|
Once nurses have finished their studies they must then register in order to be able to practice as a nurse. For this purpose Belgium is divided into ten provinces all applying the same rules. Once registered the nurse can practice anywhere in Belgium. In order to register with the provincial authority (a Medical Commission) the nurses must present their diploma or certificate and pay a small fee. The registration lasts for three years when it must be renewed.
Foreign nurses who wish to practice in Belgium must apply to the Ministry of Public Health in order for their qualifications to be recognized, via NARIC Center (http://www.naric.be) . Once the Ministry gives its approval they can proceed to register in the same way as Belgian nurses i.e. via the provincial medical commissions.
NARIC stands for National Academic Recognition and Information Centre. In the framework of the SOCRATES programme for the European Commission, a NARIC Centre was set up in all countries of the European Economic Area (EU+ Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland). In Belgium there are 2 NARIC Centres (Flanders + French Community of Belgium). A similar network is the ENIC network of the Council of Europe and UNESCI).
NARIC- Vlaanderen provides information:
- Access to higher education in Flanders and abroad
- Flemish and foreign education systems
|
