In Belgium there is no national school system. There are three: the French-speaking one, the Dutch-speaking one and the German-speaking one, each run by a community, and in Brussels you can choose between the first two. This is the information you need to put schools in Belgium on a map, and to find the calendar that differs between them.
How are schools in Belgium organised?
School is compulsory from 5 to 18. Nursery school welcomes children from two and a half, primary lasts six years from age six, and organised or subsidised education is free. Communities organise it: the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles for French-speaking schools in Wallonia and Brussels, the Flemish Community for Dutch-speaking schools in Flanders and Brussels, and the German-speaking Community. Choose the community and language first, which follows from where you live: see the best places to live in Belgium.
How do you enrol in French-language schools?
- Nursery and primary: find a school in the official directory and enrol directly with its head. Dates differ; some schools take enrolments from October the year before. Nursery entry is possible from two and a half at any time of the year. From the year of the child's fifth birthday, enrolment must be made by the first day of school. If a school refuses for lack of places, it must give you a certificate of enrolment request with the reason.
- First year of secondary: use the single enrolment form (FUI), handed to the school of first choice during a fixed period: 25 January to 12 February 2027 for the 2027 start (inscription.cfwb.be). If your child is not in a French-speaking school (abroad, Flemish or European school), you will not receive the FUI automatically: request it from early January online or by email. After the period, enrolments resume in April directly at schools.
How do you enrol in Flanders?
The child must meet admission conditions, and some schools require pre-registration (aanmelden) before enrolment. A non-Dutch-speaking child is subject to compulsory education from the 60th day after registration in a Belgian commune. Reception: taalheldklassen in primary (from age 7, in principle one year, two at most) and OKAN in secondary for pupils aged 12 to 18 who arrived at most a year ago.
Deadlines differ between the two communities and between the school types. Moovy can give you a dated list for your child's age and region, and tell you which documents to ask the school for.
What if your child does not speak the language?
In French-speaking schools, the DASPA reception class is in principle reserved for children aged two and a half to 18 who arrived less than a year ago and are asylum seekers, refugees, stateless, or nationals of OECD development-list countries. A child from an EU country, Switzerland or the UK has in principle no access, but in nursery and primary the FLA scheme (French as the language of learning) gives extra French periods from age 4. Ask the school what it organises.
What about the European schools?
Four in Brussels (Brussels I in Uccle and Berkendael, II in Woluwe and Evere, III in Ixelles, IV in Laeken) and one in Mol. Admission depends on categories and a Brussels enrolment policy. Category I children (staff of European institutions) pay nothing; category II fees are paid by an employer with an agreement; category III families pay the indicative amounts above. Places for children of non-institution parents are limited.
What are the school calendars for 2026-2027?
- French-speaking: start Monday 24 August 2026; autumn break 19 October to 1 November 2026; winter 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; carnival break 22 February to 7 March 2027; spring 26 April to 9 May 2027; summer from 3 July 2027.
- Flanders: start Tuesday 1 September 2026; autumn 2 to 8 November 2026; Christmas 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; carnival 8 to 14 February 2027; Easter 29 March to 11 April 2027; summer 1 July to 31 August 2027.
In Brussels, a French-language and a Dutch-language school have different holidays.
What about childcare?
Nurseries are scarce, so start early. In the French-speaking community, ONE lets you make a pre-request on My.ONE from the first day of pregnancy; formal enrolment is made with each nursery. In subsidised settings the price depends on household net income. In Flanders, Opgroeien (Kind en Gezin) lists places and many nurseries use an income-based rate.
What about foreign diplomas?
Equivalence is requested from the community. In the French-speaking community, a higher-education equivalence is requested online (65 euros, or 200 euros if a commission examines it); in Flanders, through NARIC-Vlaanderen.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Missing the FUI period for secondary.
- Assuming a reception class is available to all newcomers.
- Ignoring the two calendars when siblings are in two systems.
- Waiting to look for childcare.
For the other first steps, see moving to Belgium.
Which documents do schools ask for?
Each school sets its own list, so ask the head when you book an appointment. Typically: your child's identity document and proof of registration at the commune, the latest school reports. In the French-speaking community, when you enrol, you receive the educational project, the school project, the study and internal rules and a note on free schooling, and by enrolling you accept them.
What are the differences between networks?
Schools are organised by the community, by local authorities or by private bodies under subsidy, with different educational projects. The funding rules make education free of tuition in organised or subsidised schools. Visit several schools if you can; the atmosphere and the language support differ. Searching for schools in Belgium is easier once you have decided where to live: see the best places to live in Belgium.
What about secondary school choice?
In the French-speaking community, the enrolment decree organises first-year secondary enrolments with the single enrolment form, with first-choice and ranking rules. Because places are limited in some areas, list several schools. After the main period, enrolments reopen in April directly at schools, in order of arrival and after all requests from the main period.
What if a school refuses?
For nursery and primary in the French-speaking community, a school that refuses for lack of places must give you a certificate of enrolment request with the reason, and the community's enrolment service can help you find a place. In Flanders, check pre-registration rules and appeal options.
How do you handle diplomas for older children?
To finish secondary school, equivalence is requested from the service in charge of compulsory-education equivalences; for higher education, see the online procedure and the 2027-2028 file period from 15 November 2026 to 15 July 2027. Certain diplomas from Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are recognised without any procedure. Sworn translations may be needed.
Which language should your child learn in?
This is a family decision. In Brussels you can choose between French and Dutch schools. Some families prefer the language of the region for easier integration, others a European school for continuity. Your child's age and the language they already speak weigh heavily. Ask schools how they support newcomers.
Schools in Belgium are one of the main reasons to choose a region. Keep the schools in mind while reading renting in Belgium so that you sign a lease in the right catchment.