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CertiDocsThe practical guide

Can ChatGPT produce a sworn translation?

AI can help you understand text. When a Belgian sworn translation is required, the final version must identify the authorised professional by name, VTI number and required signatures.

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Editorial lead : CertiDocs Team16 sourcesFPS Justice: legal framework

Get to the essentials

What do you need to know?

I already have an AI translationDraft, review and costI want to check the translatorName, VTI number and required detailsI received a PDF translationSignature, scan and paper copyMy translation was rejectedUnderstand the reason and next step

Your situation

Which document are you submitting?

The document’s name is not enough. Its language, origin and the recipient’s procedure determine what to check.

A text for my own understanding

A reading aid may be enough. Compare names, figures, dates and negations with the original before relying on the result. For an official procedure, then check the required format.

Primary sourceOpenAI - Developer guidance on human review
Can you translate an official document yourself with AI?
An EU-issued civil-status record

For documents covered by Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, check the apostille exemption and multilingual form. With that form, a certified translation may be requested only exceptionally if the content cannot be fully understood.

Official sourceYour Europe - Translation and authenticity of records
Romanian birth certificate for Belgian nationality
A diploma for NARIC-Vlaanderen

NARIC normally accepts diplomas in French, Dutch, English or German without translation. Check instructions for transcripts and other documents separately. Another authority may apply different rules.

Official sourceNARIC-Vlaanderen - Documents, translations and originals
Diploma equivalence in Belgium
Visa or residence documents

Identify the office receiving each document and its accepted languages. After a refusal, keep the decision and notification: checking an appeal deadline comes before ordering a translation.

Official sourceImmigration Office - Appeals
Student visa refusal in Belgium
A Moroccan marriage certificate

The Moroccan apostille concerns the certificate’s authenticity. Translation makes the text accessible, while recognition of the marriage has its own conditions. Check all three separately.

Official sourceBelgian Embassy in Morocco - Apostille
Moroccan marriage certificate for a spouse file in Belgium
A judgment for use abroad

Check the required copy, signature, attachments and destination country’s formalities. An AI summary may omit part of the operative decision or appeal information; it does not replace the complete record requested.

Official sourceFPS Justice - Required details, signatures and legalisation of translations
Do all pages of a judgment need to be translated in Belgium?

ChatGPT, AI or a sworn translator?

What actually changes

What actually changes
The differenceChatGPT / AISworn translator
Understand the meaningAI offers a reading aid or draft to check against the source.The translator reviews the complete document and prepares the version they can sign.
Provide sworn statusGenerated text alone has no personal authorisation or professional signature.The status rests on an authorised person and the formalities set out by FPS Justice.
Have the application acceptedApparently good wording does not by itself meet the recipient’s requirements.The translation meets a document requirement; the authority decides on the application.
Primary sourceOpenAI - Developer guidance on human reviewFPS Justice - Legalisation of sworn translations

Why use a sworn translator?

Link to this section

When the recipient requires a sworn translation, they expect a version tied to an authorised person and legal formalities. The title is regulated: admission involves evidence of competence, an accreditation commission’s opinion and a registration decision; activation follows the oath.

Official sourceFPS Justice - Admission, competence checks and oathFPS Justice - Mandatory registration and exception to the National Register

What does FPS Justice check?

Link to this section

FPS Justice handles register admission and professional oversight; breaches can lead to suspension or removal. The register lets you check a person and their languages. This framework does not mean that the FPS rereads every translation ordered through CertiDocs or approves each administrative application.

Official sourceFPS Justice - Admission, competence checks and oathFPS Justice - Professional oversight and disciplinary measuresFPS Justice - National register of sworn translators and interpreters

Why is a good AI translation not always enough?

Link to this section

Text accuracy, sworn status and acceptance of the application are separate questions. AI output should be checked against the source. OpenAI recommends human review to developers, especially for high-stakes uses. That review does not by itself create sworn status under Belgian rules.

Primary sourceOpenAI - Developer guidance on human reviewFPS Justice - Legalisation of sworn translations

What identifies the translator on your document

Link to this section

The delivered document contains a conformity statement, languages, place and date, VTI number, handwritten signature or its image, first name, surname, title and required electronic signature. FPS Justice provides a procedure when the professional cannot sign electronically and for exceptional judicial appointments outside the register. Our conclusion: reproducing these details with AI proves neither a person’s authorisation nor their responsibility for the document.

Official sourceFPS Justice - Legalisation of sworn translations

Before sharing a personal document with AI

Link to this section

To understand a term, ask a general question instead of attaching your full passport, birth certificate or judgment. Check how files are used, how long they are kept and how deletion works. Hiding a name does not guarantee anonymity: dates, addresses or case details may still identify someone. Keep the original intact; for a sworn translation, agree with the professional on the documents needed and how to send them.

Official sourceCNIL and PIPC - Generative AI and privacyBelgian DPA - Chatbots, data use and retentionCNIL - Anonymisation and indirect identification

Sworn translation in Belgium

If your procedure requires a sworn translation made in Belgium, these checks help you review the document delivered.

  1. The professional and their languages

    Search the FPS Justice public register by name or VTI number. Check the authorised languages for the translation concerned.

    FPS Justice - National register of sworn translators and interpreters

  2. The required details and signatures

    Check the conformity statement, languages, place, date, VTI number, translator’s identity and title, and signatures required by Article 555/11, § 4. A signature image does not replace a qualified electronic signature.

    FPS Justice - Required details, signatures and legalisation of translations

  3. The country of use

    The translation and original record may follow different formalities. For use abroad, check with FPS Foreign Affairs which apostille, legalisation or exemption applies.

    FPS Foreign Affairs - Legalisation and apostille of documents

When electronic signing is unavailable, or a court appoints someone outside the register under Article 555/15, an FPS Justice legalisation procedure applies.

FPS Justice - Legalisation of sworn translations

CertiDocs arranges the introduction; the sworn translator prepares and signs the translation. The receiving authority decides on your application. View the publisher and legal notice

Sources consulted on .

Documents to prepare

  • Receiving authority and country
  • Complete and legible source document
  • Translator name, VTI number and languages

Steps to follow

  1. Ask which format is required

    Confirm with the recipient whether a sworn translation and legalisation are needed.

  2. Keep AI at the information stage

    Use it to understand or prepare, without presenting the result as official.

  3. Verify, then instruct

    Check the VTI number and languages in the Register before sending the document.

Budget

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One fixed price per complete document, regardless of page count. Confirm the price before submitting. See all prices

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Frequently asked questions

+Is a sworn translation always mandatory?
No. Check the procedure, accepted language and any exemptions. Some EU public documents with a multilingual form and some diplomas for NARIC may be submitted without translation.
+Is a ChatGPT translation prohibited?
Not for understanding text. The issue starts when it is presented as sworn without a registered professional, prescribed wording and required signatures.
+Can a sworn translator correct my draft?
The professional chooses their method and must check the entire document before certifying it. Always send the complete source too.
+How do I check the final version?
Check the name or VTI number, authorised languages, conformity wording and expected signatures.
+Can ChatGPT apply the electronic signature?
No. The expected signature belongs to the authorised translator or, in the prescribed cases, FPS Justice. A generated or copied image does not replace that identity.
+Do I need to send my full passport or certificate to ChatGPT?
Not to understand a term: a general question is often enough. Avoid sharing unnecessary private information and read the service’s terms before sending a document.
+Is hiding names enough to anonymise my document?
No. An address, date or combination of details may still identify someone. Keep your original intact and do not treat a partly redacted copy as an anonymous document.
+Are the name and VTI number mandatory?
The delivered document contains a conformity statement, languages, place and date, VTI number, handwritten signature or its image, first name, surname, title and required electronic signature. FPS Justice provides a procedure when the professional cannot sign electronically and for exceptional judicial appointments outside the register. Our conclusion: reproducing these details with AI proves neither a person’s authorisation nor their responsibility for the document.
+Does the FPS approve every CertiDocs translation?
FPS Justice handles register admission and professional oversight; breaches can lead to suspension or removal. The register lets you check a person and their languages. This framework does not mean that the FPS rereads every translation ordered through CertiDocs or approves each administrative application.

Primary source

Sources and documentation used

The references below are the public sources used to document this page. The competent authority always retains the final decision.

Primary sourceFPS Justice - Mandatory registration and exception to the National RegisterPrimary sourceFPS Justice - National Register documentationPrimary sourceFPS Justice - Legalisation of sworn translationsPrimary sourceFPS Justice - National register of sworn translators and interpretersPrimary sourceFPS Justice - Admission, competence checks and oathPrimary sourceFPS Justice - Professional oversight and disciplinary measuresPrimary sourceOpenAI - Developer guidance on human reviewPrimary sourceCNIL and PIPC - Generative AI and privacyPrimary sourceBelgian DPA - Chatbots, data use and retentionPrimary sourceCNIL - Anonymisation and indirect identificationPrimary sourceYour Europe - Translation and authenticity of recordsPrimary sourceNARIC-Vlaanderen - Documents, translations and originalsPrimary sourceImmigration Office - AppealsPrimary sourceBelgian Embassy in Morocco - ApostillePrimary sourceFPS Justice - Required details, signatures and legalisation of translationsPrimary sourceFPS Foreign Affairs - Legalisation and apostille of documents

CertiDocs analysis: CertiDocs explains the process and helps connect users with a professional. CertiDocs is not a public service and is not affiliated with any authority.