Legalisation of documents

On this page, you will find all the information on how to legalise a document.

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A. Legalisation of documents in Belgium (for use abroad)

A document that is official and legal in one country is not automatically legal in another. This is why you must first have your documents legalised before you can use them abroad.

Legalisation certifies the origin of a document. It is an official confirmation of the veracity of the signature, stamp or seal of the official who signed the document.

It is not only the signature of the person who issued the document that is legalised but also, by extension, the signature of the official who legalised the document. Each signature/stamp/seal is legalised by the person who is competent to do so and who knows that signature, stamp or seal. This explains why several legalisations - in a clearly defined order - are often necessary.

A country may also be bound by a legalisation treaty that encompasses agreements on how countries accept each other's official documents. Many countries have signed the "Apostille Convention" of The Hague of 5 October 1961. In this case, one single legalisation is required by means of an Apostille stamp.

Read more on Questions and answers about the legalisation of documents.

Important information: If you have an e-ID card and a card reader, you can request your legalisation or your Apostille via the website: eLegalizations.

 

B. Legalisation of documents issued in Greece or Cyprus (for exclusive use by a Belgian authority)

In order to authenticate an official document issued by the Greek or Cypriot authorities and for it to be accepted by the Belgian administration, it must be provided with an Apostille.

Once the Apostille has been affixed, the document must be translated into one of Belgium's national languages by a translator approved by the Belgian Embassy in Athens.

The official document can then be legalised by the Belgian Embassy in Athens.

 

1. Obtaining an Apostille

In Greece

You can find all the information you need about obtaining an Apostille in Greece here.


In Cyprus

You will find all the information you need to obtain an Apostille in Cyprus here.


2. Obtaining the translation

In Greece

Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens Certified Translators | GOV.GR (services.gov.gr).

The Greek Embassy also accepts translations from the translators below:

Dutch:

French:

  • Gabriel Tsaligopoulos IKE, Venizelou 8, 54624 Thessaloniki, Tel 2310 283143 Fax 2310 285272; lingua@otenet.gr; www.tsaligopoulos.gr
  • Els Theys, Sokratous 8, 501 00 Kozani, Tel 24610-37925 Fax24610-37551 Mob 6973474145; els.theys@gmail.com
  • Anne Wehrheim (Glossima & Wehrheim), K. Karamanli 182, 54248 Thessaloniki, Tel 2310 330 415, info@glossima.com
  • Translation service of the French Institute of Thessaloniki, Leoforos Stratou 2A, 546 40 Thessaloniki, Tel 2310 821 231 poste 114, traduction@ift.gr; www.ift.gr
  • Anna Coucorava-Panagopoulou, Vogatsikou 10, 546 22 Thessaloniki, Mob 6977602280; annoukapan@hotmail.com
  • Céline Hubineau, Miltiadou 12, 546 39 Thessaloniki, Tel 2314039976, Mob 6979946945; sebcenat@yahoo.fr

German:

In Cyprus

Consult the list of sworn translators here.

 

3. Obtain legalisation of the document, after affixing the Apostille and translation, from the Embassy.

The cost of each legalisation carried out by our services is 20 euros.

To find out how to pay, click here.

You can drop off the official document(s) to be legalised after making an appointment here.

Our services will contact you as soon as possible to collect the legalised document(s).