Sworn translation services in Belgium: certified documents for official use
A sworn translation carries a legal certification from a court-appointed translator confirming that the translated document is a faithful and complete rendering of the original. This certification is required by courts, notaries, government authorities, consulates, universities and employers whenever an official document in a foreign language must be presented in a legal or administrative context.
Sworn translation — also known as certified translation or official translation — is required in Belgium for a range of documents: birth and marriage certificates, criminal record extracts, diplomas, company statutes, powers of attorney and court judgments, among others. The sworn translator must be registered with a Belgian court of appeal and bears personal legal responsibility for the accuracy of the certified translation. BeTranslated, a certified translation agency based in Liège, coordinates sworn translations with registered court-appointed translators for all major language combinations.
To request a sworn translation, submit your documents online.
Why specialist expertise matters
What sworn translation means in Belgian law
In Belgium, sworn translators are registered with one of the five courts of appeal (Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, Mons) and take an oath before the court. Every sworn translation must include the translator’s signature, stamp and certification statement. Without these, the document will not be accepted by Belgian authorities for official purposes.
When sworn translation is required
Sworn translation is typically required when a foreign-language document is to be submitted to a Belgian institution that needs legal assurance of accuracy, or when a Belgian document is to be submitted to a foreign authority that requires the same guarantee. This includes immigration procedures, academic credential recognition, inheritance proceedings, notarial acts, business registration documents and court proceedings.
Documents we translate
- Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates for official purposes
- Criminal record extracts (casier judiciaire / strafregister)
- Academic diplomas and transcripts for recognition by Belgian universities or employers
- Company statutes and commercial register extracts
- Powers of attorney for notarial or legal proceedings
- Wills and inheritance documents
- Court judgments and arbitral awards
- Immigration documents including visas, residency permits and consular filings
Belgium’s multilingual context and sworn translation demand
36% of Belgium’s population is of foreign origin — sworn translations are in constant demand
Belgium’s diverse resident population generates a continuous and growing demand for certified document translation
According to Statbel (January 2025), 36% of Belgium’s resident population is of foreign origin, comprising 22.1% Belgian nationals of foreign origin and 13.8% non-Belgian residents. This demographic generates a large and sustained demand for sworn translations: foreign nationals completing immigration procedures, international couples navigating Belgian civil registration, foreign graduates seeking diploma recognition and non-Belgian executives registering companies all require certified translations at multiple stages of their administrative journeys.
How BeTranslated handles this
Court-registered sworn translators for all major language pairs
Sworn translations are coordinated with translators registered with the relevant Belgian court of appeal, ensuring the legal validity of every certification. All sworn translators are native speakers of the target language with specialist subject-matter expertise. Full profiles are on the professional translators page. Every translation undergoes independent proofreading (ISO 17100). All files are handled under GDPR-compliant confidentiality protocols. Translation rates are quoted before any work begins.
A document requiring official certification for a Belgian authority, consulate or notary?
Request a quote with your documents and a note of the institution it is destined for. A project manager responds within 24 working hours.
Work with a specialist you can rely on
Whether you are an individual navigating an immigration procedure, a notary preparing a cross-border estate matter or a company registering a foreign shareholder’s documents in Belgium, sworn translation is the legally required step that makes your foreign-language document valid in the eyes of Belgian authorities.
To start your project, three routes are available:
- Submit your files via the online quote form
- Call +32 485 85 30 89
- Email hello@betranslated.be
Language combinations available in French, Dutch, German, English and all other languages on the languages page.
