Medicine Schools and Programs in Belgium
3 schools in Belgium teach Medicine.
Université de Liège
University Liège, Belgium In an official register
The Université de Liège (ULiège) is a public university in Liège, Belgium, which describes itself as public and pluralist. It is one university spread over three cities and four campuses, including the Sart Tilman campus. ULiège offers first-, second- and third-cycle…
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
University Elsene, Belgium In an official register
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is a university in Brussels, Belgium, which officially exists since 1970 and has the ULB as its sister university. VUB states that it works according to the principles of the Enlightenment: critical thinking, free enquiry and humanism. It…
Ghent University
University Ghent, Belgium
Ghent University is a university in Belgium, founded in 1817. It is located in and around Ghent, Kortrijk (Courtrai), Bruges and Ostend, and it also runs Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) in Songdo, South Korea. The university is organised into eleven faculties, offers…
Medicine Studies in Belgium
Medicine in Belgium is a six-year university programme: a three-year bachelor's degree followed by a three-year master's degree. Access is limited. Every new medical student must pass an entrance exam, and the language of teaching depends on the community: Dutch in Flanders and French in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. SpainExchange lists three universities with medicine: Ghent University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), which teach in Dutch, and the Université de Liège (ULiège), which teaches in French.
How the medical degree is organised
At Ghent University, the bachelor's in medicine (Bachelor of Science in de geneeskunde) takes 3 years and 180 credits, and the master's another 3 years and 180 credits. Students who complete the six years receive the diploma of physician (arts). Ghent organises each year in integrated blocks and lines rather than separate subjects. The core of the master's is clinical training: ten placements of four weeks in disciplines such as internal medicine, emergency care, surgery, paediatrics and psychiatry. The degree is accredited by the NVAO, and according to the university about 65% of its medical students spend part of their studies abroad.
At the VUB, clinical placements start in the first master's year at UZ Brussel, the university hospital next to the VUB Health Campus. ULiège states that its medical teaching centres on practice through placements, on problem-based learning and on the relationship with the patient.
Admission and the entrance exams
Belgium has two different entrance exams for medicine:
- Flanders (Ghent, VUB): the toelatingsexamen arts. Candidates must pass and be ranked high enough. The first part tests mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology; the second tests general competences that a future doctor needs.
- Wallonia-Brussels Federation (ULiège): the concours d'entrée, organised centrally by ARES for all French-speaking universities. The 2026 exam, held on 27 August, was the fourth edition. It had 80 multiple-choice questions on chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics, and on reasoning and communication skills.
The French-speaking exam is a competition with a fixed number of places. In 2026 there were 6,884 registrations, and 1,675 candidates were admitted to medicine, 251 of them non-residents. Non-residents can fill at most 15% of the places. Medicine is a quota path, so non-resident students follow a specific enrolment procedure with its own deadlines.
Language matters from the first day. According to Study in Flanders, medicine in Flanders is taught only in Dutch, and most Dutch-taught bachelor's programmes require level B2. At ULiège, the entrance exam and the programme are in French.
Costs
Tuition fees are set per year and are low for EU students:
- Flanders, 2026-27: €1,181.40 for EU/EEA nationals; €5,300 to €12,000 for non-EU/EEA nationals, depending on the institution
- Wallonia-Brussels Federation: a maximum of €1,194 for EU nationals (from 2025-26); €5,369 for most non-EU students, including an additional contribution of €4,175
After the degree
The six-year degree is the basic medical qualification. To practise as a general practitioner or specialist, graduates continue with a master-after-master. At Ghent, general practice takes three more years. Specialist training is mostly practical: trainee specialists work full-time and are paid for a set number of years. The VUB also offers master-after-master programmes in occupational medicine and youth health care. Graduates can also work in research, industry, public health and humanitarian work.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to study medicine in Belgium?
Six years: a three-year bachelor's and a three-year master's, 360 credits in total. Training as a GP or specialist comes after that.
Is there an entrance exam for medicine in Belgium?
Yes. Flemish universities use the toelatingsexamen arts, and French-speaking universities use the concours d'entrée organised by ARES. In 2026, 1,675 candidates were admitted to medicine through the French-speaking exam.
Can I study medicine in Belgium in English?
No. Medicine is taught in Dutch at Ghent and the VUB and in French at ULiège, so a good level of the language is needed before the entrance exam.
How much does medicine cost in Belgium?
EU students pay about €1,200 a year. Non-EU students pay €5,300 to €12,000 a year in Flanders (2026-27) and usually €5,369 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.