Introduction

In Belgium, the title of psychologist has been legally protected since 1993, and it is necessary to be registered on the list of the Commission des Psychologues in order to use it. This also applies to composite titles such as clinical psychologist, occupational psychologist, neuropsychologist, etc. . 

To be registered with the Commission des Psychologues in order to use the title of psychologist, several conditions and documents must be provided, depending on the country where you obtained your diploma. The conditions are established by the Law of 08 November 1993 protecting the title of psychologist for Belgian diplomas and by European Directive 2006/36/EC of the European Parliament for foreign diploma.

This page is intended to help you determine your eligibility for the title of psychologist in Belgium and to guide you through the documents required to submit your application for registration on the list of psychologists.

Please note that the required documents must be submitted in one of the following four languages: French, Dutch, German or English. If your documents are not in one of these languages, please have them translated by a sworn translator.

Belgian diplomas

If you have a master's, bachelor's or doctoral degree in psychology from a Belgian university, you can submit your application directly with your diploma or a certificate of successful completion of your master's degree (transcripts are not accepted). 

Some earlier designations also allow registration, but these special cases are becoming increasingly rare. However, if you are in this situation, don't hesitate to send an e-mail to info@compsy.be with a copy of your diploma.

EU diplomas + Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein

If your diploma is from a member country of the European Union (as well as Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein), there are several scenarios depending on whether the profession of psychologist is regulated there or not. 

Please note that in some countries, only certain sectors of psychology are regulated (e.g. in Lithuania, only the clinical and school sectors are regulated). 

To find out whether the profession is regulated in the country where your diploma is issued, you can visit the website of the database of regulated professions (europa.eu)​

a) The profession is regulated

Under article 13.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC, if the profession of psychologist or one of its sectors is regulated in the country in which you obtained your diplomaand you have been recognised by the competent authority, you may apply for registration by providing us with proof of recognition from that authority and a copy of your diploma.

If you do not have this recognition or cannot apply for it, you will need to obtain an equivalence certificate for your diploma from a Belgian NARIC centre, together with a copy of your diploma, in order to register to a Belgian NARIC centre​ 

b) The profession is not regulated

Under article 13.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC, if the profession of psychologist or one of its sectors is not regulated, you must apply to a Belgian NARIC centre. Once you have obtained this equivalence, you can submit your application for registration by providing us with the certificate issued by a NARIC and a copy of your diploma.

In short, for diplomas from EU member states + Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein:

The profession of psychologist or the sector in which I work is regulated:

Documents to be provided when registering: 

• A copy of your master's degree/licence/doctorate in psychology (or certificate of completion)​
• A copy of the attestation of equivalence of title issued by​ Belgian NARIC centre (if you are not in possession of the attestation certifying that you have access to the profession of psychologist). 
• (+ a translation of your documents by a sworn translator if they are not in FR, NDL, ENG or DE)

The profession of psychologist or the sector in which I work is not regulated:

Documents to be provided when registering: 

• A copy of your master's degree/licence/doctorate in psychology (or certificate of completion)​
• A copy of the attestation of equivalence of title issued by​ Belgian NARIC centre​

Diplomas from outside the EU

If you have a diploma from a country that is not a member of the European Union (+ Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein), you must apply to a Belgian NARIC centre​ 

Once you have this equivalence, you can apply for registration by providing us with the certificate and a copy of your diploma.

Special case:

You do not need to apply to a Belgian NARIC centre 

if you meet all the following conditions:

• You hold a master's/doctorate/licence degree in psychology obtained in a non-EU country.
• You have obtained recognition as a psychologist in an EU country that regulates the profession of psychologist.
• You have practised for at least 3 years as a psychologist in this EU member state.

If you meet all these criteria, you can apply for registration by providing us with:

• A copy of your master's/doctorate/licence diploma in psychology
• A sworn translation of your diploma (if not in FR, NDL, ENG or DE)
• Recognition as a psychologist by the EU member country that regulates the profession of psychologist
• Proof of 3 years' experience as a psychologist in the country of recognition (employment contract, payslip, bank statement, entry in the Register of the Self-Employed/Enterprises or equivalent, etc.).

If your situation is not covered by the cases mentioned above or if you have any questions, please contact us by email

​ info@compsy.be or by phone during our office hours.

Specificity: The Practice of Clinical Psychology

While the title of psychologist is protected in Belgium, the same applies to the practice of clinical psychology (and psychotherapy).

According to the 2015 law, the practice of clinical psychology itself is protected. This means that, under the legal framework, certain skills and actions are reserved for clinical psychologists. Therefore, to enter the profession, one must apply for a license and registration.

For the "clinical psychologist" license and information on how to obtain it, please contact the SPF Santé publique. Registration applications are handled by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles for Wallonia and Brussels-Capital (FR), by the "Departement Zorg" for Flanders and Brussels-Capital (NL), and by the Ministère de la Communauté germanophone - Département de la Santé for the German-speaking Community (DE).