Indian birth, marriage, degree and police clearance certificates for Belgium are verified at state level and then apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs. Belgian communes and the Immigration Office accept the MEA apostille, though they usually require a sworn translation into Dutch, French or German depending on the region. Belgian documents for India are apostilled by FPS Foreign Affairs and translated into English by a sworn translator.
- Document route
- Notary, then apostille from FPS Foreign Affairs
- Time difference
- India is 3h30 (summer) to 4h30 (winter) ahead
- Treaty
- Hague Apostille Convention 1961
- Indian authority
- Ministry of External Affairs
Apostille & Attestation from Belgium: how it works
For Indian documents, our team or your family in India collects the originals, gets state home department or university verification, and applies to the MEA through its authorised outsourcing centres. We courier the apostilled documents to Belgium. Belgian communes are strict on names, dates of birth and place of birth matching across documents, so we compare passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates before applying. Old Indian birth certificates without names sometimes need correction or a fresh certificate first.
In Belgium, a sworn translator registered with the Belgian courts prepares translations into the language of your commune: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia and mixed in Brussels, German in the eastern cantons. For documents going to India, Belgian civil status extracts, diplomas and company documents are apostilled by FPS Foreign Affairs, sometimes after a preliminary step at the issuing authority, and then translated into English. Indian banks, passport offices and courts accept them once translated.
What clients in Belgium should know
- Belgian family reunification files commonly require a recent marriage certificate, so an older apostilled copy may be refused.
- Indian educational documents for Belgian equivalence (through the French or Flemish community) need apostille and sometimes transcripts.
- Belgian electronic apostilles are verified online; Indian offices may still ask for paper originals, so keep both.
Step by step from Belgium
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Belgium, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Belgium
Notary, then apostille from FPS Foreign Affairs
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Belgium where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Belgium. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Apostille & Attestation, or see all services for clients in Belgium and the Inheritance & Documents practice area.
Questions from clients in Belgium
Does the Embassy of India in Brussels apostille documents?
No. Only the MEA in India apostilles Indian documents. The embassy can attest some documents for use in Belgium.
Do I need to send original Indian certificates abroad?
Yes, the apostille is placed on the original or a certified copy depending on the document.
Can a translation done in India be used in Belgium?
Belgian authorities generally require a translation by a sworn translator recognised in Belgium.