Related documents
Birth certificate, Marriage certificate, Criminal record extract, Residence permit
Visa D for marriage or legal cohabitation in Belgium
This file is not recycled family reunification paperwork. Before the marriage or legal cohabitation even happens, the authorities want a credible project, clean official records, a documented relationship and the right order: proof, authentication and only then translation.
Official fees + translation if neededDepends on the post, any investigation and the fileComplex
Last reviewed: 29 March 2026Editorial review: Equipe CertiDocsOfficial sources: 3
Overview
What this guide helps you sort out
This file is not recycled family reunification paperwork. Before the marriage or legal cohabitation even happens, the authorities want a credible project, clean official records, a documented relationship and the right order: proof, authentication and only then translation.
Steps
4
Documents
5
Official sources
3
What frames this file straight away
Before you even follow the procedure step by step, these are usually the axes that matter.
Common translations
Arabic-French, Turkish-French, Romanian-French, Portuguese-French, English-French
Related cities
Brussels, Antwerp, Liège
What the authority will really test here
In this kind of file, the blockage usually comes from proof, sequencing and consistency, not polished wording.
Records that need to line up
This procedure is usually read through Birth certificate, Marriage certificate, Criminal record extract. Names, dates and references need to stay aligned from one record to the next.
Which official reading matters
Brussels, Antwerp will compare the source record with Arabic-French, Turkish-French and wants the issuing authority, date and registry references to be easy to spot.
Order of formalities
The 3 official sources mainly help keep the sequence sharp: recent record first, any apostille or legalisation next, then the right filing step.
What is the real starting question?
The real question is not only 'which papers need translating?' but 'which exact legal route applies?'. A marriage project, legal cohabitation, de facto partnership with durable-relationship evidence or a file already ripe for family reunification are not built the same way.
What does the authority check before translations?
It first checks identity, age, civil status, internal consistency and the credibility of the relationship or project. For an unmarried partnership, proof of a stable and durable relationship becomes central. Translations then make those records usable; they do not rescue a shaky file.
Which order avoids the classic mistakes?
First confirm the correct route and the useful list of records, then obtain the complete official records, then handle any apostille or legalisation, and only after that order sworn translations. Reverse that order and you often end up translating an incomplete or already outdated document.
Documents to prepare
- Valid passport of the applicant and copies of both partners' identity records
- Relevant civil-status records: birth, divorce or death of a former spouse where needed
- Proof of the marriage or legal cohabitation project and, where relevant, proof of a stable and durable relationship
- Evidence about the sponsor in Belgium: identity, residence, housing, insurance or means where the regime requires it
- Apostille or legalisation and then sworn translation of the foreign records that are actually needed
Steps to follow
1
Identify the correct route
Check that your project really falls under the visa D route for marriage or legal cohabitation and not another procedure.
2
Build the relationship evidence
Prepare the civil-status records and coherent evidence of the relationship or common project.
3
Authenticate and then translate
Handle apostille or legalisation of foreign records before the sworn translation.
4
File a clean dossier
Lodge with the competent post a readable, chronological and internally consistent file.
Good to know
Do not mix up visa D and short stay
If the plan is to settle in Belgium after the marriage or legal cohabitation, start from the procedure that actually applies. Translating papers for the wrong route is just wasting time and money.
The relationship must be provable as a story
For legal cohabitation or de facto partnership, the authorities look for a stable and durable relationship. Random message screenshots are weak; a coherent timeline is not.
Describe your need
We frame your request
Targeted matching
Translation and delivery
Certified
Fast
Confidential
Accepted everywhere
Common translations
Need a certified translation?
Our sworn translators can translate and certify all documents required for your procedures.
Get matchedFrequently asked questions
+−Is this the same as already-completed family reunification?
No. This guide deals with the file prepared before the marriage or legal cohabitation. If your relationship is already formally established and classic family reunification is the correct route, the logic changes.
+−When do I need to prove a stable and durable relationship?
Mostly when you rely on an unmarried partnership or legal cohabitation where the relationship itself must be documented. Authorities want a credible timeline, not random screenshots dumped into the file.
+−Does legal cohabitation automatically equal marriage?
No. Legal cohabitation has its own framework. It can produce important effects, but it does not magically turn the file into a marriage.
+−Do I need to translate every piece of relationship evidence?
No. Translate mainly the records and documents the authority actually has to use. Secondary evidence should be selected more carefully.
+−Does the apostille replace the translation?
No. Apostille or legalisation authenticates the document; it does not make it readable for the Belgian authority.
Official sources
The links below provide the official baseline. They help verify the procedure but do not replace file-specific analysis or the decision of the competent authority.
Practical guides
Diploma equivalence in BelgiumExchange a foreign driving licence in BelgiumDocuments for family reunification in BelgiumFamily reunification with a BelgianFamily reunification with an EU/EEA citizenFamily reunification after international protectionProving kinship or partnershipFamily reunification Visa DBelgium student visa: documents and translationsBelgium single permit: documents and translationsFamily reunification with a foreign national in limited stayCriminal record for Belgian nationalityBelgian inheritance after a death abroadMinor child joining a student or worker parent in BelgiumBelgian nationality as the spouse of a BelgianForeign will and mandate in a Belgian inheritanceMinor child joining a Belgian parentBelgian nationality as the parent of a Belgian childInheritance with real estate in two countriesSponsor for a Belgium student visa (Annex 32)Recognition of a foreign adoption in BelgiumSale of undivided inheritance property in BelgiumRecognition of a child in Belgium with foreign recordsForeign heir and power of attorney in a Belgian inheritanceForeign marriage and then family reunification in BelgiumStudy in Belgium with a foreign diplomaWork in Belgium with a foreign diplomaResidence in Belgium after marriage or legal cohabitationSpouse or child of a foreign student or worker in BelgiumFamily reunification refusal in BelgiumRegulated profession in Belgium with a foreign diplomaWork as a nurse in Belgium with a foreign diplomaDiploma equivalence: FWB, NARIC Vlaanderen or German-speaking Community?Foreign diploma for a healthcare profession in BelgiumTranscription of a foreign birth certificate in BelgiumEU public documents: when an apostille is no longer requiredHow to verify a sworn translator in BelgiumWhen does a sworn translation need legalisation in Belgium?Transcribe a foreign marriage certificate in BelgiumDivorce granted in the EU: recognition in BelgiumDivorce granted outside the EU: recognition in BelgiumForeign death certificate: steps in BelgiumRemarry in Belgium after a foreign divorceForeign divorce with a child: custody, residence and parental responsibility in BelgiumUpdate Belgian civil status after a foreign divorceMaintenance after a foreign divorce in BelgiumBelgian naturalisation: documents and translationsApostille and legalisation of foreign documents in BelgiumRecognition of a foreign marriage in BelgiumExequatur of a foreign judgment in Belgium