Equivalences obligatoires

Your file must be submitted between 15 November 2024 and 15 July 2025 AT THE LATEST

If you cannot comply with the limit date of deposit, please refer to the section “Derogation possibilities”.

Advice
- Submit your file as soon as possible and don’t wait until the last few days.
- If you already hold a certificate, submit your file from 15 November 2024
- Submit your file by registered letter

- First option: Send the file by post (the postal stamp is proof).
Address:
Service des équivalences de l'enseignement obligatoire
Rue A. Lavallée, 1
1080 Bruxelles
Belgique

- Second option: Bring the complete file to the offices of the Equivalence department of secondary education, only by appointment. Only complete files (both in content and format) will be accepted at the counter during an appointment.

You can make an appointment :

• on our website: Online form

• by telephone on 02/690.86.86

Advice:
-    We strongly recommend to send all the documents together by registered mail.
-    We strongly recommend to check the file submission deadlines before making an appointment.

1) Your Baccalaureate certificate and the associated summary of marks

These two documents must be submitted as certified copies. To establish that certified copy, you can go:

• to the Town Hall, the only competent authority recognised by our department. The French Town Halls are obliged to issue certified copies destined for use abroad (Circulaire Sapin October 2001).

• to the equivalence department by presenting your original documents.

• to the municipal administration of the municipality where you live in Belgium if you hold a certificate of a French school established outside of France (except Belgium): you can establish the certified copy at the French embassy established in said country.

If you are a bachelor from June 2025 a simple copy of the summary of marks is exceptionnaly enough. The final certificate must be submitted later as a certified copy. See under “Procedure” for the explanation on the presentation of your final certificate.
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For the holders of a Professional Baccalaureate, the application files for equivalence present certain particularities that require a specific treatment. We therefore invite you to submit your file as soon as possible

2) A copy of your identity card or a copy of an excerpt of your birth certificate

3) A covering letter or justification form

An original letter written by you in French signed with your names, first names, address that motivates the type and field of studies you wish to start.

4) The ORIGINAL proof of payment of the administrative fee.

The administrative fee for an equivalence application amounts to 200 €.
This sum must be paid before 15 July 2025.

You can pay the administrative costs online. Please print the proof of transaction and enclose it with your letter for equivalence application.

If you don’t pay online click here.

To start Higher Education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation as from September 2025, the period for submitting the files runs from 15 November 2024 and 15 July 2025 at the latest.

If you deposit your file at our office after making a previous appointment, your file will only be accepted if it is complete. You will then receive a proof of deposit.

You can send us you file by post, the Equivalence Department. will give you:

• if your file is complete: the result of the analysis of your file and your decision of equivalence will be sent to the address you indicated in your file;

• if it is not complete: a request for additional information to complete your file.

The equivalences will be issued as from 1 March 2025.

For the bachelors of June 2025:

For the graduates of June 2025, the summary of marks can be submitted as a simple copy. A provisional equivalence will be issued on that basis and will allow you to start the academic year. That provisional equivalence will have a validity limit of 15 May 2026, after that date you must provide us with a certified copy of your Baccalaureate certificate.

We will send you the final equivalence decision upon receipt.

The Decree limits the number of non-resident students to 30% in the courses leading to the following academic degrees:

• In Universities:

- bachelor in physiotherapy and rehabilitation;
- bachelor in veterinary sciences;
- bachelor in psychological sciences and Education speech therapy orientation
- bachelor in medicine;
- bachelor in dentistry sciences

• In the High Schools:

- bachelor in kinesiotherapy
- bachelor in speech therapy
- bachelor in audiology

Please read the circular non-residents (.pdf) for more information.