Belgium 9bis vs 9ter Translation Requirements: Document Routing, Evidence, and Sworn Translation Order
If you are trying to stay in Belgium on humanitarian or medical grounds, the real problem is usually not abstract immigration law. It is practical: is this a 9bis file or a 9ter file, where does it go first, and which foreign-language documents need sworn translation before you send anything? That is why Belgium 9bis vs 9ter translation requirements are not just a translation question. They are a routing question, an evidence question, and a packaging question.
In Belgium, the local term is usually sworn translation, not generic “certified translation.” For official use, you should think in terms of traduction jurée or beëdigde vertaling. If you need the general background on self-translation, notarization, or Google Translate limits, keep that separate and start with this Belgium guide on self-translation and notarization limits and this Liege-focused sworn translation guide.
Key Takeaways
- 9bis goes through your municipality first. The Belgian Immigration Office says an application made directly to the Immigration Office will not be considered, so a 9bis file must start with the mayor or municipality where you actually live. Source
- 9ter goes by registered mail to Brussels. The medical-stay procedure must be sent by registered post to the Immigration Office, Exceptional Stay Department, Medical Stay Service, Boulevard Pacheco 44, 1000 Brussels. Source
- The evidence mix is different. 9bis is built around exceptional circumstances; 9ter is built around illness, treatment needs, and treatment availability or accessibility in the country of origin. Translating the wrong packet first wastes time and money.
- Belgium uses sworn translation rules. Since 1 December 2022, the physical official stamp has been replaced by the translator’s electronic signature for sworn translations used in Belgium. Source
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is for people already in Belgium who need to stay more than 90 days on humanitarian or medical grounds and are trying to work out whether their case belongs under article 9bis or article 9ter. It is also useful for relatives, NGO caseworkers, hospital social workers, and legal assistants helping to prepare foreign-language documents.
The most common file mix includes identity papers, proof of actual residence in Belgium, family or civil-status records, medical reports, prescriptions, and country-of-origin evidence about treatment access. The most common language pressure points are documents in Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, English, and other non-Belgian languages that may need to be translated into French or Dutch before the file is usable.
9bis vs 9ter in One Screen
| Question | 9bis | 9ter |
|---|---|---|
| Main logic | Exceptional circumstances justify applying from inside Belgium instead of abroad | Serious illness plus inadequate or inaccessible treatment in the country of origin or stay |
| First filing point | Your municipality or mayor where you actually reside | Registered mail to DVZ in Brussels |
| Must-have basics | Identity proof, explanation of exceptional circumstances, proof of fee payment, actual address | Identity proof, actual address, recent medical information, treatment-access evidence, standard medical certificate under 3 months old |
| Translation priority | Identity papers, narrative attachments, family and residence evidence, only supporting medical material if it is not the core legal basis | Medical certificate, specialist reports, prescriptions, test results, treatment-availability and accessibility evidence, then identity papers |
| Main procedural trap | Sending it straight to DVZ or building the file mainly on 9ter-type medical grounds | Using an out-of-date medical packet, missing the registered-mail route, or translating only diagnosis but not treatment-access evidence |
What You Should Translate First
For a 9bis file
- Translate identity proof first, because the 9bis page requires proof of identity with the application. Official rule
- Translate the documents that explain why the application must be lodged in Belgium rather than through a consulate abroad.
- Translate family and life-in-Belgium evidence only if it supports the exceptional-circumstances narrative.
- Be careful with medical evidence. If the real legal basis is illness and treatment access, that points toward 9ter. The 9bis page explicitly says elements already invoked in a 9ter application cannot be treated as exceptional circumstances. Source
For a 9ter file
- Translate the standard medical certificate and the most recent medical records first, because the 9ter page requires a standard certificate drawn up less than three months before the application. Official rule
- Do not stop at diagnosis. Translate the documents that show seriousness, required treatment, and why treatment is not adequately available or accessible in the country of origin.
- Then translate identity and residence evidence so the packet is complete when it goes by registered mail.
- If your medical certificate is being prepared now, use the current official model. The Immigration Office announced the new model on 24 January 2024, with use from 1 March 2024, while also stating that the old model would still be accepted. Source
For the generic translation-form question, keep it short here and use internal references: certified vs notarized translation and electronic certified translation formats.
How Filing Works in Real Life in Belgium
9bis is national law, but the first real-life friction point is local. You file through the municipality where you actually live. The municipal administration then checks whether you really live at that address within 10 days. If the residence check is positive, the municipality forwards the file to the Immigration Office. If it is negative, the municipality refuses to consider the application and does not forward it. Source
9ter is the opposite. It does not start at your municipality. It starts with a registered-mail packet to the Immigration Office in Brussels. Only if the file is found admissible does the municipality come back into the picture for registration steps. Source
This is the most important non-obvious Belgium point in the whole article: 9bis is municipality-first, 9ter is Brussels-mail-first. Many applicants lose time because they think both routes start with the same office.
Belgium-Specific Pitfalls That Cause Delay or Inadmissibility
- Sending a 9bis file directly to DVZ. The Immigration Office says it will not consider that filing route. Source
- Paying the wrong 9bis fee or forgetting proof of payment. As of 1 January 2026, the official contribution fee for a 9bis residence application filed in Belgium is €377, and missing proof makes the application inadmissible. Source
- Using medical evidence in the wrong legal bucket. A 9bis file that really relies on 9ter-type medical grounds is structurally weak before the translation issue even starts.
- Translating only the diagnosis for 9ter. The 9ter rule also asks for information on treatment possibilities and accessibility in the country of origin or stay. Source
- Filing multiple pending residence applications without strategy. The 9bis page says a person with multiple residence applications still pending is deemed to have withdrawn the earlier ones, and the decision will be based on the last application. Source
What “Sworn Translation” Means in Belgium
For this Belgium procedure, sworn translation is the natural term. The Federal Public Service Justice explains that, from 1 December 2022, the official physical stamp was replaced by the sworn translator’s electronic signature for translations intended for use in Belgium. The same Justice page also explains that citizens and authorities can verify whether a translator is authorized, and for which language combinations, in the public register. Source Public register
That matters for 9bis and 9ter because the practical question is rarely “Do I need translation at all?” It is usually “Will the municipality, lawyer, hospital social worker, or DVZ accept this format?” In Belgium, a professionally prepared electronic sworn translation can be the correct format. Wet stamps and extra notarization are not the default answer for Belgian domestic use.
If you need a fast digital workflow, CertOf’s useful background pages are how online ordering works, fast certified translation benchmarks, and revision and delivery expectations.
Wait Times, Cost, Mailing, and Scheduling Reality
Belgium does not give you a simple official service-level promise for 9bis or 9ter decisions, so do not plan around a guaranteed approval calendar. The reliable timing points are procedural ones: the 9bis residence check is supposed to happen within 10 days, the 9ter medical certificate must be under three months old, and an appeal to the Council for Alien Law Litigation must generally be lodged within 30 days after notification of the decision. Appeal source
On cost, the hard official number in this article is the 9bis contribution fee. Translation cost is market-based, not fixed by DVZ, so the safe user guidance is simple: budget for more pages if you are filing 9ter, because a proper 9ter packet often includes a medical certificate, test results, specialist letters, and treatment-access evidence rather than one short diagnosis note.
On mailing, 9ter is a registered-mail process for a reason. Keep postal proof, scans of the full packet, and the translator’s final files together. If the problem later becomes postal handling rather than immigration law, Belgium also has a dedicated Ombudsman for the Postal Sector, but that is a logistics remedy, not a substitute for an immigration appeal.
What Applicants and Support Workers Keep Tripping Over
Myria’s rights material keeps humanitarian stay and medical stay separate, and legal-aid explainers such as ADDE do the same. That mirrors what support workers see on the ground: the biggest failure is often not bad translation, but bad classification before translation. People spend money translating a 9bis-style narrative when the real file is medical, or they translate only hospital papers and forget the residence, identity, and routing logic that still has to hold the packet together.
Another recurring issue is language choice. In practice, people often ask whether English is “close enough.” For Belgian administrative use, the safer assumption is no. If your receiving workflow is French-speaking or Dutch-speaking, translate for that workflow rather than hoping English will be treated as administratively interchangeable.
Belgium Provider Comparison for the Translation Part
This is not a ranking. It is a short, verifiable comparison of publicly visible signals for Belgium-based sworn-translation options. For any provider, the final checkpoint is still the translator’s language combination and VTI registration in the public register.
| Provider | Public contact signal | What the public site clearly offers | Where it fits in a 9bis/9ter workflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| JL Assistance SRL | Avenue Louise 143, box 4, 1050 Brussels; +32 479 43 62 83 | Sworn translation, legalization and apostille workflow; remote handling with appointments | Useful if you need a Brussels-based agency workflow and want one place to handle official-document packaging |
| Global Lingua Services | Avenue Louise 500, Brussels; 0494 77 88 76 | Public sworn-translation page covering legal and medical documents | Useful if your file mixes civil documents and medical records and you want a provider explicitly marketing both areas |
| Van Dael Translation | Auguste Reyerslaan 80, 1030 Brussels; +32 26 161 311 | Public page states sworn translator registration in Belgium for Dutch, French, Spanish and English | Useful for narrower language pairs that match the languages clearly listed on the public site |
If your main concern is speed, file upload, and revision handling rather than local office visits, CertOf is better understood as a document-preparation and translation workflow partner, not as a Belgian law firm or filing agent. You can start from CertOf’s upload page.
Free and Low-Cost Help Before You Pay the Wrong Person
| Resource | Public contact signal | Best use | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myria | Place Victor Horta 40, box 40, 1060 Saint-Gilles; free line 0800 14 912; general phone +32 2 212 30 00 | Rights information, route triage, next-step guidance | It does not become your representative just because you call |
| BAJ Brussels | Rue de la Régence 63, 1st floor, 1000 Brussels; +32 2 519 83 05; appointment-based | First-line and second-line legal aid if you need a lawyer or appeal help | Not a translation provider |
| Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen | Kruidtuinstraat 75, 1210 Brussels; Infolijn 02 225 44 11, weekdays 9:00-12:30 | First-line refugee and migration guidance in Dutch, English and French | Not a substitute for sworn translation or a court appeal |
Complaint and Appeal Paths
- If DVZ refuses the application: the Immigration Office says appeals go to the Council for Alien Law Litigation, generally within 30 days, usually by registered post to Rue Gaucheret 92-94, 1030 Brussels. Source
- If the issue is administrative handling by a federal service: the Federal Ombudsman can handle complaints involving the Immigration Office, including from non-Belgian nationals. Scope How to file
- If you suspect an irregular sworn translation: the FPS Justice legalization page says irregularities can be reported to the National Register service by email at [email protected]. Source
Belgium Data Points That Actually Matter Here
Belgium’s migration system is not dealing with a tiny caseload. The CGRS says that in 2025, 34,439 people filed an application for international protection, with major countries of origin including Afghanistan, Palestine, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Turkey. Fedasil says 25,003 people received a place in the reception network in 2025, the average stay remained 449 days, and occupancy stayed around 94%. CGRS 2025 overview Fedasil 2025 figures
Why that matters for a 9bis or 9ter packet: large caseloads and pressured reception conditions mean you should not assume that a weak or incomplete translated packet can be fixed casually later. It also helps explain why language pairs beyond simple English-French paperwork show up frequently in Belgium migration files.
FAQ: Belgium 9bis vs 9ter Translation Requirements
Can I file a 9bis application directly with the Immigration Office?
No. The official 9bis page says an application made directly to the Immigration Office will not be considered. It must start with the mayor or municipality where you actually reside. Source
Where do I send a 9ter application in Belgium?
By registered mail to the Immigration Office, Exceptional Stay Department, Medical Stay Service, Boulevard Pacheco 44, 1000 Brussels. Source
Do I need a sworn translation for 9bis or 9ter documents?
For official Belgian use, that is the safe working assumption when your documents are not already in the needed administrative language. In Belgium, the relevant concept is sworn translation, and the translator should be verifiable in the public register.
Can I use English medical reports without translation?
You should not assume that. For Belgian administrative use, prepare the file in the language expected by the receiving workflow, usually French or Dutch.
What is the most important translation difference between 9bis and 9ter?
In 9bis, translation supports an exceptional-circumstances file. In 9ter, translation supports a medical-risk and treatment-access file. That changes both the order and the priority of the documents you translate.
What if I receive a refusal?
Check the appeal route immediately. The Immigration Office says the appeal to the Council for Alien Law Litigation must generally be lodged within 30 days from notification. Source
CTA
If you already know whether your packet is 9bis or 9ter, CertOf can help with the part it actually controls: document triage, translation, formatting, and revision-ready delivery. We do not act as your lawyer, government filing agent, or municipality contact point. We help you turn foreign-language documents into a cleaner packet for Belgian review. Start with your upload, or review how online ordering works and how revisions and delivery are handled.
Disclaimer
This guide is for general information and document-preparation planning. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from a Belgian lawyer or qualified legal-aid organization. Immigration rules, fees, and forms can change, so check the official DVZ and FPS Justice pages again before filing.
