Recognition of documents
Legalise your documents for Belgium.
By the Studacy team · Published on June 20, 2026
In short
To be recognised in Belgium, your foreign official documents (diploma, transcripts, birth certificate) must be legalised. If your country is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, an apostille is enough; otherwise, a classic step-by-step legalisation is required. Documents written in French, Dutch, German or English are exempt from translation; the others require a sworn translator.
Apostille or legalisation: what difference?
The apostille and legalisation serve the same purpose: to authenticate a foreign public document so that it is accepted abroad. The apostille is a simplified, single-step procedure, reserved for countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention. For other countries, a classic legalisation is needed, which goes through several successive authorities (ministry of origin, foreign affairs, Belgian embassy).
Which regime applies to my country?
The regime depends on whether your country has joined the Hague Convention and on its date of entry into force with Belgium. A few verified benchmarks:
| Country | Regime | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Apostille | 14 August 2016 |
| Tunisia | Apostille (via notary) | 11 June 2025 |
| Algeria | Apostille | 9 July 2026 (legalisation before) |
| Senegal | Apostille | 2023 |
| India | Apostille | 2005 |
| Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Egypt, DR Congo… | Classic legalisation | Not party to the apostille |
Statuses and dates change: Algeria, for example, only switches to the apostille on 9 July 2026, with a classic legalisation before that date. Always check the regime applicable at the time of your procedure.
Do I have to get my documents translated?
Documents written in French, Dutch, German, English, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish are in principle exempt from translation. For other languages, a translation by a sworn translator is required, with the mention "ne varietur" and their identification number. The translation must generally be carried out after the legalisation or apostille of the original document.
When to legalise your documents?
Legalisation comes ahead of the major procedures: it is required for the secondary diploma equivalence application, then for the visa file. As it can take time (several authorities, sometimes several weeks), it is wise to start legalising the key documents from the beginning of the project, in parallel with the admission application.
How Studacy supports you
We support many international students with the legalisation of their documents. We determine the exact regime applicable to your country (apostille or legalisation, and the chain of authorities to follow), we identify the documents to be translated and the right time to do so, and we coordinate these steps with the equivalence and the visa to avoid back-and-forth. A single point of contact follows the whole thing.
Official sources
Information verified against official Belgian sources. Procedures and amounts change every year, so always check the date before acting.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Apostille and legalisation, are they the same thing?
Does my country use the apostille for Belgium?
Do I have to get my diploma translated?
When do I have to legalise my documents?
Which documents have to be legalised?
The related service
Diploma equivalence
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