Ghent's international profile has grown rapidly over the past decade, drawing Portuguese and Brazilian students, researchers and professionals alongside the established Portuguese community that has lived in the city for generations. When they need to interact with Ghent's Dutch-speaking institutions, TranslateBE provides certified Portuguese translation services in Ghent : sworn translators, 24-hour delivery, documents accepted by Stad Gent, UGent and the Ghent courts.
The Portuguese community in Ghent
Ghent has hosted Portuguese workers and their families since the post-war period of economic migration. Today, this historical community is complemented by a newer, more internationally mobile Portuguese-speaking population: students and doctoral researchers at Ghent University (UGent), professionals in Ghent's biotechnology and technology clusters, and Brazilian nationals drawn by Ghent's quality of life and academic reputation.
What these groups have in common is the need to navigate Ghent's Dutch-language administrative environment with Portuguese or Brazilian documents in hand. Birth certificates, diplomas, criminal record extracts and employment contracts in Portuguese must all be accompanied by certified Dutch translations before Ghent's institutions will process them.
Translation needs for Ghent's Portuguese-speaking community
Stad Gent and civil registration
- Portuguese and Brazilian birth certificates for population register (bevolkingsregister) at Stad Gent
- Marriage certificates and certificates of single status for civil marriage in Ghent
- Divorce decrees from Portuguese or Brazilian courts for civil status changes
- Death certificates for succession procedures involving Ghent notaries
UGent and academic institutions
- Portuguese and Brazilian university diplomas for NARIC Vlaanderen recognition
- Academic transcripts and grade certificates for UGent doctoral or master's programme admission
- Official letters from Portuguese or Brazilian universities for enrolment procedures
- Research publications in Portuguese for academic evaluation files
VOB companies and professional documents
Ghent hosts a number of companies in the Vlaamse Overheid Bedrijven (VOB) cluster and in the port-adjacent industrial zones. Portuguese-speaking employees and business partners occasionally need certified translations of Portuguese commercial contracts, company statutes, certificates of incorporation and professional qualifications for Belgian business procedures.
TranslateBE
Certified Portuguese translation in Ghent - free quote
Sworn translators accredited before the Ghent Court of Appeal. Portuguese ↔ Dutch, Portuguese ↔ French. Accepted by Stad Gent, UGent and DVZ.
DVZ/OE and immigration documents
- Criminal record certificates from Portugal (registo criminal) or Brazil for Flemish Region residence applications
- Employment contracts and payslips in Portuguese for single permit applications
- Family reunification files involving Portuguese or Brazilian family members
- Full naturalisation files for Portuguese nationals applying for Belgian citizenship
Portuguese ↔ French: when is it needed in Ghent?
Although Ghent is a Dutch-speaking city, there are situations where a French translation is required instead: documents for Francophone Belgian institutions, correspondence with the federal government, or documents to be used in Wallonia. We offer both Dutch and French as target languages for Portuguese translation, and can advise you on which is correct for your specific procedure.
For a Belgium-wide overview of Portuguese translation, see our guide on Portuguese translation in Belgium. For information about our Ghent translation agency, visit our translation agency in Ghent page.
See also: Portuguese translation in Belgium, Translation agency Ghent, Immigration translation Belgium
Portuguese translation in Ghent - delivered in 24 hours
Sworn translators recognised by the Ghent Court of Appeal. Accepted by Stad Gent, DVZ and UGent. Free quote, no travel required.