FAQ
Legalisation of documents
- What is a legalisation?
- Do you legalise diplomas issued in Belgium?
- Does the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs legalise copies of passports or identity cards?
- Do notarial acts issued by a Belgian embassy or consulate need to be legalised by the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs?
- Where should I go to get foreign documents legalised for use in Belgium?
- I have a foreign document which I need to use abroad.
- Is it quicker if I bring the documents to the counter? Can documents be legalised the same day if I bring them to the counter?
- Which are the working hours, and where can you find the legalization Office?
- Do I have to bring the document myself?
- Do I have to bring a proof of my identity?
- Do documents for legalisation have to be written in French, Dutch or German?
- Does the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs translate documents?
- How much does a legalisation or apostil cost?
- How can I pay?
- What is the correspondence address or the address the documents can be sent to?
What is a legalisation?
The legalisation certifies the origin of a document. It is the authentication by an official authority of the genuineness of a signature, the capacity of the signer and, if applicable, the identity of the stamp or the seal on the document.
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Do you legalise diplomas issued in Belgium?
Yes, provided they have already been legalised by the Community to which the educational establishment is answerable:
French Community
City Center
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, 20-22/3ème étage
B-1000 Brussels
tel.: +32 (0)2/690 80 52 or +32 (0)2/690 80 33
Legalisation is provided free of charge by the relevant department.Flemish Community
Hendrik Conscience Gebouw 1 B 04
Koning Albert II-laan 15
B-1210 Brussels
tel.: +32 (0)2/553 87 76
Legalisation is provided free of charge by the relevant department.German-Speaking Community, Ministry of Education
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Gospertstrasse, 1-5
B-4700 Eupen
tel.: +32 (0)87/744539
Does the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs legalise copies of passports or identity cards?
No. In the case of a Belgian passport or identity card, you should be asking your municipality for a certificate containing the information that appears on the document(s) in question and signed by the burgomaster or an alderman. You may apply to a notary too. The certificate does not have to show the photography marking of the document.
In the case of a foreign passport or identity card, you should consult the embassy of the country where the document was issued. The certified copy of the document will then be legalised by the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs.
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Do notarial acts issued by a Belgian embassy or consulate need to be legalised by the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs?
Yes.
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Where should I go to get foreign documents legalised for use in Belgium?
Foreign documents must be legalised in the country where they were issued. Unless documents have been apostilled (cf. the Hague Convention), they must be legalised in the last analysis by a Belgian diplomatic or consular post abroad.
Foreign documents that have been legalised by a Belgian embassy or consulate abroad by means of a sticker bearing a 'check number' made up of an unbroken series of at least 16 figures are valid in Belgium and may be used straight away (they no longer need to be legalised again by the Legalisation Office in Brussels).
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I have a foreign document which I need to use abroad.
You need to apply to the appropriate authority of the country where you wish to use the document.
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Is it quicker if I bring the documents to the counter? Can documents be legalised the same day if I bring them to the counter?
Yes, but no more than 10 documents per customer.
Depositing documents at the counter
If you bring more than 10 documents to the counter at the same time:
- You will be asked to leave the documents at the counter.
- You must pay the fee upon depositing the documents at the counter, and only in cash.
- You can pick up your documents in 48 hours.
Which are the working hours, and where can you find the legalization Office?
The Legalization Office is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 1.30 to 3.30 p.m.
It is located in Karmelietenstraat 27 at 1000 Brussels.
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Do documents for legalisation have to be written in French, Dutch or German?
No. But they do have to be signed by a public official.
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Does the Legalisation Office at FPS Foreign Affairs translate documents?
No. Documents must be translated by a sworn translator. The translator's signature will be authenticated by the president of the court of first instance to which the translator is answerable.
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The president's signature will then be legalised by the Legalisation Office at FPS Justice (115, bd de Waterloo, B-1000 Brussels - metro: porte de Halle- tel.: +32 (0)2/5426561).
The translation, along with the original document, will then be passed on to our office to be either apostilled (cf. the Hague Convention) or legalised.
How can I pay?
1. Documents presented at the counter
- in cash or by Bancontact (bank payment card)
- processing time: 0 to 48 hours (depending on the number of documents)
2. Documents sent by post: by bank transfer
FOD BZ Legalisaties en Consulaire Zaken B&B1.3
Egmont II-B&B1.3
Karmelietenstraat 15
1000-BrusselAccount number : 100-0086141-39 at the National Bank of Belgium
IBAN : BE13100008614139
BIC : NBBEBEBB203Please also mention: C2.1 + the name and surname of the person concerned.
The document will be returned by registered post after about 10 working days.
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What is the correspondence address or the address the documents can be sent to?
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FPS Foreign Affairs
Service C2.1-Légalisations
Karmelietenstraat 15
1000 Brussels