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Processing time and status of an application for recognition of equivalence at NARIC-Vlaanderen

Delay in processing times for applications to NARIC-Vlaanderen and measures taken to improve the situation

NARIC-Vlaanderen is currently dealing with a very large number of applications for the recognition of foreign diplomas. The number of applications received increases every year.

Due to this influx of applications:

  • The waiting times before applications can be processed are longer

  • It is not possible to contact NARIC-Vlaanderen by telephone directly

  • Digital accessibility is limited (there is a delay in email responses)

NARIC-Vlaanderen acknowledges the impact of this situation and apologizes for the inconvenience.

Measures taken to improve the situation

Over the last few months, NARIC-Vlaanderen has taken various steps to speed up the process. In June 2026, 12 new case handlers joined the team to increase processing capacity.

In addition, efforts are being made to provide our stakeholders with transparent information on foreign education systems (in Dutch). For example, eleven public country sheets had been published by the end of 2025.

Do you have questions about the status of your file? Check the status of your file.

For general questions, you can always contact 1700 (in Dutch) free of charge.

Haven't submitted an application yet?

The time it will take for you to receive a decision depends on your diploma and the recognition you are eligible for. There is a difference between and :

  • : level recognition is usually faster (and also cheaper). Examples: recognition of the level of bachelor, master, secondary education, etc.
  • usually takes longer and is more expensive than level recognition.

If you fill in the application wizard, you will find out how much the procedure costs (if any) and what type of recognition you need.

You can track the status of your application in the e-portal.

The status of your application has changed from ‘preparation’ to ‘pending’; you can see this at the top of the e-portal.

  • NARIC-Vlaanderen checks the administrative and personal details in your application (e.g. place of residence, name on diploma, exemption from payment, etc.). You will see a period of time in the e-portal within which this will take place, depending on the date your application was submitted. The substantive assessment of your application will follow later

  • At this stage, your application has been checked administratively and is on a waiting list for assessment by a case handler. As in the previous step, you will see a timeframe depending on the date your application was submitted. This is the timeframe within which NARIC-Vlaanderen will assign your application to a case handler.

  • In this phase, NARIC-Vlaanderen checks whether all the documents for your application are present. It also checks whether your programme and educational institution are accredited and whether your diploma is authentic.

    An institution is accredited when it:

    • is recognised by the competent authority in the country where it is located
    • is part of the official education system
    • is authorised to award diplomas that are legally valid in that country

    An accredited programme is a specific course of study that:

    • is offered by a recognised/accredited institution
    • has been checked for content, level and quality by an official accrediting body (in Flanders and the Netherlands, this is the NVAO)
    • leads to an official diploma or degree (bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate, etc.)

    In this step, you will see three different statuses:

    1. Starting level not determined: NARIC-Vlaanderen determines at which level the assessment for the recognition of the qualification will begin, for example at bachelor’s or master’s level. This level may change later.
    2. Starting level determined: NARIC-Vlaanderen indicates the level at which the assessment has begun. This level is an initial estimate and may still change.
    3. Authenticity check: NARIC-Vlaanderen requests information regarding the authenticity of the qualification and other documents in the application. They sometimes engage external parties for this purpose.

    You will not see a specific processing time in this step.

  • In this phase, NARIC-Vlaanderen determines how the investigation should be conducted. If advice from experts in a particular field of study is required, you will not see the date on which the equivalence assessment will be completed. However, you will see the period within which NARIC-Vlaanderen will forward your application to experts for advice. This period depends on when step 3, “document check”, is completed and on the field of study for which advice is required. For applications that do not require advice, no processing time is available.

    • You will be able to download a document containing the decision in the e-portal.

    Pending tasks

    The e-portal also always shows you if you still have tasks to complete, for example if NARIC-Vlaanderen still needs you to provide certain documents.

    The processing period only begins once all documents have been uploaded

    Make sure your application is complete before you submit it.
    The processing time only starts when you have submitted all the required documents. There is an exception for refugees.

    If you submit an incomplete application, NARIC-Vlaanderen will contact you about the missing documents, which you will have 6 months to provide.

    • If you fail to do so, your application will be closed.
    • If you provide missing documents after 6 months have passed, you will have to pay again or provide valid proof of exemption.
    • You will not receive an acknowledgement of receipt if you upload missing documents in the e-portal.

    If extra checks are required to authenticate a foreign diploma, NARIC-Vlaanderen may exceptionally extend this deadline.

    No accelerated procedure

    There is no accelerated procedure to process an equivalence decision faster.

    Order of processing applications

    NARIC-Vlaanderen cannot process all applications at the same time. Therefore, applications are divided into a number of categories, each with its own priority.

    The higher your application category appears in the list below, the faster your application will be processed. A concrete processing time will follow later in the e-portal.

    1. You currently reside in Flanders or Brussels.
      • ​​​​You want to pursue a regulated profession or hold a that appears on the list of bottleneck professions (in Dutch) ( of your diploma).
      • You want to work in the public sector or another sector where the recognition of your diploma is a legal requirement. You want to practise a profession that is not regulated.
      • You want to pursue a regulated profession or hold a that does not appear on the list of bottleneck professions (in Dutch) ( of your diploma).
      • ​​​​You want to pursue a non-regulated profession ( of your higher education diploma) or an educational institution requests that NARIC assesses the level of your foreign diploma.
      • You want to pursue a non-regulated profession ( of your secondary education diploma) or an educational institution requests that NARIC assesses the level of your foreign diploma. You want to obtain a diploma at CVO and as part of this, you need level recognition of your diploma.
    2. You currently reside in the Walloon Region and want to work in Brussels. First check whether you can go to the NARIC centre of the French Community (in Dutch).
    3. You currently reside outside Belgium.

    Your application will be processed faster if

    • you quickly answer the extra questions NARIC-Vlaanderen asks you about your application
    • you immediately upload all necessary documents while submitting your application
    Are you staying outside Belgium or in the Walloon Region?

    Then you can only apply if you can prove that you have solid prospects of working in Flanders or Brussels.

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