Specific recognition of foreign nursing qualifications
Bachelor diploma of nursing:
An expert gives advice on the equivalence of your qualification.
Qualifications at other levels:
- An expert or a committee of experts examines whether your foreign qualification is equivalent to a Flemish qualification of nursing at HBO level (higher vocational education), healthcare assistant, care provider or logistics assistant.
- The experts are connected to the Flemish educational institutions, the Vocational Training Service and the Education Inspectorate.
- You can give further information on your file in person if the documents presented are unclear or incomplete.
- The committee of experts can organize a competency-oriented test. For refugees who have only little information on their training programme. Or in case of suspected fraud.
- What are the advantages of the committee?
- All files are assessed against the same criteria. In this way, uniform reasoned advice is given.
- Experts of all levels from bachelors of nursing to logistics assistants assess the files. In this way, a file can be examined at all levels during a single session.
- If there is no equivalence to a Flemish healthcare certificate, level equivalence may be awarded to the level of bachelor, hbo5 or secondary education without specific specialisation.
- NARIC-Vlaanderen does not decide on entry into the profession. If you obtained your nursing or healthcare science degree within the EEA or Switzerland contact the Departement Zorg directly. You do not need recognition from NARIC-Flanders.
- If you obtained your degree outside the EEA or Switzerland, then you need to apply for the specific recognition of your diploma or degree with NARIC-Vlaanderen. Next apply for the authorisation to exercise your health profession with Federale Overheidsdienst Volksgezondheid.
- If you obtained your degree outside the EEA or Switzerland, then after obtaining your equivalence from NARIC-Vlaanderen you still need to apply for entry into the profession from the Federal Public Service for Public Health.
Specific recognition of foreign qualifications in medicine
An expert committee examines your file
An expert committee gives advice on the equivalence of your qualification. If the committee does not award specific equivalence to a master of medicine, it examines whether equivalence to a bachelor of medicine is possible. You are then exempted from an entrance examination for medicine and dentistry studies if your qualification is considered as a final diploma of medicine in your home country. It is also possible that level equivalence is awarded to the level of master or bachelor without specific specialisation.
Entry into the profession
NARIC-Vlaanderen does not decide on entry into the profession.
- If you obtained your degree within the EEA or Switzerland, contact the Departement Zorg directly.
- If you obtained your degree outside the EEA or Switzerland, then you need to apply for the specific recognition of your diploma or degree with NARIC. Next apply for the authorisation to exercise your health profession with Federal Public Service for Public Health.
Recognition of a specialisation
NARIC-Vlaanderen only decides on the equivalence to the basic general practitioner training. Your specialisations can be recognised by an accredited recognition committee. Please contact the Federal Public Service for Public Health for this.
Specific recognition of foreign dentistry qualifications
An expert committee examines your file
An expert committee gives advice on the equivalence of your qualification. If the committee does not award specific equivalence to a master of dentistry, it examines whether equivalence to bachelor of dentistry is possible.
It is also possible that level equivalence is awarded to the level of master or bachelor without specific specialisation.
Entry into the profession
- If you obtained your degree within the EEA or Switzerland, contact the Departement Zorg directly.
- If you obtained your degree outside the EEA or Switzerland, then you need to apply for the specific recognition of your diploma or degree with NARIC. Next apply for the authorisation to exercise your health profession with Federal Public Service for Public Health.
If you have a foreign degree in nursing or health care please fill in and attach the Annex to the application for the recognition of a foreign qualification: sheet for programme of study “Healthcare” (106.85 KB) "word" to your application.