residents of Moroccan and Turkish origin. These long-established communities often hold driving licences issued by their country of origin and wish to exchange them for a Belgian one to simplify their daily administrative procedures.

The Moroccan licence is written in Arabic and French; the Turkish licence uses the Latin alphabet. The DIV requires in both cases a sworn translation into French if the entries are not fully readable in French by municipal staff. For the Moroccan licence (Arabic entries), translation is systematically mandatory.

The Charleroi area also hosts many professional drivers (lorries, buses, coaches) whose category C and D licences were issued abroad. These licences follow the same exchange procedure, but with additional requirements such as a medical fitness certificate and proof of initial qualification.

Exchange procedure in Charleroi: practical steps

• 1. Check your country's eligibility: Morocco and Turkey appear on the DIV list of countries whose licences can be exchanged without retaking the tests. Check mobilit.belgium.be to confirm.
• 2. Order the sworn translation: send a front-and-back scan of your licence. The target language is French for the Walloon region of Charleroi.
• 3. Compile your file: original licence, sworn translation, valid residence permit, recent identity photo and the DIV exchange application form.
• 4. Submit the file to the municipal office: Population Department, City of Charleroi, Place Charles II 20. The municipality forwards it to the DIV; processing time: 4 to 6 weeks.

Heavy goods vehicles and professional transport in Charleroi

Professional drivers holding a foreign category C (heavy goods), D (bus) or sub-category licence (C1, D1, CE, DE) must, in addition to the sworn translation, provide a Belgian medical fitness certificate and, for employed drivers, proof of their initial qualification (CPC, Certificate of Professional Competence). The Charleroi region, with its dense industrial and logistics fabric, generates strong demand for these specific procedures.