Four documents, four different rules
A driving licence is valid for 10 years and costs between €22.50 and €40 to renew, depending on your municipality. An ID card is valid for 10 years, or 30 years from age 75, and costs on average €20 to €35. You must collect both in person from your municipality. A criminal record extract varies considerably in price by municipality and comes in 2 models that are not interchangeable.
The wrong model is not valid proof
Model 1 (article 595) is for general use. Model 2 (article 596.1) is specifically for professions with legal requirements. If you request the wrong model, the authority requiring it will not accept it. The minimum legal validity is 1 month, but the receiving authority decides what validity it will still accept.
Example: Yasmin applies for a job that requires a criminal record extract model 2. She requests the ordinary model 1 from the municipality, thinking all extracts are the same. When she submits her file, the document turns out to be insufficient and she must request a new extract.
Legalisation cannot always be done online
A legalisation or apostille makes a Belgian document valid abroad, or a foreign document valid in Belgium. Since April 2024, this can be done online via eLegalisation for certain documents, using your eID. Other documents must still be submitted by appointment to the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs in Brussels. The cost is €20 per legalisation.
We find the right office for you
Which service, which model or which procedure applies to you depends on the document and its purpose. We work this out for you and handle the application at the right office. Just come in during opening hours and we'll help you straight away.