How do you apostille and legalise documents for Belgium in 2026?

If the issuing country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, obtain the Apostille from that country’s competent authority before you fly when possible. Non-Hague origins generally need full diplomatic certification through the foreign ministry chain and the Belgian embassy or consulate in the issuing country. Ask the receiving body (commune foreigners desk, Immigration Office for a single-permit pack, a school, or a civil-status office) which papers and how recent they must be: Apply for a residence permit and Register address.

Common packs include birth certificates, marriage or divorce papers, police clearances, and academic transcripts. School enrolment and some recognition paths widen the list: Enrol in public school. Start authentication early; Apostille offices and embassy queues can burn weeks of a start-date plan: Paperwork after moving.

FPS Foreign Affairs (SPF Affaires étrangères) apostilles or legalises Belgian public documents for use abroad. Since May 2018 Apostilles are electronic only; many issuers submit through eLegalisation, and the fee sits at €25 per document from 1 August 2026. Book the Brussels legalisation desk at Karmelietenstraat 27 only when the document is Belgian and the destination checklist asks for Belgian authentication. Do not book that appointment expecting staff to apostille a US or Turkish birth certificate for an Annex 19 or single-permit upload.

Certified translations into the language of the Region may still be required after Apostille. Keep originals, Apostille pages, and translations in one folder with passport-matching names. Banks and leases care more about domicile and stay proof than Apostille, yet identity mismatches still delay KYC: Open a bank account and How to rent a home.