Franchising in Belgium: keep your language versions aligned

If you are turning an existing Belgian business into a franchise network, sooner or later you may meet prospective franchisees who speak a different language. Translating your documents may seem like a straightforward next step. Yet small differences in wording can have major consequences: a mandatory procedure becomes a recommendation, or support sounds more extensive than intended. Here is how to manage language versions without creating different expectations within the same franchise system.

1. Identify which documents need to work together

Rather than commissioning translations one at a time, start by mapping out your documents. After all, a prospective franchisee reads your contract in the context of your presentation, while an existing franchisee uses the manual alongside instructions from your support team.

Include at least the following:

• your franchise presentation and answers to frequently asked questions;
• the draft franchise agreement and its appendices;
• the pre-contractual information document, commonly known in Belgium by the Dutch abbreviation PID;
• the manual, training materials and practical checklists;
• standard messages about support and operational arrangements.

For each document, record the original language, available translations, the person responsible and the version date. Then decide which language versions you need for the prospective and existing franchisees you actually intend to support.

Distinguish between the language of the agreement and the language of day-to-day collaboration. A prospective franchisee may understand a contract but still need technical training in another language. Agree which language will be used for training, queries and urgent notifications too. Do not promise language support that your team cannot provide.

2. Start with Belgium’s disclosure requirements

Belgium has specific rules on pre-contractual disclosure for commercial cooperation agreements, including franchise agreements. These are set out in Book X, Title 2 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law (known by its Dutch abbreviation, WER). It is therefore incorrect to describe franchising as entirely unregulated, even though there is no standalone law exhaustively governing every aspect of every franchise agreement.

Article X.27 of the Code requires the franchisor to provide the draft agreement and a separate information document at least one month before the agreement is concluded. Article X.28 specifies what information the PID must contain. The documents must be provided in writing or on a durable and accessible medium.

The rules also require clear, understandable language. This does not automatically mean that every franchise document must always be available in all of Belgium’s national languages. However, you must avoid unclear wording or conflicting translations that prevent a prospective franchisee from gaining a reliable understanding of the proposed relationship.

Agree on the document language in advance and ask a Belgian lawyer to check which language requirements apply in your particular circumstances. Other documents, such as employment documents, may be subject to separate language rules.

Nor can differences between language versions be resolved with a single standard clause. Seek legal advice on how the versions relate to one another and what consequences a substantive correction may have for the pre-contractual process.

3. Translate obligations, not just words

Draw up a glossary before translation begins. Use consistent terms for concepts such as the initial franchise fee, ongoing fee, turnover, opening hours, training and technical assistance. Include not only the translation but also what each term means within your franchise system.

Pay particular attention to words that determine the strength of an obligation. For example, compare:

• ‘must’ with ‘may’;
• ‘prior approval’ with ‘prior notification’;
• ‘included support’ with ‘available support’;
• ‘working days’ with ‘calendar days’.

A translation that reads fluently but introduces these differences changes the agreement. Have contracts and the PID checked by someone with appropriate legal and linguistic expertise. Operational instructions should also be reviewed by someone who actually carries out the work.

Use machine translation, if at all, only as an aid to producing a first draft. Do not enter confidential franchise know-how into an external translation service without first assessing the risks. Check access permissions and the terms governing the storage and use of submitted data beforehand.

Then test a few critical instructions with someone who uses the target language. For example, ask them to explain how a complaint should be reported. This can reveal ambiguities that a routine read-through would miss.

4. Manage language versions as a single set

Appoint one person to maintain oversight. Give related documents clearly identifiable version numbers and record which versions each prospective or existing franchisee received. Store old versions separately so that nobody accidentally sends them out again.

Use a simple change-control process: first finalise the content, then update all affected translations, and finally check consistency. Include cross-references between the contract, appendices and manual in this check. A changed chapter number can make a legal reference unusable.

Do not let staff add their own translated commitments to emails. Collect recurring questions and incorporate approved answers into every language you use. This helps ensure consistent communication across your franchise network.

Practical takeaway: before engaging with your first prospective franchisee who speaks another language, put one document owner, one glossary and one review procedure in place. Expand into additional languages only when you can reliably support not just the documents, but day-to-day collaboration too.