Recognition of foreign degrees
Education in Belgium is the responsibility of the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Communities, each of which has a different system of recognising diplomas. As well as contacting different institutions, the applicant has to produce a different set of documents. The Flemish Community provides this service free of charge, but the French-speaking Community charges a small fee.
To register in a Dutch-language school or university, visit www.ond.vlaanderen.be/infolijn/faq/gelijkwaardigheid.
To register in a French-language school or university, visit www.equivalences.cfwb.be.
Overview:
- Dutch-language primary education
The school is responsible for placing the child in a particular year. If your child has completed a full cycle of primary school education outside Belgium, you can ask for the certificate obtained to be recognised by the Belgian secondary school you want him or her to enter. If the request for recognition is refused, the child can still obtain a certificate by sitting an exam in front of an examination board.
- Dutch-language secondary education
Secondary school students who arrive in Belgium can continue their education by applying to a school of their choice. The school then examines the documents provided by the foreign school to determine the equivalent level of education in Belgium. It then informs the student of the school year they are allowed to enter.
- Dutch-language higher education
In the case of students who have completed a full cycle of secondary education outside Belgium and wish to continue their studies in a Flemish college or university, they should apply personally for permission to enroll. The college or university decides whether or not to grant permission to enroll, possibly on the basis of a series of tests. If you already possess a diploma from a non-Belgian institution, and wish to have this recognised in Dutch-speaking Belgium, you should contact NARIC Vlaanderen (National Academic Recognition and Information Centre).
- French-language primary education
The application should be made directly to the school of choice. The school then decides the school year the child is allowed to enter.
- French-language secondary education
Secondary school students who arrive in Belgium can continue their education by applying to a school of their choice. The school then examines the documents provided by the foreign school to determine the equivalent level of education in Belgium. It then informs the student of the school year they are allowed to enter.
- French-language higher education
In the case of students who have completed a full cycle of secondary education outside Belgium and wish to continue their studies in a French-speaking college or university, they should send an application, enclosing the relevant documents, to the Service Equivalence de l’enseignement obligatoire. If you already possess a diploma from a non-Belgian institution, and wish to have this recognised in French-speaking Belgium, you should contact NARIC Wallonia (National Academic Recognition and Information Centre).