Nearly half of new dentists hold foreign qualifications: “Deeply unfair to our students”

“Our own students have to overcome a demanding entrance exam, while the doors are wide open to doctors and dentists qualified abroad. That is deeply unfair.” Belgian MP Frieda Gijbels is sounding the alarm. Figures she obtained from Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) show that the influx of foreign-qualified doctors and dentists remains particularly high. Questions are also being raised about their language skills, their professional activities and how these are monitored.

Nearly one in two new dentists qualified abroad

Over the past six years, an average of 22% of new doctors in Belgium held a foreign qualification. Among dentists, that figure was as high as 45%. In 2022 and 2023, it even exceeded half (51%).

Among doctors, foreign qualifications came mainly from the Netherlands (15%), Italy (14.6%), Romania (13.9%) and France (12.8%). For dentists, Romania topped the list by a considerable margin at 29%, followed by Portugal (14.6%) and Spain (9.2%).

Ensuring quality of care becomes more difficult

Gijbels is particularly critical of the unequal treatment. “It remains deeply unfair that our own students have to work so hard to pass a demanding entrance exam and secure a place within a fixed quota, while the doors are wide open to professionals qualified abroad. These quotas serve an important purpose: safeguarding the quality of our medical and dental training. Yet we have no control over the quality of the training received by those who come here with foreign qualifications. What is more, they are not subject to any quotas, meaning that, in principle, there is no limit to how many can enter the profession.”

Language proficiency is another major concern. Under the current rules, doctors and dentists qualified abroad can practise in Flanders with knowledge of French alone. “Anyone treating patients in Flanders must be able to speak Dutch. This is not a minor detail; it is a fundamental requirement for safe, high-quality care,” Gijbels stresses. “That is why we have submitted a bill making proficiency in Dutch mandatory.”

What are doctors without a specialisation or an INAMI/RIZIV number actually doing?

The figures raise further questions. As many as 55% of doctors with foreign qualifications have no specialisation, meaning they are neither general practitioners nor medical specialists. Furthermore, no INAMI/RIZIV registration number has (yet) been requested for 25% of the authorisations issued to foreign-qualified doctors. Among dentists, the figure stands at 28%.

“What exactly are these healthcare professionals doing? Where are they working? And what treatments are they providing?” Gijbels asks. “Without an INAMI/RIZIV number, it is much harder to monitor their activities. We need to investigate proactively where they are based and what they are doing. The high number of doctors without a specialisation also urgently needs to be explained.”

According to Gijbels, greater transparency is essential. “We need to know who is providing healthcare in our country, what qualifications they hold and whether patients can count on safe, high-quality treatment.”