School

Steps

1. Choose the Community and the language: in Wallonia, French-language education (German-language in the eastern cantons); in Flanders, Dutch-language; in Brussels, both.
2. Nursery and primary (FWB): find a school in the official directory and enrol your child directly with its head. Enrolment dates vary from one school to another (some take enrolments from October of the previous year). In nursery school, the child can start from 2 and a half years old, at any time of the year; from the year they turn 5 (compulsory schooling), enrolment must be made no later than the first day of the school year, afterwards only with the head's agreement. If the school refuses for lack of places, it must give you an attestation de demande d'inscription (certificate of enrolment request) with the reason; the FWB Enrolment Service can help you find a place.
3. Year 1 of secondary school (FWB): enrolment goes through the Formulaire unique d'inscription (FUI, single enrolment form), to be handed in person to the school of your first choice during a fixed period: from 25 January to 12 February 2027 for the 2027 school year according to the inscription.cfwb.be site (dates to be reconfirmed on that site: they change every year, for example from 2 February to 6 March in 2026, according to circular 9631 of 18/12/2025). If your child is not at school in an FWB school (school abroad, Flemish or European), the FUI is not sent to you: ask for it from early January, online (Mon Espace Inscription) or by e-mail to the enrolment service (inscription@cfwb.be, 0800 188 55). After the period, enrolments resume in April (on 20 April in 2026), directly at the school, in order of arrival and after all the applications of the period.
4. Flanders: the child must meet the admission conditions; some schools require pre-registration (aanmelden) before enrolment.
5. If your child does not speak the language of the school: in Flanders, taalheldklassen in primary (from age 7, in principle one year, two years at most, one more year if the pupil arrives from May onwards; they replace the reception class from the 2nd year of primary since 1 September 2026) and OKAN in secondary (a reception year for pupils aged 12 to 18 who arrived a year ago at most). In the FWB, the DASPA (reception scheme for newly arrived pupils and similar pupils, from the 3rd year of nursery to under 18) is reserved, according to the decree of 7 February 2019, for pupils who arrived less than a year ago (or, for "similar" pupils, who have been at school in the FWB for less than 3 months) who are asylum seekers or refugees (or accompany them), stateless or nationals of a developing country on the OECD Development Assistance Committee list (list fixed on 1 January 2012, which the Government may supplement): a child coming from an EU country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom does not in principle have access to it. In nursery and primary school, they can however benefit from the FLA scheme (français langue d'apprentissage: extra periods of French, in their class) from age 4 if they do not master French well enough and are not in immersion. Ask the school what it organises.
6. European School: Brussels I (Uccle and Berkendael), II (Woluwe and Evere), III (Ixelles), IV (Laeken) and Mol. Admission depends on categories of pupils and an enrolment policy specific to the Brussels schools; the fees (minerval) vary by category. Children of staff of the European institutions (category I) do not pay; those whose employer has signed an agreement with the schools (category II) are paid for by that employer; the others (category III) pay in 2026-2027, for a newly enrolled pupil from 2013-2014 (lower amounts for pupils enrolled before): €4,457.80 a year in nursery, €6,129.55 in primary and €8,358.46 in secondary (indicative amounts published by the European Schools).

Documents

• The child's identity document and proof of registration with the municipality; latest school reports. Each school sets its own list: ask the head when you book an appointment.
• In year 1 of secondary school (FWB): the Formulaire unique d'inscription (FUI).
• In exchange, the school gives you (FWB) its educational and teaching project, its school project, its study and internal rules, and a note on free education: by enrolling your child, you accept them.

Costs and timelines

• Free education (FWB): no enrolment fees or tuition fees in organised or subsidised schools; except for exceptions provided for by law, the school cannot claim supplies or school costs.
• 2026-2027 calendar (FWB): school year starts on Monday 24 August 2026; autumn break from 19 October to 1 November 2026; winter from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; carnival break (détente) from 22 February to 7 March 2027; spring from 26 April to 9 May 2027 (shifted relative to Easter); summer holidays from 3 July 2027.
• 2026-2027 calendar (Flanders): school year starts on Tuesday 1 September 2026; autumn from 2 to 8 November 2026; Christmas from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; carnival (krokusvakantie) from 8 to 14 February 2027; Easter from 29 March to 11 April 2027; summer from 1 July to 31 August 2027.

Common pitfalls

• The two calendars in Brussels. A French-speaking school and a Dutch-speaking school do not have the same holidays (the FWB has its own rhythms, see above): be careful if your children are in two networks.
• Compulsory schooling starts quickly: in Flanders, a child who speaks another language is subject to it from the 60th day after their registration in a Belgian municipality.
• European Schools are in high demand: places for pupils whose parents do not work for the European institutions are limited.
• Foreign diplomas: equivalence is requested according to the Community. FWB: to have a secondary diploma obtained abroad recognised, at the compulsory education equivalences service (equi.oblig@cfwb.be; file by registered post or appointment at the counter; to begin higher education studies in 2027-2028, it can be submitted from 15 November 2026 to 15 July 2027); for a higher education diploma, online at equisup.cfwb.be (rates displayed in October 2026): level equivalence €65 (issued within 2 months at most), or €200 if a committee has to examine it (4 months for the opinion, then 40 days for the decision), sworn translations extra; certain diplomas from Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are recognised without any procedure. Flanders: NARIC-Vlaanderen, online application (e-loket); its online guidance tool tells you the procedure and its price.
• Nursery: places are scarce, start early. FWB: the ONE (Office de la naissance et de l'enfance, the birth and childhood office) lets you make a pre-application on My.ONE from the first day of pregnancy (start date, days, hours, areas); you receive the list of childcare providers in your area, but formal enrolment is then made with each nursery. In subsidised settings, the price depends on the household's net income (simulator on My.ONE); the others set their own rate. Flanders: Opgroeien (Kind en Gezin): search with the Kinderopvangzoeker and ask for the help of your municipality's lokaal loket kinderopvang; many nurseries apply an inkomenstarief (price according to your income), which you calculate on Mijn Opgroeien.

What changes by country of origin

• All nationalities: same access to school; in Flanders, the length and status of residence do not matter for admission to a taalheldklas.
• Pupils coming from French-speaking secondary education in Brussels or Wallonia: are not considered newly arrived non-native speakers in Flanders (OKAN reception).