Belgium qualifications exempt from assessment
Lists Belgian qualifications exempt from NZQA assessment and their Skilled Migrant Category points.
- Status
- active
- Updated
- 2026-04-26
- Also known as
- Belgium qualifications exemptionBelgium SMC qualifications
- Sources
- B-belgium
At a glance
This page lists qualifications awarded in Belgium that are exempt from assessment by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and can be used to claim points under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). To qualify for the exemption, the qualification must match the qualification, awarding institution, abbreviation, and year range specified, and must not be excluded by any of the listed notes. [B-belgium]
Definition
Academic qualifications
The following Belgian academic qualifications are exempt from NZQA assessment and attract the points shown when the conditions below are met. [B-belgium]
| Qualification | Abbreviation* | Level in NZQF terms | Points under SMC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelier / Bachelier en (speciality stated) | BFR | 7 | 50 |
| Bachelor of Arts in de / Bachelor of Arts (speciality stated) / Bachelor in de (Arts speciality) | BAFL | 7 | 50 |
| Bachelor of Science in de / Bachelor of Science (speciality stated) / Bachelor in de (Science speciality) | BSFL | 7 | 50 |
| Licentiaat in de (speciality stated) | LFL | 8 | 50 |
| Licentiate (speciality stated) | LFR | 8 | 50 |
| Docteur / Docteur en / PhD (speciality stated) | DFR | 10 | 70 |
| Doctor in de / Doctor of / PhD (speciality stated) | DFL | 10 | 70 |
*Abbreviations used are for the purpose of this list only. [B-belgium]
Note: Université de Mons / UMONS is a Flemish institution but awards its degrees in French (refer to the awarding institutions table). If an applicant believes their qualification may be higher than the level stated, they should apply to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment (IQA). [B-belgium]
Awarding institutions
The exemption applies only when the qualification was awarded by one of the following institutions within the dates shown. [B-belgium]
| Institution | Previous names and dates of change | Qualification awarded from or between dates |
|---|---|---|
| Université Catholique de Leuven / Katholieke Universiteit Leuven / KU Leuven | BAFL and BSFL: 2007 LFL: 1998–2007 DFL: 2009 |
|
| Université Catholique de Louvain | BFR: 2007 LFR: 1998–2007 DFR: 2009 |
|
| Université de Liège | BFR: 2007 LFR: 1998–2007 DFR: 2009 |
|
| Université de Mons / UMONS | (Université de Mons-Hainaut 2007–31 December 2008) | BFR: 2007 DFR: 2009 |
| Université de Namur | BFR: 2007 DFR: 2009 |
|
| Université Libre de Bruxelles | BFR: 2007 LFR: 1998–2007 DFR: 2009 |
|
| Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles | (Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis à Bruxelles 2007–2014) | BFR: 2007 DFR: 2009 |
| Universiteit Antwerpen | BAFL and BSFL: 2007 LFL: 2003–2007 DFL: 2009 |
|
| Universiteit Gent | BAFL and BSFL: 2007 LFL: 1998–2007 DFL: 2009 |
|
| Universiteit Hasselt | BAFL and BSFL: 2007 LFL: 1998–2007 DFL: 2009 |
|
| Vrije Universiteit Brussel | BAFL and BSFL: 2007 LFL: 1998–2007 DFL: 2009 |
Application in decisions
When an immigration officer assesses an SMC application claiming points for a Belgian qualification, they must:
- Confirm the qualification appears in the Academic Qualifications Table.
- Check the awarding institution matches one in the Awarding Institutions Table.
- Verify the qualification abbreviation appears in the right-hand column for that institution.
- Ensure the qualification was awarded within the date range shown.
- Confirm none of the exclusion notes apply. [B-belgium]
If all conditions are satisfied, the officer awards the corresponding points without requiring an NZQA IQA. If any condition is not met, the qualification must be assessed by NZQA before points can be granted. [B-belgium]
Interpretation & edge cases
- Original language: Award certificates must be provided in their original language for all qualifications. [B-belgium]
- Mandatory NZQA referral: The following must be referred to NZQA for an IQA:
- All honorary degrees.
- All listed qualifications where study was completed at any institution outside Belgium, including overseas campuses of a listed awarding institution.
- All listed qualifications that contain cross-credited courses or papers.
- All initial teacher training degrees.
- All qualifications awarded after 2018. [B-belgium]
- Higher level claims: An applicant who believes their qualification may be higher than the NZQF level stated in the table should apply to NZQA for an IQA. The exempt assessment list does not prevent claiming additional points through an NZQA outcome. [B-belgium]
- UMONS language note: Université de Mons / UMONS is a Flemish institution but awards degrees in French. The awarding institution table reflects both Flemish and French abbreviation groups accordingly. [B-belgium]
- Effective date: This exemption applies from 27 August 2018. Any earlier award dates are covered by the date ranges shown; an applicant with a pre‑2018 qualification that meets the date range is still eligible for the exemption. [B-belgium]
Citations
Belarus visa ban
Ban on granting visas to Belarusian individuals named on the list associated with the Lukashenko regime, with limited exceptions.
Bilateral fee waivers
Certain nationalities are exempt from visa fees and immigration levy under bilateral agreements, depending on visa type and whether the application is made onshore or offshore.