It is an official decision that determines the value of a diploma obtained abroad in relation to the Belgian education system (French, Dutch or German-speaking). This decision is made by comparing both educational systems and mainly based on academic documents, as it evaluates your educational background.

Diploma recognition can help you, depending on your goal: to find a job, to go back to school (secondary or higher education), to start a self-employed activity, to find a vocational training course or to practice a regulated profession in Belgium.

Please note that diploma recognition is not always necessary to find a job or to achieve your professional goals. It may be required in one region, but not in the other.

Finally, diploma recognition can sometimes be an obstacle to certain goals (e.g. following a course requiring a lower level of study than your diploma, etc.).

So make sure you clarify your goal before taking any steps.

Diploma recognition will allow you to apply for jobs requiring your level or even your field of study, and to claim the corresponding salary scale.

If your profession is regulated in Belgium, a specific recognition will also give you access to your profession. Please note that diploma recognition is required in the public sector and for the practice of certain regulated professions (in particular the liberal professions and the health care professions).

However, not all employers require recognition, especially in the private sector.

A recognition of your level of education (primary or secondary) may enable your school to estimate your level of education in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. If you are a minor (under 18), your school can take the necessary steps with the competent administration. If diploma recognition is not possible, there are other ways to estimate your level of education.

Diploma recognition is not necessary to resume secondary education in the Flemish Community.

The recognition of your Certificate of upper secondary education (CESS) is usually required to be admitted to higher education in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. However, there are alternatives if you cannot provide this recognition. See Alternatives: to pursue higher education.

In the Flemish Community, the recognition of your Certificate of upper secondary education is not required for admission to higher education.

If you have already started higher education abroad and wish to resume in Belgium, diploma recognition is (in theory) not required.

It is up to the university or college of your choice to examine your academic history abroad. They will assess, on this basis, the programmes to which you could be admitted and the exemptions from which you could benefit.

Access to higher education is in principle possible (without Certificate of upper secondary education) if you can demonstrate that you have obtained at least 60 ECTS in higher education overseas.

Diploma recognition may be useful to access a vocational training requiring a certain level of education.

Before you start any procedure, make sure you know the admission requirements to the training course of your choice.

If you do not have the required level of education (or if you cannot prove it), the training organization may offer alternatives. See Alternatives: to undertake vocational training.

Recognition of your diploma may be useful to prove your management and/or professional skills, if you want to start a self-employed activity.

Diploma recognition will be necessary to practice certain regulated professions, namely the liberal and intellectual professions, as well as the health care professions. See our Useful links: To practice a regulated profession.  Please note: if your diploma is from an EEA country, this recognition is in theory not necessary. You can apply directly for a licence to practice.

For other regulated professions (not liberal), diploma recognition may give you access to the profession, but there are also alternatives. See Alternatives: to start a self-employed activity.

A specific recognition of your foreign diploma (non-EEA) will be required if you want to work in certain regulated professions (liberal or intellectual) or in health care. Once you have obtained the recognition, you can apply to the competent authority, for an authorisation to practice.

Diploma recognition is not normally necessary if your diploma comes from a EEA country. See Useful links: to pactice a regulated profession. However, a level recognition of your diploma may be required for employment in the public sector.

For self-employment in other regulated professions, diploma recognition is a possibility, but there are also alternatives. See Alternatives: to start a self-employed activity.

One single recognition can serve several purposes. The important thing is to identify the most appropriate procedure, depending on your situation and goals.

Sometimes two recognition procedures are useful if you are carrying out two goals at the same time.

E.g. In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), a recognition of your CESS issued with the aim of finding a job cannot be used to start studies, but is accepted for vocational training. On the other hand, a recognition of you CESS from the FWB with the objective of studying, can be used for job search.

A recognition usually has no expiration date.

Some diploma recognitions are, however, provisional, while awaiting a document to complete the file.

These provisional recognitions lose their validity if the missing document is not submitted within the deadline specified in the decision.

We cannot give a clear and precise answer to this question at the moment.

If your goal is to find a job, your diploma recognition should be valid everywhere in Belgium.

However, some employers require a diploma recognition from their language community (especially in the federated administrations and in certain subsidized bodies). In some sectors, such as education or in childcare, employers require a recognition from their language community.

If you plan to study, introduce your recognition request to the language community in which you wish to study. Diploma recognition is not necessary to pursue studies in Flanders.

In general, we advise you to submit your application to the language community in which you live and/or plan to work. Since there are two communities in the Brussels Region, people living there can choose between the FWB (French Community) procedure and the NARIC-Vlaanderen (Flemish Community) procedure. Following both procedures is also a possibility.

The recognition decision is made by Belgian authorities, based on a comparison with the Belgian education system, and applies in Belgium only.

There is one exception: the specific recognition of a non-European diploma, obtained in Belgium, with a view to practice a regulated profession. If you can prove professional experience of at least 3 years in Belgium, these two elements together (recognition and experience) should allow you to practice your profession in other countries of the EEA.

Having a residence permit is not a condition for submitting a recognition request.

However, you will have to prove your identity by other means than a Belgian identity document (a birth certificate or a valid passport, depending on the administration where you apply).

Yes. Diploma recognition covers all diplomas issued in countries other than Belgium, regardless of your nationality.

A European diploma is not automatically recognized by Belgium. The recognition of your diploma may therefore be useful to you, in the same way as for any foreign diploma.

There are exceptions for certain diplomas from the Netherlands, Luxembourg and other specific European/international diplomas (in FWB , at NARIC).

Please note: if your diploma comes from an EEA country and your goal is to practice a regulated profession in Belgium, you can apply directly for authorization to practice your profession, without going through diploma recognition procedure. See Useful links: exercising a regulated profession. However, a level recognition can be useful, especially if you are applying in the public sector.

Diploma recognition procedure is accessible to everyone, regardless of their residence status in Belgium.

As an asylum seeker, you can also benefit from the free procedure at NARIC-Vlaanderen.

If you are a recognised refugee or beneficiary of subsidiary protection in Belgium, the procedure can be simplified.

In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the procedure will be free of charge if your diploma comes from higher education (fees will still be charged for secondary education diplomas). If you do not have all the required documents, you can inform the administration, which may accept your file under certain conditions.

At NARIC-Vlaanderen, the procedure will be free of charge, regardless of the diploma. If you do not have all the required documents, you will be asked to fill in a special form and the administration may accept your file under certain conditions. These advantages at NARIC also apply to asylum seekers.

As an asylum seeker, you will benefit from the same advantages as refugees, at NARIC-Vlaanderen: free procedure and a specific application form if you do not have all the required documents.

The Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles does not provide a specific procedure for asylum seekers.

Unfortunately, insufficient income is not a condition for benefiting from a free procedure in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. If you are receiving social assistance, you can apply for financial support from your CPAS (Public Social Services Centre).

NARIC-Vlaanderen exempts certain low-income people from the procedure fee: full-time unemployed jobseekers registered at Actiris/VDAB (if they are receiving counselling by Actiris/VDAB or one of its partners); beneficiaries of the living wage (CPAS); asylum seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection; beneficiaries of increased interventions (BIM/VTK); participants in the bon integration programme (for 3 years after signing the contract).

An application for recognition is generally submitted to the administration of the language community in which you live and/or plan to work.

The administrations of the Flemish and German-speaking Communities refuse requests that do not come from their territory.

As Brussels is officially French and Dutch-speaking, people living there can choose between the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and NARIC-Vlaanderen to submit their application.

If you are planning to pursue studies or to apply for a job in education, you should contact the corresponding language community.

Sometimes a procedure may be more favorable in one administration than in another (e.g. free of charge, fewer documents required, etc.). It is then up to you to weigh up the pros and cons. It is also possible to apply to both administrations (FWB and NARIC).

Being able to speak Dutch is not a requirement for submitting your application to NARIC-Vlaanderen.

Speaking a particular language is not required by any diploma recognition service.

If you live in Wallonia and wish to obtain a NARIC-Vlaanderen recognition, you must prove that you have a professional and/or living project in Flanders.

In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, there is no restriction related to the place of residence of the person.

In Belgium:

1. Have the document translated by a sworn translator, who will legalise the translation with an official stamp.
2. Have the translated document legalised at the FPS Justice (Boulevard de Waterloo 115, 1000 Brussels), only if the translator has not put an official stamp on the translation.

The original translation must be provided to the FWB administration. A scan is enough for NARIC-Vlaanderen.

Please note: the translator’s stamp will be placed partly on the translation and partly on the translated document (i.e. the copy of the original).

From abroad:

1. Have the document translated by a sworn translator.
2. Have this signature legalised by the competent authority (or apostille, for Hague Convention countries).
3. Have this signature legalised by the Belgian Embassy or Consulate. This second legalisation is not necessary in case of an apostille.

Please note: for NARIC-Vlaanderen, the sworn translation of the diploma must be done in Belgium. Other documents can be translated abroad.

In Belgium:

Present the document to the local administration of your residence.

If you encounter difficulties when requesting a certified copy, show the decree  that explains the procedure (cfr. article 1), or the information from the FWB on this subject.

Please note: free certified copies can be obtained from the FWB Recognition Service (by appointment – outside Covid), for secondary education diplomas only.

From abroad:

1. Have the document certified by a competent official at the local administration (or town hall) in your country of residence.
2. Have the signature legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or apostille, for countries that have signed the Hague Convention).
3. Have the signature of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalised by the Belgian Embassy or Consulate. This second legalisation is not necessary in case of an apostille.

Note also that NARIC-Vlaanderen does not require any certified copy. Simple copies are enough.

All required documents should be included in the file, otherwise it will be considered incomplete and will not be processed.

There are some exceptions:

• For admission to higher education, when the secondary school diploma has not been issued yet.
• The recognition procedure for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
• The recognition procedure for refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and asylum seekers in NARIC-Vlaanderen.
• For secondary school certificates issued more than 15 years ago.
• For higher education diplomas awarded more than 15 years ago at NARIC-Vlaanderen.
• Applications for specific recognition: possibility of alternative means of proof, for certain documents, under certain conditions.

It is an official presentation of all the courses taken as part of your field of study. In this presentation, each course must be described in a few lines at least.

Depending on the country and the field of study, it should include the following information: the course code and name, duration and/or frequency, outline of content, competences, methodology, evaluation method and bibliography.

The cost of the procedure will depend on various elements: the diploma to be recognized, the type of procedure, the administration to which you are applying and, possibly, your residence status and/or your socio-professional situation.

The cost of each procedure is specified on the Diploma recognition page, in the presentation of the different procedures.

The procedure at NARIC-Vlaanderen is free of charge for a number of groups considered to be low-income:

• jobseekers registered with Actiris/VDAB (and who are receiving counselling from Actiris/VDAB or one of its partners, including bon and CIRÉ);
• beneficiaries of the CPAS;
• asylum seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection;
• beneficiaries of increased interventions (BIM/VTK);
• participants in the bon integration programme (up to 3 years after signing the contract).

Please note: undocumented migrants are not included in this list.

In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the procedure is free in two situations:

• for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection wishing to have a higher education diploma recognized;
• for minors wishing to have an partial secondary education recognized.

If you are a beneficiary of social assistance, you can apply for financial assistance from your CPAS.

The procedure at NARIC-Vlaanderen is free of charge for a number of groups considered to be low-income:

• jobseekers registered with Actiris/VDAB (and who are receiving counselling from Actiris/VDAB or one of its partners, including bon and CIRÉ);
• beneficiaries of the CPAS;
• asylum seekers, refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection;
• beneficiaries of increased interventions (BIM/VTK);
• participants in the bon integration programme (up to 3 years after signing the contract).

Please note: undocumented migrants are not included in this list.

In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the procedure is free in two situations:

• for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection wishing to have a higher education diploma recognized;
• for minors wishing to have an unfinished secondary education recognized.

If you are a beneficiary of social assistance, you can apply for financial assistance from your CPAS.

The main criteria for considering a request for diploma recognition are as follows:

• Is your diploma officially recognized in the country where it was obtained (recognition by the Ministry of Education)?
• Does the legal duration of your studies correspond to the duration of the same studies in Belgium?
• Does your study programme correspond to the same study programme in Belgium (content, quality, internships, thesis, etc.)?

Other criteria may also be relevant, depending on the procedure chosen.

The time needed to process a request for recognition depends on the type of diploma and the chosen procedure.

You can check the theoretical deadline for each procedure, on our Diploma recognition page.

Please note: the deadlines announced on this website are for informational purposes only and are valid from the moment the file is considered complete. These deadlines do not constitute a legal obligation for the administration.

We invite you to contact the administration that issued the decision, and to ask for further explanation.

You can also contact the CIRÉ or bon.

You can request a review of the decision from the administration or, if this fails, appeal the decision to an external authority.

This step is worth only if you have new evidence and/or strong arguments.

The possibilities for review and appeal are set out in the presentation of all possible procedures, on our Diploma recognition page.

The administration usually provides an acknowledgement of receipt and a file number before analyzing your application.

If you do not receive any news regarding your file 15 days after your sent your file (by registered letter to the FWB or by e-mail to NARIC-Vlaanderen), contact them by e-mail or by telephone, in order to check that your file has been received.

The administration’s decision concerning your file can take several months to come. Check the (theoretical) deadlines for each recognition procedure, on our Diploma recognition page.

The time needed to process a request for recognition depends on the type of diploma and the chosen procedure.

You can check the (theoretical) deadlines for each procedure, on our Diploma recognition page.

Please note: the deadlines announced on this website are for informational purposes only and are valid from the moment the file is considered complete. They do not constitute a legal obligation for the administration.

For some more complex files, the deadline may be longer. Do not hesitate to contact the administration by e-mail or by phone, in order to have news from your file.

We invite you to consult the diagram of the Belgian education system (which is triple because of the three communities), on the page Diploma recognition, in order to help you to locate your diploma.

To understand the education system in Belgium, we refer you to the diagram of the Belgian education system.

The CESS or “Certificate of upper secondary education” is the name of the completed secondary school diploma in French-speaking Belgium. It is usually obtained around the age of 18 and gives access to higher education in Belgium.

In the Flemish Community, this diploma is called Diploma Secundair Onderwijs (Diploma SO).

In Belgium, a Bachelor corresponds to a higher education diploma, obtained at the end of a programme of 3 or 4 years of study (in a university or a high school), and with a minimum of 180 ECTS.

In Belgium, a Master corresponds to a higher education diploma, obtained at the end of a programme of 1 or 2 years of study (in a university or a high school), after having obtained a Bachelor diploma (3 or 4 years of prior study), and with a minimum of 60 ECTS.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a tool designed to help students get studies recognized across European countries. One year of study in Belgian higher education is equivalent to 60 ECTS.

The competent authorities for diploma recognition in Belgium are organized by the three language communities in Belgium:

• In the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles: the Recognition Service for Secondary Education and the Recognition Service for Higher Education.
• In the Flemish Community: NARIC-Vlaanderen.
• In the German-speaking Community: Ostbelgien.

CIRÉ and bon, who are behind this information site on diploma recognition.

There are other organizations well informed about the recognition procedures in Brussels: the local missions, the CPAS, the reception offices for newcomers such as BAPA, VIA, Convivial…

The CRIS or Regional Integration Centres, located in 8 cities in Wallonia.

See page Useful links: to find help for diploma recognition – out of Brussels.

The Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering for people who are registered in the integration programme, or the VDAB for job seekers.

If you do not fall within one of these categories, we invite you to consult this website or the websites of the various recognition services to obtain the necessary information.

There are other ways to recognize the value of your skills and time-served experience. For more information, see our Alternatives.

First of all, check with the diploma recognition service whether your application could be admissible.

Under certain circumstances, the administration can accept a non-complete file. For example, if you are a refugee (or, in some cases, an asylum seeker), or if your diploma was issued long time ago.

If this is not possible, fortunately there are other ways to recognize the value of your skills and time-served experience.

For more information, see our Alternatives.

For more information, see Useful links: to undertake vocational training.

For more information, see Useful links: to go to secondary school.

A recognition of your diploma can be useful to access a vocational training requiring a certain level of studies.

Before starting any procedure, make sure you know the conditions of access to the training of your choice (e.g. level of studies required).

If you do not have the required level of studies or cannot prove it, ask the training organization whether it offers alternatives (admission test, pre-training, etc.).

If you have never started higher education, you will be asked for your Certificate of upper secondary education (CESS/DSO) or its recognition, in order to be admitted to higher education in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

If you cannot provide this diploma or its recognition, there are alternatives, see Alternatives: To attend higher education.

In the Flemish Community, the recognition of your secondary diploma is not required for admission to higher education.

If you have already started higher education abroad and want to resume in Belgium, the recognition of your diploma is in theory not required. It is up to the university or college of your choice to examine your foreign study history and to assess on this basis the programmes to which you may be admitted, as well as the exemptions from which you may benefit.

More information on our Useful links: to find a job.

More information on our Useful links: to find a job.

More information on our Useful links: to find a job.

In order to practice a regulated profession in Belgium, you must obtain an authorisation from the competent authority.

The steps to take will vary depending on the profession, your nationality and the country where you were trained (or where you practiced).

The recognition of your diploma will in any case be required for the so-called intellectual professions, as well as for most health care professions, unless your diploma is European (EEA). See Useful links: to practice a regulated profession.

For other regulated professions (commercial or craft activities), a diploma recognition may be useful, but there are also other ways of demonstrating your professional skills. See Alternatives: to start a self-employed activity.

If your diploma is non-European (EEA): you will first need to obtain a specific recognition of your diploma (recognition of your level of study and the field).

Once you have obtained the recognition (and the approval that automatically follows), you will need to apply to the FPS Public Health for the so-called “visa”.

If your diploma is European (EEA), the specific recognition of you diploma should not be necessary. You must apply directly for an accreditation from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles  (Service Agréments) or from the Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid. The authorization to practice follows automatically, once the accreditation has been obtained.

If you want to start a self-employed activity, you may have to prove your entrepreneurial skills, that is: your basic management skills and your professional skills. This is the case in the Brussels Region.

Please note: proof of these skills is required in the Brussels Region, but it is no longer the case in the Flemish Region. Proof of professional skills is also no longer always required in Wallonia.

For more information, see Useful links: to start a self-employed activity.