eLegalisation: apostille a Belgian document online
For an electronic Belgian document, the municipality, notary or translator may need to submit the request directly. Do not pay for translation before identifying the competent issuer.
Overview
What this guide helps you sort out
For an electronic Belgian document, the municipality, notary or translator may need to submit the request directly. Do not pay for translation before identifying the competent issuer.
Steps
4
Documents
4
Official sources
2
Which documents are handled online?
Electronic documents, including certain DABS/BAEC records, translations and notarial deeds, follow an online route when the issuer is a service partner. The exact document type and signature determine the channel.
Official fee and timing in August 2026
Since 1 August 2026, the fee is €25 per legalisation or apostille. FPS Foreign Affairs publishes a 48-hour target for online requests from certain partner bodies and five working days for notaries.
Why translation may be required
FPS Foreign Affairs accepts several languages for a document being legalised or apostilled. A document in another language must be accompanied by a sworn translation; a foreign document used in Belgium may need a national-language version.
Documents to prepare
- Destination country
- Paper or electronic format
- Issuer: municipality, notary, translator or other body
- LegalWeb reference and proof of payment
Steps to follow
Check the formality
Use the official simulator with the destination country and document type.
Identify the issuer
Check who must submit: you at the counter or the issuing body online.
Prepare the right language
Add a sworn translation only when the language rule and destination require it.
Pay and verify
Follow the payment email, then retain the reference used to verify the document on LegalWeb.
Good to know
Electronic apostilles only
FPS Foreign Affairs states that no paper apostilles have been issued since 1 May 2018.
Citizens do not always submit directly
For certain electronic documents, the issuing authority submits the request through eLegalisation.
Internal routes
Jump straight to the next useful page
Not every internal link deserves oxygen. These are the document, language, city and cluster pages that genuinely extend this file.
Full cluster
Apostille, legalisation and foreign documents
The right order for authentication, eLegalisation and sworn translation, including for refugees, stateless persons and companies.
Common translations
Budget
Frame your request in 30 seconds
Choose the volume and deadline. The translator prices the actual document afterwards; there is no made-up automatic quote here.
Deadline surcharge
No surcharge
The translation price is set only after the professional has read the document.
Frequently asked questions
+−How much does a Belgian apostille cost in 2026?
+−Can you still obtain a paper apostille?
+−Can the translator submit the request?
+−Is the 48-hour timing guaranteed?
Guides
Stay inside the same case family
This guide belongs to a stronger cluster. If this page touches your file, these usually do too. Apostille, legalisation and foreign documents.
Legal framework for sworn translators in Belgium
Who may use the title of sworn translator in Belgium, what to check in the National Register and when legalisation may still be needed.
Read the guideWhen does a sworn translation need legalisation in Belgium?
Understand the difference between a sworn translation and the legalisation of that translation depending on use in Belgium or abroad.
Read the guideApostille company statutes or a power of attorney
Belgian company statutes, notarial deed or power of attorney for use abroad: check the issuer, eLegalisation, apostille and required translation.
Read the guideSworn translation of a notarial deed in Belgium
Foreign or Belgian notarial deed: check the version, annexes, sworn translation and any legalisation before sending it to the recipient.
Read the guideGuides
Next files that usually travel together
Same records, same languages or the same administrative friction. These are the logical next clicks, not random filler.
How to verify a sworn translator in Belgium
Where to check that a sworn translator is actually authorised and for which languages they are registered in Belgium.
Read the guideEU public documents: when an apostille is no longer required
What the EU regulation on public documents changes: no apostille in certain cases, the limits of the system and the role of multilingual forms.
Read the guideCompany statutes for a Belgian notary
What a Belgian notary actually wants to read in company statutes: the latest version, the representation clauses, the useful signatories and a sworn translation of the decisive passages.
Read the guideCan you translate an official document yourself with AI?
You may prepare a translation for understanding, but cannot give it sworn status yourself without the required registration and formalities.
Read the guideCompany statutes for a file with a Belgian notary
How to make company statutes readable for a Belgian notary: legal structure, signatures, representation powers and sworn translation if needed.
Read the guideLegalisation before or after translation in Belgium?
Should legalisation come before or after translation for Belgium? Understanding the correct order stops you from freezing an incomplete record and paying twice.
Read the guideOfficial source
Official sources used
The references below are the public sources used to document this page. The competent authority always retains the final decision.
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.