Belgium – Evidence of qualifications

This page is to explain what evidence of qualifications doctors who qualified in Belgium need to supply to support their registration application.

Below is information about

Medical regulatory authorities in Belgium

FOD Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu
R.A.C. Esplanadegebouw
Oratoriënberg 20 bus 3
B-1010 Brussels
Belgium
Website: www.health.fgov.be

PF Santé publique, sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire et environnement
C.A.E. Bâtiment esplanade
Rue montagne de l'oratoire 20 boîte 3
B-1010 Brussels
Belgium
Website: www.health.fgov.be

Full registration

If you qualified from a French speaking university before 5 September 1994 you will need to hold a Diplôme legal de docteur en medicine, chirgurgie et accouchments (Legal Diploma of Doctor in medicine, surgery and obstetrics).

OR

If you qualified after 5 September 1994 from a French speaking university you will need to hold a Diplôme legal de docteur en medicine (Legal Diploma of Doctor of Medicine), which must be signed by members of the (“jury universitaire”) school examination commission and be countersigned by the rector of the university that awarded the diploma.

OR

If you qualified from a Flemish speaking university before 1992 you will need to hold a Wettelijk diploma van doctor in genees-, heel- en verloskunde (Diploma of doctor of medicine, surgery and obstetrics required by law). The diploma must be ratified in the name of the King of the Belgians by the Bizondere Commissie Voor Bekrachtigeng der Academische Diploms (Endorsement Commission).

OR

If you qualified from a Flemish speaking university between 1 January 1992 and 1 January 1995 you will need to hold a Academmische graad van doctor in der genees-, heel-en verloskunde (academic diploma of doctor of medicine, surgery and obstetrics).

OR

If you qualified from a Flemish speaking university between 1 January 1995 and 1 January 2000 you will need to hold a Academische graad van arts (academic grade in arts).

OR

If you qualified from a Flemish speaking university after 1 January 2000 you will need to hold a Diploma van arts

Specialist register

You must hold full registration with the GMC before being eligible for entry into the specialist register.

Your specialty must be listed in Annex V of the Directive 2005/36/EC by the country that awarded it and have a corresponding entry for the United Kingdom.

You will need to hold a Bijzondere beroepstitel van geneesheerspecialist/professionnel particular de médicin spécialiste (formal evidence of having qualified as a medical specialist) awarded by the Minister bevoegd voor Volksgezohheid/Ministre de la Santé Publique (Ministry of Public Health).

If your Belgian specialist certificate was awarded before 20 December 1976, or if you began your training leading to the award of that certificate before that date, we will need either:

A letter from the Belgian Ministry of Public Health confirming that the training leading to the award of your specialist certificate meets the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC

OR

If your specialist training does not meet those standards we will need a letter from the Belgian Ministry of Public Health, or medical regulatory authority of the country where you are now working, confirming that you have been practising in the specialty in which your specialist certificate was awarded for the period required by Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC.

If the title of your Belgian specialist certificate is not described above or the specialty in which it is awarded is not the same as that specialty listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC we will also need a letter from the Belgian Ministry of Public Health confirming that your training leading to the award of the specialist certificate meets the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC and that the specialty is treated in law by Belgium as a certificate of medical specialisation in the relevant speciality as set out in Annex V of Directive.

If you are not eligible to enter the specialist register via the criteria outlined (above) you can apply to the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) to be assessed via the Article 14 equivalence route. Doctors applying via the Article 14 route will be required to demonstrate that their specialist qualifications, knowledge and experience gained are equivalent to that of a doctor completing a UK specialist training programme in your specialty. For further guidance, including application forms and a list of frequently answered questions, please visit the PMETB website. Please note that PMETB cannot accept CVs/resumes in isolation.

GP register

To hold GP registration you must also hold full registration.

If you want to apply for GP registration and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full and GP registration at the same time.

In order to apply for GP registration you will need to hold either:

A Arreté ministerial d'agrement de médecin generaliste/ ministerieel erkenningbesluit van huisarts (certificate of specific training for general medical practice) awarded by the Belgian Ministry of Public Health . If the certificate does not clearly state that your training for general medical practice meets the standards laid down in Article 28 of Directive 2005/36/EC we will need a letter from the Belgian Ministry of Public Health to specifically state that the training meets Article 28

OR

A certificate of acquired rights for general medical practice awarded by the Belgian Ministry of Public Health. The certificate must state that it was issued in accordance with Article 30(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC. Otherwise a letter will be required from the Association to specifically state that the training meets Article 30(1).

If you are not eligible to enter the GP register via the criteria outlined (above) you can apply to PMETB via the Article 11 equivalence route. Doctors who apply using this method will have their training, qualifications and experience compared against the standard required for doctors completing a UK General Practice training programme. Successful applicants will be given a statement confirming their eligibility for entry to the GP Register and hence eligible to work as a GP in the UK. For further information and to request an Article 11 application pack, please visit the PMETB website. Please note that PMETB is unable to accept CVs/resumes in isolation and cannot process applications that are not made through the correct channels.