A legalization is a confirmation by an official authoirty that the signature on a document is actually the signature of the person who signs the document.
Certified translations that are intended for use outside of Belgium often require a legalization by the Ministry of Justice (SPF Justice) to be valid for official purposes. The Ministry verifies whether the signature on the translation is actually the signature of the certified translator and "legalizes" the document with a stamp. To obtain a legalization, the translator has to go to the Ministry of Justice in Brussels in person. It take approximately 4-5 working days for the Ministry to place a legalization stamp.
After the legalization by the Ministry, certain documents require additional stamps from specific authorities in Brussels. For instance, an apostille is actually a legalization by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the signature placed by a Belgian official. Embassies, consulates or ministries can also legalize certain documents.
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