ready. You are currently on: Recognition of equivalence of a foreign diploma (obtained in the EEA or Switzerland) for a regulated profession or professional title in Flanders
Recognition of equivalence of a foreign diploma (obtained in the EEA or Switzerland) for a regulated profession or professional title in Flanders
If you want to practise a or in Flanders with a foreign diploma, you need to have that diploma recognised.
Below is where to apply for this recognition if you obtained your degree within the EEA or Switzerland.
Do you hold a foreign diploma?
Do you want to work in Flanders (or with a Flemish employer in Brussels)?
Answer the questions in the Guidance Tool to find out what you need to do.
Conditions
Did you obtain this diploma within the or Switzerland, and does this give you access to a regulated profession in your home country? Then, if you meet the conditions below, you can apply for professional recognition of your diploma from the competent authorities.
- Stap 1
You obtained your degree within the EEA or Switzerland
- Stap 2
You have the nationality of a country within the EEA or Switzerland.
- Stap 3
Your degree gives access to a regulated profession in your country of origin.
- Stap 4
The profession is a regulated profession in Belgium.
Find out more about the qualifications you need to teach or work in education (in Dutch).
- Pharmacist: hospital pharmacist
- Doctor: general practitioner and other specialist
- Dentist: general dentist, periodontists and orthodontists
- Physiotherapist
- Clinical psychologist
- Clinical Special needs education
- Nurse: first the basic title and then the special professional titles and special professional competences competencies (specialisations) that they can acquire
- Midwife
- Nurse assistant
Paramedical professions
- Audiologist
- Audiometric technician
- Orthoptist
- Optometrist
- Pharmaceutical-technical assistant (pharmacy assistant) 2 new titels from the 1st of January 2025
- pharmacist-assistant focused on the public pharmacy
- pharmacist-assistant focused on the hospital pharmacy
- Dietician
- Occupational therapist
- Speech and language therapist
- Medical laboratory technician
- Dental hygienist
- Podiatrist
- Radiographer/radiotherapist
- Practice assistant (from the 1st of January 2025)
Lawyer - Architect - Corporate lawyer - Company auditor - Tax consultant - Accountant-tax specialist - Accountant - Veterinarian - Surveyor expert - Notary - Private investigator - Psychologist - Driving instructor - Driving examinator - Ship’s crew - Authorised representative of patent for invention - Real estate agent - Transport commissioner - Transport broker
Procedures
Do you meet the above conditions?
If yes, follow the procedure below for teaching profession, regulated healthcare profession or other regulated profession.
Regulated teaching profession
Which professions in education are regulated? Find out more about the qualifications you need to teach or work in education (in Dutch).Regulated healthcare profession
Other regulated profession
Do you meet the above conditions (including ‘Within the EEA or Switzerland’) and is your profession listed below? Contact the body next to your profession in the list below. Apply for professional recognition of your degree there. Each body has its own procedure.
- Architect: Order of Architects (in Dutch: Orde van Architecten - Vlaamse Raad), Tour & Taxis - Koninklijk Pakhuis, Havenlaan 86c bus 101, 1000 Brussels
- Accountant: Institute for Tax Advisors & Accountants(opens in new window), Renaissance Building, Emile Jacqmainlaan 135/2, 1000 Brussels.
- Accountant-tax specialist: Institute for Tax Advisors & Accountants (in Dutch)(opens in new window), Renaissance Building, Emile Jacqmainlaan 135/2, 1000 Brussels.
- Authorised representative of patent for invention: Intellectual Property Office(opens in new window) (in Dutch: Dienst voor de Intellectuele Eigendom), City Atrium, Vooruitgangstraat 50, 1210 Brussels.
- Company auditor: Institute of company auditors (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (In Dutch: Instituut van de bedrijfsrevisoren), Emile Jacqmainlaan 135/1, 1000 Brussels.
- Corporate lawyer: Institute for corporate lawyers(opens in new window) (In Dutch: Instituut voor bedrijfsjuristen), Stuiversstraat 8, 1000 Brussels.
- Driving school instructor (in Dutch: rijinstructeur) and director (in Dutch) (in Dutch: rijexaminator), Vlaams Huis voor de Verkeersveiligheid – cel rijopleiding en vakbekwaamheid (Departement Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken), Koning Albert II-laan 20/2, 1000 Brussels.
- Lawyer: Flemish Bar Association (In Dutch: Orde van Vlaamse Balies), Staatsbladsstraat 8, 1000 Brussels.
- Notary: Notary appointment committees (in Dutch) (in Dutch: Benoemingscommissies voor het Notariaat), Leuvense weg 48/3, 1000 Brussels.
- Private investigator: Federal Public Service Home Affairs (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (in Dutch: Federale Overheidsdienst Binnenlandse Zaken), Directorate-General for Security (DG SAFE), Handelsstraat 96, 1040 Brussels.
- Psychologist: Commission of psychologists(opens in new window) (in Dutch: psychologencommissie), Kunstlaan 3, 1210 Brussels.
- Real estate agent: Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents (in Dutch)(opens in new window), (in Dutch: Beroepsinstituut van Vastgoedmakelaars), Luxemburgstraat 16B, 1000 Brussels.
- Shipmates (deck and machinery, sea fishing): Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (in Dutch: FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer), DG Scheepvaart - Binnenvaart, Vooruitgangstraat 56, 1210 Brussels.
- Surveyor expert: Registry of the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors(opens in new window). (In Dutch: Griffie van de Federale Raad van Landmeters-Experten), City Atrium, 4th floor, Vooruitgangstraat 50, 1210 Brussels.
- Tax consultant: Institute for Tax Advisors & Accountants(opens in new window), Renaissance Building, Emile Jacqmainlaan 135/2, 1000 Brussels.
- Transport commissioner: Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (in Dutch: FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer), DG Wegvervoer en Verkeersveiligheid, Ondersteuningscel DG, 8ste verdieping, Vooruitgangstraat 56, 1210 Brussels.
- Transport broker: Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (in Dutch: FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer), DG Wegvervoer en Verkeersveiligheid, Ondersteuningsscel DG, 8th floor, Vooruitgangstraat 56, 1210 Brussels.
- Veterinarian: Order of Veterinarians (in Dutch)(opens in new window) (in Dutch: Orde der Dierenartsen), Driekoningenplein 12, 9820 Merelbeke.
