What is a sworn translation?
Last updated: April 2026
Standard vs sworn translation
A standard translation can be produced by any translator and has no official legal value. It is suitable for internal use, informal communication or purely personal understanding.
A sworn translation (also called a certified or official translation) can only be produced by a translator sworn before a Belgian court. Our translators pledge their professional liability and affix their legally recognised signature to the final document.
In Belgium, a translator must be registered in the Register of Sworn Translators and Interpreters in order to practise as such. Certus verifies the accreditation of each of its translators.
When is it required?
A sworn translation is required in official administrative and legal contexts such as:
- Application for Belgian nationality or family reunification
- Recognition of a foreign diploma (universities, professional bodies)
- Legal proceedings (submission of foreign documents to court)
- Immigration file (Office des Étrangers, CGRA)
- International succession (foreign notarial deeds)
- Marriage to a foreign national
Who can produce one?
In Belgium, only translators sworn before a court of first instance can issue legally valid translations. Their list is public and can be consulted via the FPS Justice.
On Certus, all translators are verified and sworn. You do not need to worry about their accreditation.
What does a sworn translation look like?
A sworn translation is recognisable by:
- The translator's handwritten signature
- Their official stamp (with the oath-taking court)
- A certification statement of the type: "I, the undersigned, sworn translator sworn before the Court of First Instance of [...], certify that this translation is faithful and complete."
On Certus, the delivered translation is a signed PDF ready to submit to the authorities.