Recognition to practise a university healthcare profession with a foreign degree

If you have both a basic degree and a specialist degree, you can submit both applications together. Documents that are requested twice should then be added to your application only once.

After receipt of a complete application, the Department of Care first initiates the procedure to recognise the basic degree. The FPS Public Health (in Dutch: FOD Volksgezondheid) then automatically issues the visa (authorisation to practise the relevant healthcare profession). After that, the Department of Care starts the procedure to recognise the specialisation.

You can apply for recognition for your university healthcare profession from the Department of Care if you wish to practise your profession in Belgium and if:

• you either obtained your university degree in one of the countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland (irrespective of your nationality);
• or your university degree is equivalent in an EEA country or Switzerland and you have already practised this profession in an EEA country or Switzerland for three years and you are a national of an EEA country or Switzerland (this is not the same as the equivalence issued by NARIC);
• or you have obtained your basic degree in medicine in South Africa and you are a South African national;
• or you already have a visa that authorises you to practise your healthcare profession in Belgium, and only apply for a specialisation.

You can submit your application even when you are abroad.

Please note: for university degrees in physiotherapy, you should follow the procedure for non-university healthcare professions.

Application form

Your application must contain the correct, fully completed form and all the documents listed on the form:

• Form to apply for recognition as a doctor (basic title) with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a doctor (basic title) with a South African degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a general practitioner or doctor-specialist with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a dentist with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a pharmacist with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a clinical psychologist with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)
• Form to apply for recognition as a clinical remedial educationalist with a foreign degree (in Dutch)(opens in new window)

The documents must be translated into Dutch by a sworn translator(opens in new window). You should include both the translations and copies of the original documents.

Legalisation of translations is not required.

You should send your complete application preferably by e-mail to: internationaal.universitair@vlaanderen.be(opens in your email application).

You should submit your application in one PDF document and mention your profession and/or speciality in the subject line.

You can also send your application by post to

Departement Zorg
Koning Albert II-laan 15 bus 496
1210 Brussel

Processing of your application

After receipt of your application by the department, you will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail within two weeks. This confirmation of receipt says nothing about the completeness of the application.

• If your application is incomplete, you will receive an e-mail or letter from the Department of Care requesting the missing information.
  • Please note: If you do not deliver the documents within six months of the request, the application may be administratively closed.
• If your application is complete and compliant with the law, the Department of Care will initiate the recognition procedure.

Recognition of the basic degree

University professional titles listed in the annexes to European Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications, such as the basic doctor’s, dentist’s and chemist’s degrees will be recognised automatically.

• You will receive your recognition order by e-mail and/or in your eBox via My Citizen Profile (in Dutch: Mijn Burgerprofiel) within six weeks of submitting a complete and compliant application.
• You should activate your eBox, if you have not already done so. If the Department of Care sends you documents, you will then be informed immediately by e-mail.

For a number of professions (e.g. general dentist, mental healthcare professions), the application must be submitted to the Recognition Committee of the relevant profession for advice. The Recognition Committee issues a positive or negative opinion, but may also ask for additional information or invite you for an interview first.

• You will receive the opinion of the Recognition Committee within four months of submitting a complete and compliant application.
• If the Recognition Committee advises against your application and the Department of Care follows this advice, you will receive the negative decision by registered letter.
• If you wish to do so, you can appeal a refusal of recognition to the Council of State (in Dutch: Raad van State) within 60 days.

Visa issuance

After the recognition of your basic degree, you will automatically be issued with a visa from the FPS Public Health. This visa allows you to practise the healthcare profession in Belgium.

You can consult the visa itself on the download portal of the FPS Public Health (in Dutch)(opens in new window).

Recognition of the specialist degree

The Department of Care will automatically initiate the procedure to recognise the specialist degree after you have received the visa.

• The specialist degree is automatically recognised if the professional title concerned is listed in European Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications, both for Belgium and for the country where the degree was awarded. You will receive your recognition order by e-mail within six weeks of submitting a complete and compliant application.
• If the professional title concerned is not listed in European Directive 2005/36/EC, the application is submitted for advice to the competent Recognition Committee:
  • The Recognition Committee issues a positive or negative opinion, but may also ask for additional information or invite you for an interview.
  • Following the advice of the Recognition Committee on your application, you will receive the department’s decision within four months of your application being considered complete.
  • If the Recognition Committee advises against your application and the Department of Care follows this advice, you will receive the negative decision by registered letter. If you wish to do so, you can appeal a refusal of recognition to the Council of State within 60 days.
• Non-European specialist degrees are always submitted to the Recognition Committee for advice.

After delivery of the recognition order as a doctor-specialist or dentist, you can apply for a RIZIV number (National Institute for Sickness and Invalidity Insurance - in Dutch: Rijksinstituut voor Ziekte- en Invaliditeitsverzekering).