Diploma Translation for Belgium

Which language region, which language

Belgium has three language regions: Dutch (NL) is required in the Flemish region, French (FR) in the Walloon region, and German in a small area in the east. A diploma translated into the wrong language will have the application rejected at the outset, so the region you are applying in, and with it the target language, has to be settled before translation begins. If you are applying on the Flemish side, recognition runs through NARIC Vlaanderen with a Dutch document; on the Walloon side it runs through the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles with a French one. Where the same diploma is going to both regions, two separate sets in two languages may be needed; confirming in advance which region wants which document keeps you from paying twice.

NARIC recognition and diploma translation are two different jobs

Belgian recognition of a diploma is determined by the relevant NARIC authority; the translation does not make that decision, it feeds into it. The translator carries the name of the degree across as it stands: rendering “Lisans” directly as a Belgian title equates one level with another, and that authority rests with the recognition body. Institution and faculty names keep their original spelling, because NARIC identifies the institution by its name and a free rendering can break the match.

Level recognition versus specific recognition

Recognition in Belgium can take two forms: a general recognition that acknowledges the level of education only, and a specific recognition that matches your qualification to a particular Belgian diploma. Which one you apply for depends on what you intend to do with the diploma, whether that is a job application, further study or a regulated profession, and the set of documents requested changes accordingly. A diploma translation is needed on either route; but settling the target language region and the type of recognition before translation begins ensures both that the translation is made into the right language and that the application is not returned for missing documents. If you are applying for a regulated profession, bear in mind that the language region may also require a language proficiency examination; that is a separate process, outside the scope of the translation.

Where the diploma runs to several pages or comes with annexes, the page order is preserved and the translation is presented in the same layout as the source document; a disjointed translation opens the integrity of the document to question during the NARIC review. Institutional stamps, coats of arms and wet-ink signatures are marked in square brackets by their presence rather than by their text; a stamp that cannot be read is shown with an [illegible] note, and no reading is invented. On e-diplomas bearing a QR code, the presence of the code and of the electronic verification wording is indicated with [QR code] and [e-signature verification] notes; no attempt is made to decode the contents of the code, and what the document says is what is carried across. If the diploma is going to both the Flemish and the Walloon side, or to both the recognition authority and an employer, the language and form of certification each recipient accepts must be confirmed separately, because a Dutch translation accepted in one region is of no use in a region that asks for French and calls for a fresh set from scratch. The municipality or recognition authority handling the application may also want the translation presented in a particular form, printed with a wet-ink signature or electronically; asking beforehand which form is accepted saves a second round of submission.

Sworn translators, the apostille and the order of certification

Belgium operates a sworn translator system; official translations are made by a sworn translator (beëdigd vertaler / traducteur juré) entered in the national register. A translation produced in Türkiye follows a different chain: a sworn translator signs it, a notary notarises it, and an apostille is attached. Confirm with the authority which route it will accept. If the diploma forms part of a residence file, your counterpart is the Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken, and the spelling of your name must match your passport. Before you submit:

• Settle the correct language region and target language (NL or FR) from the outset.
• Avoid levelling the name of the degree with a Belgian one.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation.

Belgium is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; check the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents require on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. Translations are handled from our single office in Ankara Kızılay. Details vary from one procedure to another, so check with the institution before you apply.