To have a foreign marriage recognised, you must - after returning to Belgium - have the marriage registered. It is best to transfer the foreign marriage certificate to the Belgian civil status registers. This is not compulsory, but it is easier to request extracts or copies of that deed afterwards.
Target Group
- Burger
Conditions
ConditionsValidity of a foreign marriage
A marriage performed abroad is valid in Belgium if:
- you meet the Belgian legal conditions to get married
- the marriage was performed according to the forms 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 the country of your nationality will apply.
Having a foreign marriage certificate recognised in Belgium
To have a foreign marriage certificate recognised in Belgium, the certificate must:
- Be drawn up by the foreign competent authority. It must also have the form customary in that country.
- be legalised.
- be translated by a sworn translator into Dutch, French or German, if the deed was drawn up in a foreign language. You must choose the language of the Belgian municipality where the deed will be transferred.
You must also have the foreign sworn translator's signature legalised.
In Belgium, you can obtain the list of sworn translators at the registry of the court of first instance.
Procedure
Procedure
It is best to have the foreign marriage certificate transcribed in the Belgian civil status registers. This is not compulsory, but it is easier to request extracts or copies of the certificate afterwards.
The foreign marriage certificate can be registered in Belgium at the civil status records of
- your place of (last) registration in the population, foreigner or waiting register
- or, failing that, of Brussels.
If you do not have the marriage certificate transcribed in Belgium, you will have to request the extracts abroad.
Amount
Cost
The transfer is free of charge.