Requesting recognition of a foreign diploma for a healthcare profession
A healthcare profession with a foreign diploma
If you wish to reside permanently in Belgium and exercise a healthcare profession, you first have to request recognition or have your diploma declared to be equivalent.
Take note: If you wish to temporarily or occasionally exercise a healthcare profession in Belgium, you frst have to apply for permission. You have to apply using a form from the Federal Public Service Health and send it to visa@health.fgov.be.
This applies to the following professions:
- Doctors: General Practitioners and other specialists
- Dentists: General dentists and specialist dentists
- (Hospital) Pharmacists
- Clinical Psychology
- Clinical Special needs education
- Physiotherapists
- Nurses: first the basic title and then the professional titles and competencies (specialisations) that they can acquire
- Nursing auxiliaries
- Paramedical professions: audiologists and hearing-aid specialists, dieticians, occupational therapists, technical pharmaceutical assistant, speech-language pathologists, technologist in medical laboratory techniques, dental hygienist, orthoptists-optometrists, podiatrists, medical imaging technologist, patient transport (PTS) drivers (no emergency transport)
- Midwives
For the regulated professions of nurse, pharmacist and physiotherapist, you can also submit your application via the European Professional Card, in addition, to directly contacting our service. The EPC-procedure is only applicable for those who possesses the EEA nationality and an EEA-diploma.
What you have to do depends on whether or not your diploma comes from inside or outside the European Economic Area.
| Your diploma | Your nationality | What do you have to do? |
|---|---|---|
| from the European Economic Area (EEA)** | EEA* | Request recognition from the Agency for Care and Health |
| non-EEA | ||
| outside the European Economic Area (EEA)**, but deemed equivalent in an EEA country | EEA* | |
| Outside the European Economic Area (EEA)** | EEA | |
| non-EEA | ||
| South Africa | South-African |
South Africans with a South African basic diploma as a physician can request recognition of it from the Agency for Care and Health. |
* Your nationality is from the EEA in the following cases:
- Anyone who has the nationality of one of the 28 Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
- Anyone who has the status of refugee.
- You are also considered as a national with a residence permit for long-term residents for one of these countries or with a residence permit as a family member of a European national.
** The European Economic Area is composed of the 28 Member States of the European Union and Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Exercising a healthcare profession abroad with a Belgian diploma
Do you wish to exercise one of these healthcare professions abroad?
- Doctors: General Practitioners and specialist physicians
- Dentists: General dentists and specialist dentists
- Pharmacists
- Clinical Psychology
- Clinical Special needs education
- Physiotherapists
- Nurses, including the professional titles and competencies (specialisations) that they can acquire
- Nursing auxiliaries
- Paramedical professions: audiologists and hearing-aid specialists, dieticians, occupational therapists, technical pharmaceutical assistant, speech-language pathologists, technologist in medical laboratory techniques, dental hygienist, orthoptists-optometrists, podiatrists, medical imaging technologist, patient transport service (PTS) drivers (no emergency transport)
- Midwives
And do you have a Belgian diploma for that healthcare profession?
Call +32 2 553 1700, the number of the Government of Flanders, any working day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or send an e-mail.