Foreign Diplomas: Recognition and Language
Anticipate diploma recognition and visa before starting work. The SPF also requires language evidence and professional conduct.
For an EEA or Swiss diploma and permanent establishment, the candidate requests recognition from the competent Community; visa processing then starts at the SPF. For a diploma outside the EEA and Switzerland, equivalence is required, then, depending on the profession, community approval or registration and a visa request.
According to the page of September 16, 2026, the required language levels are B2 for registered nurse responsible for general care, B1 for licensed nurse, A2 for healthcare assistant and C1 for physiotherapist, with B2 for written expression of the latter. The official certificate must be less than four years old; a diploma obtained in a Francophone, Dutch-speaking or German-speaking institution can also serve as proof.
The certificate of professional conduct, issued by the authorities of countries where the candidate has practiced, may not be older than three months when the application is made. The SPF issues the visa after receipt of all documents.