Belgium (BE)
Belgium is a small but densely populated federal kingdom at the crossroads of Western Europe, split across three linguistic regions — Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, and bilingual Brussels — and famed for its medieval cities, world-class beer and chocolate, and its role as the de facto capital of the European Union.
Qualification Recognition
Getting your foreign credentials recognised in Belgium.
Belgium's qualification recognition system is highly decentralised — each linguistic community (Flanders, French Community, German-speaking Community) has its own authority. The federal NARIC Belgium coordinates but the actual recognition decisions are made regionally. Belgium distinguishes between academic recognition (for education access and professional purposes) and professional recognition (for regulated professions). EU-wide automatic recognition applies for several regulated professions under EU directives.
Regulated Professions
Process: For EU citizens holding qualifications from another EU country: automatic recognition applies for the 7 sectoral professions (doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, veterinarians, architects) under Directive 2005/36/EC. For other regulated professions, a general system application must be made to the competent regional authority. For non-EU qualifications: a comparability assessment is required first via NARIC/Enic-Naric.
Authority: Regional authorities: NARIC-Vlaanderen (naricvlaanderen.be — Flanders and Brussels Dutch-speakers), NARIC Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (cfwb.be — Wallonia and Brussels French-speakers), NARIC Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft (for German-speaking Community). For healthcare: FPS Public Health (health.belgium.be) issues the visa (recognition) for foreign medical diplomas; professionals must also register with the Order of Physicians (ordomedic.be) and obtain an INAMI/RIZIV number.
Timeline: 3–6 months for standard cases; up to 12 months for complex foreign non-EU qualifications requiring full assessment.
Cost: NARIC-Vlaanderen: €90 (level/niveaugelijkwaardigheid), €180 (Bachelor/Master), €300 (PhD). French Community (NARIC FWB): similar range. Refugees, asylum seekers, and subsidiary protected persons: free of charge. Professional body registration fees vary by sector.
Academic Degrees
Authority: NARIC-Vlaanderen (naricvlaanderen.be) for Flanders; NARIC Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (cfwb.be) for Wallonia and Brussels French-speakers. From 1 May 2024, the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) automatically recognise each other's higher education degree levels — applicants from those countries no longer need a NARIC equivalency application for level recognition.
Process: Submit: certified copy of diploma, transcripts, and translation into Dutch/French/German by a sworn translator. For degrees from EU countries: generally straightforward recognition. For non-EU degrees: assessment against the Belgian framework (level 5–8 in the Flemish qualification framework / cadre francophone des certifications).
Equivalency service: NARIC-Vlaanderen (naricvlaanderen.be) and NARIC FWB (cfwb.be) each offer a formal Certificate of Equivalence (gelijkwaardigheidsattest / attestation d'équivalence) for degrees from outside Belgium. Required for many Belgian employers, civil service jobs, and further study applications. Processing time: 2–4 months. From 1 May 2024, Benelux and Baltic state graduates benefit from automatic mutual recognition of degree levels — no application needed for level recognition from those countries.
Document Rules
Apostille: Documents from Hague Convention countries must have an apostille stamp from the issuing country's designated authority. Belgium recognises apostilles from 125+ signatory countries.
Legalisation: Documents from non-Hague Convention countries require full legalisation: authentication by the issuing country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs → Belgian embassy in that country → Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels.
Sworn translation: All foreign-language documents must be translated by a sworn (beëdigd / assermenté) translator registered with a Belgian court. This translation has legal standing. Find sworn translators at: just.fgov.be (federal justice portal). Language requirements also apply to practitioners: physicians must demonstrate at least B2 proficiency in the language of their region (Dutch/French/German); nurses require at least A2 for certain roles.
Counselling & Help
- - NARIC-Vlaanderen — naricvlaanderen.be — Flemish academic and vocational recognition (Flanders and Brussels)
- - NARIC Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles — cfwb.be — French Community recognition (Wallonia and Brussels)
- - FPS Public Health — health.belgium.be — foreign medical diploma visa (recognition) for healthcare practitioners
- - Order of Physicians — ordomedic.be — registration for doctors practising in Belgium
- - Ciré (Coordination et Initiatives pour Réfugiés et Étrangers) — cire.be — legal advice for non-EU nationals (French)
- - Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen — vluchtelingenwerk.be — asylum and refugee qualification support (Dutch)
- - Actiris International (Brussels) — actiris.brussels — multilingual employment and recognition guidance
- - Fedasil — fedasil.be — for asylum seekers needing qualification recognition support
Typical Timelines
EU professionals exercising automatic recognition sectoral professions: 1–3 months for registration with the professional body. General system EU recognition: 3–4 months. Non-EU academic recognition: 2–5 months. Non-EU professional recognition (full assessment): 6–12 months.
Belgium's regional split means Flemish NARIC decisions are not automatically valid in Wallonia and vice versa. If you work in both regions (e.g., commuting from Brussels to Ghent), you may need separate recognition in each community for certain regulated professions. Always verify with the specific professional body for your field.
Qualification Recognition
Unlock the complete Qualification Recognition guide for Belgium — including every detail, document, tip and link you need.
Become a SupporterSupport the guide on Ko-fi · Unlocks every premium section, everywhere