Diploma Equivalence in Belgium: NARIC, CFWB and Translations

Getting a foreign diploma recognised in Belgium requires going through one of two distinct services: NARIC-Vlaanderen for Flanders, and the Equivalences Service of the French-speaking Community (CFWB) for French-speaking Brussels and Wallonia. Each has its own rules, deadlines and fees. And both require a sworn translation of the diploma and transcript. TranslateBE translates your full file for NARIC or CFWB. Quote within 1h.

NARIC vs CFWB: which one for whom?

Diploma recognition in Belgium is a community matter, not a federal one. There are therefore three competent authorities depending on your destination linguistic community:

• NARIC-Vlaanderen (Koning Albert II-laan 15, 1210 Brussels, run by the Flemish Department of Education) handles requests to work or study in Flanders, in Dutch-speaking Brussels, or for a Flemish employer.
• CFWB Equivalences Service (rue Adolphe Lavallée 1, 1080 Brussels) handles secondary and higher education equivalences for Wallonia and French-speaking Brussels.
• German-speaking Community (DG) in Eupen for the Eastern Cantons.

The choice of authority depends on the intended use: studying at KU Leuven means NARIC, studying at ULB means CFWB. For employment, the employer or profession dictates the choice.

Documents required for an equivalence application

Both services require broadly the same documents, with a few formal differences:

• Original diploma or certified true copy, with Hague apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country.
• Full transcript of records for each year of study, apostilled and translated.
• Detailed course programme with content description, hours and ECTS credits (for higher education diplomas). Often required for regulated professions (medicine, engineering, law).
• Valid identity document and proof of residence in Belgium if applicable.
• Sworn translation into FR or NL by a sworn translator listed in the RNEJ. CFWB specifically requires French; NARIC specifically requires Dutch.

Compared costs and deadlines

NARIC-Vlaanderen charges an administrative fee of €75 for a level recognition (niveauerkenning) and €180 for a specific recognition (specifieke erkenning). Official deadline: 4 months, often 5 to 8 months in practice for complex files (medicine, regulated professions).

The CFWB Equivalences Service charges €200 for a standard academic equivalence in higher education and €75 for secondary education. The procedure is free for certain categories (recognised refugees, recipients of social integration income). Official deadline: 4 months for secondary, up to 5 months for higher education, longer in practice for capped programmes.

Apostille and the Hague Convention

Before translation, the authenticity of the foreign diploma must be established. The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 introduced the apostille, a single formality replacing the chain of legalisations. Most countries are parties (125 States), including Morocco, Turkey, Algeria (since 2024), India, USA, UK, Russia, Ukraine.

For non-signatory countries (Canada partially, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Vietnam…), legalisation by the competent foreign ministry then by the Belgian embassy or consulate is required. Without a valid apostille or legalisation, NARIC and CFWB reject the file without examining it.