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.<\/p>\n
Sworn translation<\/strong> \u2014 also known as certified translation or official translation \u2014 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<\/a> based in Li\u00e8ge, coordinates sworn translations with registered court-appointed translators for all major language combinations.<\/p>\n To request a sworn translation, submit your documents online<\/a>.<\/p>\n In Belgium, sworn translators are registered with one of the five courts of appeal (Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Li\u00e8ge, 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 36% of Belgium’s population is of foreign origin \u2014 sworn translations are in constant demand<\/p>\n Belgium’s diverse resident population generates a continuous and growing demand for certified document translation<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Source: VRT NWS, Statbel figures, January 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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<\/a> page. Every translation undergoes independent proofreading<\/a> (ISO 17100). All files are handled under GDPR-compliant confidentiality protocols. Translation rates<\/a> are quoted before any work begins.<\/p>\n A document requiring official certification for a Belgian authority, consulate or notary?<\/p>\nWhy specialist expertise matters<\/h2>\n
What sworn translation means in Belgian law<\/h3>\n
When sworn translation is required<\/h3>\n
Documents we translate<\/h2>\n
Belgium’s multilingual context and sworn translation demand<\/h2>\n
How BeTranslated handles this<\/h2>\n
Court-registered sworn translators for all major language pairs<\/h3>\n