Explore country-specific rules for recognising foreign documents for official use.
This map shows when certified or sworn translations, apostilles, or legalisation are required for official use.
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Requirement: Sworn
| Apostille required | Required for foreign documents, depending on country of origin |
|---|---|
| Translation type required | Sworn translation |
| Who can translate | Translator sworn before a Dutch court and registered with Bureau Wbtv |
| Official translator registry | Register of Sworn Interpreters and Translators (Bureau Wbtv) |
| Accepted languages | Dutch, English, French, or German (depending on authority) |
| Legalisation authority | Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Official source | Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) – Translation and Legalisation |
Important: If an apostille or legalisation is required for a foreign document, it must generally be obtained before the sworn translation is submitted to Dutch authorities.
Find a sworn translator in the NetherlandsOnly translators who have been sworn in before a Dutch court and are registered in the official Register beëdigde tolken en vertalers (Rbtv), maintained by Bureau Wbtv, may issue sworn translations in the Netherlands.
Registered translators use an official stamp and signature to certify their work.
A sworn translation must include the translator’s stamp and signature and a declaration confirming that the translation is a true and complete representation of the original document.
The translation is typically attached to the original document (or certified copy) so that both can be verified together.
Foreign official documents usually need to be legalised or apostilled in the issuing country before use in the Netherlands.
If the translation is carried out outside the Netherlands by a non-Dutch sworn translator, additional legalisation of the translation may be required.
Sworn translators in the Netherlands are regulated under the Wet beëdigde tolken en vertalers (Wbtv). Translators must meet qualification and integrity requirements and are supervised by Bureau Wbtv. Dutch authorities, including the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), may refuse documents that do not meet these formal requirements.
