Verifying Belgian University Degrees: NVAO & AEQES Guide

Belgium's higher education system

Belgium's higher education is organized by linguistic community. The Flemish Community uses NVAO for accreditation, while the French Community uses AEQES. Notable institutions include KU Leuven (founded 1425, consistently top 50 globally), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Ghent University, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

Verification steps

1. Identify the community — Determine whether the institution belongs to the Flemish or French community.
2. Check accreditation — Verify NVAO (Flemish) or AEQES (French) accreditation. VerifyED includes accredited Belgian institutions.
3. Contact the institution — Belgian universities maintain registrar offices for verification.
4. NARIC Belgium — Each community has its own NARIC center for credential recognition.

Key considerations

• KU Leuven — One of Europe's oldest and most prestigious universities, consistently ranked in the global top 50.
• Dual community system — The Flemish and French communities have separate accreditation and recognition systems.
• Multilingual credentials — Credentials may be in Dutch, French, or German depending on the community and institution.