Foreign Will in Antwerp: Sworn Translation and Succession Procedure

Do you need a sworn translation of a foreign will in Antwerp? When a deceased person leaves a will drafted in a foreign language, Belgian notaries and courts require a certified sworn translation before the document can be recognised and executed. TranslateBE provides certified sworn translations of foreign wills and testaments for Antwerp notaries, courts and heirs - in over 70 languages.

Why foreign wills need sworn translation in Antwerp

When a person domiciled abroad dies leaving assets in Belgium - or when a foreign-language will is submitted in an Antwerp succession - Belgian notaries and courts are legally required to work with a certified translation. The Antwerp notary cannot authenticate, register or execute a will they cannot read in Dutch or French. A sworn translation prepared by a certified translator registered in Belgium's national registry provides the legal certainty required for the document to be relied upon in succession proceedings.

The EU Succession Regulation (EU No 650/2012) - which governs cross-border successions within the European Union - streamlines the recognition of succession decisions and authentic instruments across EU member states, but does not remove the need for accurate translation of the underlying documents. A sworn translation by a registered translator is the standard recognised by Antwerp notaries and courts.

Belgian notarial law and foreign wills

Belgian law recognises several forms of testament: the holographic will (handwritten and signed by the testator), the authentic will (drawn up before a notary), and the international will (governed by the Washington Convention of 1973). Foreign wills may take any of these forms depending on the jurisdiction in which they were drafted.

Antwerp notaries handling succession files that include a foreign will will typically require:

• A certified copy of the original foreign will
• A sworn translation into Dutch or French prepared by a registered sworn translator
• Apostille or legalisation of the foreign will if required by the country of origin
• Any probate or court certification required under the foreign law

The EU Succession Regulation and Antwerp successions

Under the EU Succession Regulation, the law applicable to a succession is generally the law of the country where the deceased was habitually resident at the time of death. However, a person may choose the law of their nationality to govern their succession through an express choice-of-law clause in their will.

This means that an Antwerp notary handling the succession of a Belgian national who died in Spain may need to apply Spanish succession law to part of the estate, while also recognising a will drafted in Spanish. In this scenario, a certified sworn translation of the Spanish will into Dutch is indispensable.

Languages we translate for Antwerp succession files

The most common languages for which sworn translations of wills are requested by Antwerp notaries include French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Arabic and various Eastern European languages. TranslateBE provides certified sworn translations in over 70 languages, with translators registered in Belgium's national registry.

How to order a sworn translation of a foreign will

• Send us a clear copy (scan or photo) of the foreign will
• We provide a quote within one hour
• We assign a sworn translator registered for the relevant language
• The certified translation is delivered with the translator's sworn stamp and signature
• The document is ready for submission to your Antwerp notary or the Antwerp courts