Recognition and transcription of foreign marriage certificates

Validity of a foreign marriage

A marriage performed abroad is valid in Belgium if

• you meet the Belgian legal requirements to get married
• and the marriage has been performed according to the formats that are customary in the country concerned.

If you are Belgian, all changes in your marital status are governed by Belgian law. Even if you reside abroad, Belgian law will be applied.

If you are not Belgian, the marriage conditions of your country of nationality apply.

Having a foreign marriage certificate recognised in Belgium

In order to have a foreign marriage certificate recognised in Belgium, the certificate

• must have been drawn up by the competent foreign authority. It must also be in the format that is customary in that country.
• be authenticated.
• and be translated into Dutch, French, or German by a sworn translator if the certificate was drawn up in a foreign language.

You must choose the language of the Belgian municipality in which the certificate is transcribed. You must also have the signature of the foreign sworn translator authenticated.

In Belgium, you can obtain the list of sworn translators from the registry of the Court of First Instance.

It is best to have the foreign marriage certificate transcribed in the Belgian registers of the register office. This is not compulsory, but it is easier to request extracts from or copies of that certificate afterwards.

The foreign marriage certificate can be registered in Belgium with the register office of

• your place of (last) registration in the population, foreign nationals, or waiting register
• or, failing that, of Brussels.

If you do not have the marriage certificate transcribed in Belgium, you must request the extracts abroad.

Transcription is free of charge.