Recognition as fuel oil tank technician

To be recognised as a fuel oil tank technician, you must fulfil:

• general recognition conditions(opens in new window) that apply to all recognitions relating to the environment
  • in the 3 years that precede the application for the Flemish recognition certificate, the applicant has not been convicted of a criminal offence in a member state of the European Economic Area, for infringements of the environmental legislation concerning the use of the recognition.
  • in the 2 years that precede the application for the Flemish recognition certificate, no recognition with the same object was revoked due to infringement of the obligations associated with that recognition.

• special recognition conditions:
  • be a natural person
  • have a certificate of competence for the control and maintenance of fuel oil tanks. That certificate must have been awarded by a recognised training centre.

Validity period and obligations

The recognition is valid for an indefinite period. As a recognised technician, you must meet the following obligations among others to retain your recognition:

• hold insurance for third-party liability, including professional liability, in connection with the use of the recognition
• every 5 years, follow a refresher training at a recognised training centre (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window). The latest date for following a refresher training can be found at:
  • on your certificate of competence
  • or in the overview lists of recognised fuel oil tank technicians (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window).
• report every change of identification data (such as address, e-mail address) immediately via erkenningen.omgeving@vlaanderen.be(opens in your email application)
• pay the annual fee (in Dutch) for the supervision of the recognition. The first payment is to be made in the year following the year in which you obtained the Flemish recognition certificate. Failure to pay the annual fee will lead to automatic suspension of the recognition following a formal notice of default. If the fee is still not paid within 30 days of the suspension, the recognition will automatically lapse.

More info on the obligations for recognised technicians (in Dutch) can be found on the Department of Environment and Spatial Development website.

You have to follow a training course and pass an exam to receive your recognition:

• Apply with one of the recognised training centres (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window) free of choice.
• After the training you must pass the associated examination.

If you pass, you will receive a certificate with a personal recognition number. That number begins with the letters: SV, followed by 5 figures (e.g. SV00022 or SV56489).

As a recognised fuel oil tank technician, you must pay the annual fee (in Dutch) for the supervision of the recognition. You will receive an invoice for this by post at the start of the calendar year in your name at your official address.

• For 2025 the annual fee amounts to EUR 35.
• That amount is index-adjusted every year.

Flemish regulation on environmental recognitions (VLAREL).