Requesting recognition of a foreign diploma for a healthcare profession

If you wish to reside permanently in Belgium and exercise a healthcare profession, you first have to request recognition or have your diploma declared to be equivalent.

Take note: If you wish to temporarily or occasionally exercise a healthcare profession in Belgium, you first have to apply for permission.

This applies to the following professions:

• Doctors: General Practitioners and other specialists
• Dentists: General dentists and specialist dentists
• (Hospital) Pharmacists
• Clinical Psychology
• Clinical Special needs education
• Physiotherapists
• Nurses: first the basic title and then the professional titles and competencies (specialisations) that they can acquire
• Patient care assistants
• Paramedical professions: pharmaceutical-technical assistants, dieticians, occupational therapists, speech therapists, audiologists and hearing care professionals, dental hygienists, orthoptists - optometrists, medical laboratory technologists, medical imaging technicians
• Midwives

The website of the Agency for Care and Health (Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid) explains what you have to do to request recognition(opens in new window).