Healthcare Professions: Protected Diplomas and Titles
The Coordinated Law of May 10, 2015 frames healthcare professions. Verify qualifications before entrusting reserved acts or assigning a professional title.
Article 45 sets the qualification conditions for the registered nurse responsible for general care. It notably provides for training of at least three years and 4,600 hours of theoretical and clinical instruction. Articles 48 and 50 frame the use of the title and prohibit the employer from assigning it to an unqualified person. These provisions are read in the consolidation updated on June 18, 2026.
Article 43 frames the approval of the physiotherapist; article 59 defines the healthcare assistant and its exercise under nursing supervision. Chapter 9 transposes the European recognition of qualifications, including Directive 2005/36/CE. A foreign qualification requires the recognition procedure applicable before practice in Belgium.
Do not use the old article 25 as the current basis for visa: the consolidated text indicates it repealed since January 1, 2022. Current visa procedures are detailed by the Public Health SPF.