Translating a Foreign Driving Licence in Liège

Need to translate a foreign driving licence in Liège? Walloon municipalities including Liège require certified French translations for non-EU driving licences issued in non-Latin scripts. The DIV processes exchange requests through the Walloon municipal network. This guide explains when a translation is needed and how to get one quickly.

When is a driving licence translation required in Liège?

In Liège and across the Walloon Region, a certified translation of a foreign driving licence is required when:

• The licence is in a non-Latin script (Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean…)
• You have been a Belgian resident for more than one year and wish to exchange your licence
• Your country of origin has no bilateral driving licence exchange agreement with Belgium
• The Liège municipality or DIV requests a translation for its exchange procedure

Liège is a Francophone city: all administrative procedures at the municipality are in French. The certified translation must therefore target French.

Liège municipalities and the DIV: the exchange process

The driving licence exchange procedure in Liège typically involves:

1. Submitting a dossier to your Liège municipality (service population)
2. Including the certified French translation of your foreign licence
3. The municipality forwarding the dossier to the DIV
4. Receiving your Belgian licence by post

The certified translation must be produced by a sworn translator registered with a Belgian Court of Appeal. All licence categories, restrictions, dates and issuing authority details must be accurately translated.

Common driving licence languages in Liège

In Liège province, the most commonly translated driving licence languages include Arabic (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Middle Eastern), Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese and Persian. TranslateBE works with sworn translators covering all these languages.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Liège municipality accept driving licence translations ordered online?

Yes. What matters is the translator's sworn status (registered with a Belgian Court of Appeal) and the presence of the official stamp and registration number on the translation. Online ordering does not affect legal validity.

Is a French or Dutch translation required for Liège's driving licence exchange?

French is required for Liège and all Walloon municipalities. Dutch translations are only needed for Flemish municipalities. Do not submit a Dutch translation to a Liège municipality — it will be rejected.

How long does a driving licence translation take for Liège?

Standard delivery is 1–2 business days. Express delivery within 24 hours is available for most common licence formats and languages. Contact TranslateBE for same-day urgent cases.