Contact:
Belgische Vereniging Verpleegkundig Specialisten BVVS (Belgian Association of Nurse Practitioners)

Role

Belgium has made significant advances in developing the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) role over the last ten years.  In 2019 legislation was ratified to nationally protect the term APN under the titles Verpleegkundig Specialist [VS] in the Flemish region and Infirmier de pratique avancée [IPA] in the French region or often labeled together VS/IPA (Van Hecke et al., 2022).

Since then, clarification of the role of VS/IPA was ratified in legislature through Royal Decree on April 14, 2024 which identified prescribing and treatment authority for APNs (Arrêté royal du 14 avril 2024, 2024).  After the Royal Decree in 2024, a delayed rollout of VA/IPA prescribing was set in place for January 1, 2026 to allow for healthcare institutions and insurances to identify the formulary and procedures for APNs to prescribe (Blondeel et al., 2025).

In Belgium, APNs cannot practice autonomously and are dependent on interprofessional collaborative agreements based on physician directed permissions that vary based on position (Blondeel et al., 2025).  However, there has been significant interest and momentum to help establish more standardized competencies for APNs in Belgium that have included multidisciplinary key-stakeholders to help further discussions of autonomy in the future (Van Hecke et al., 2024).

Education

In order to use the title of VS/IPA, one must have both a Bachelor Degree and Masters Degree in Nursing with specific education in Advanced Practice Nursing (Blondeel et al., 2025; Van Hecke et al., 2022).   This is consistent with other nations within the European Union to keep a level of continuity between APN education and as such requires the educational level equivalent of EQF-7 to prescribe medications (Blondeel et al., 2025).   Such programs are available at universities in Belgium as the University of Antwerp (n.d.), of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (n.d.).

Have information to add to this page?

References:
Arrêté royal du 14 avril 2024 (2024). URL https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/article.pl?language=fr&lg_txt=f&type=&sort=&numac_search=&cn_search=2024041414&caller=eli&&view_numac=2024041414nl

Blondeel, M., Mortelmans, L., De Belder, E., Sabbe, K., Goosseens, E., Dilles, T. (2025).  Exploring nurse prescribing practices and preferences in Belgian hospitals: a multicentre cross-sectional survey on healthcare providers’ perspectives and expected impact.  Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2025(11). doi:10.1111/JAN/.70068

Université Libre de Bruxelles. (n.d.). Master in advanced practice nursing. Retrieved September 18, 2026, from https://www.ulb.be/en/programme/ma-sipa

University of Antwerp (n.d.). Advanced Nurse Practitioner: Master of nursing and midwivery.  Retrieved September 18, 2026 from: https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/study/programmes/all-programmes/master-nursing-midwifery/study-programme/advanced-nurse-pract/

Van Hecke, A., Van Bogaert, P., Decoene, E., Dobbles, F., Goossens, E., Goossens G.A., Verhaeghe, S., & Goffin, T. (2022).  A legal framework on advanced practice nursing in Belgium: what do we and don’t we know?  Acta Clinica Belgica. 77(1). doi:10.1080/17843286.2020.1795575

A. Dancot, J., Dobbels, F., Alice Goossens, G., Jacobs, N., Van Achterberg, T., Van Bogaert, P., Van Durme, T., Verhaeghe, S., Vlaeyen, E., & Goossens, E. (2024). Development of a competency framework for advanced practice nurses: a co-design process.  Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2024(00)1-13. doi:10.1111/jan.16174

Originally Published 7 August, 2013; Updated 21 September 2026