Medical Report Translation for the Netherlands

Which report, and in which procedure

In the Netherlands a medical report may be submitted for continuity of treatment, for insurance, in certain residence procedures and, where relevant, in IND applications. A report issued in Türkiye may take the form of a single-doctor report, a medical board report or a hospital discharge summary; both the type wanted and the target language expected – English or Dutch – have to be established with the body asking for it.

Where a report comes from a medical board it carries the opinions and signatures of more than one doctor; the translation conveys each section and each signature separately and in full. Omitting a single opinion breaks the integrity of the decision.

Handwriting, reference ranges and confidentiality

This page is offered as general information; the level of approval a document must carry is set by the institution asking for it. Clarifying the form that institution wants at the outset saves the work having to be done twice.

The doctor’s title and the referral chain

In the Dutch health system the referral chain between the general practitioner (huisarts) and the specialist is decisive; which doctor issued a report, and at what stage, shows the context of the document. The translation conveys the title and speciality of the issuing doctor in the form in which they stand on the document, and assigns no Dutch title to the person. The diploma number, institution name and speciality on the doctor’s stamp are carried across in full, since they show who issued the document. Where the report is submitted for a referral or for continuity of treatment, dates and durations are conveyed exactly. Having the Rbtv registration number appear on the declaration page of the translation supports the auditability of the document. Because health data is a special category of personal data, the document is shared with care; this article is offered as general information and is not medical advice.

ICD codes are not translated

Diagnostic codes (ICD) are an international standard: whatever diagnosis a code denotes, it denotes the same one in every country, and it is not translated. Codes, laboratory units, drug names and dosages must be preserved exactly; “interpreting” a code is a risk of medical error. The translation renders the text and leaves coded and numerical data untouched. A Dutch doctor can read the code against their own reference; the job of the translation is not to change the code but to convey the text accurately.

Medical terminology and abbreviations

Medical reports are dense with abbreviations and terms of Latin origin. Where the document does not make the expansion of an abbreviation certain, no expansion is invented: the abbreviation is kept and, where needed, an [expansion unclear] note is added. Medical terms are rendered with their established counterparts in whichever target language is wanted, English or Dutch, and which of the two it will be has to be confirmed with the institution.

The test and imaging results in the annexes to the report form part of the document as a whole. Because a Dutch doctor or institution may want to see the evidence a diagnosis rests on, the test printouts and assessment reports attached to it are brought within the scope of the translation. Measured values, reference ranges and units are preserved exactly in the annexes too. Where there are lists such as vaccination or treatment records, these are conveyed as they stand; leaving out a single entry leaves the picture incomplete. This article is offered as general information and is not medical advice.

Rbtv registration and the structure of the discharge summary

Anyone producing an official translation in the Netherlands is expected to be entered in the Rbtv register; the registration number appears on the declaration page and the institution can verify it. The structure of the discharge summary – history, findings, diagnosis, treatment – and the order of its sections are preserved; summarising a section damages clinical readability. The doctor’s stamp and signature are marked in square brackets, and the hospital letterhead and the date are conveyed exactly. In a translation produced in Türkiye, a sworn translator signs it, a notary notarises it and an apostille is added.

Approval and common mistakes

Check the following points before delivery:

• Verify that the translation carries an Rbtv number.
• Do not alter ICD codes or units.
• Do not summarise the sections of the discharge summary; where an apostille is needed, obtain it before the translation.

The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can see the level of approval required for other documents on our document types page and the cost on our pricing page, and you can upload your document to request a quotation. This page is offered as general information and does not take the place of medical or legal advice; confirm the current requirements with the institution concerned.