Context

For internationally trained nurses, professional progression in the Netherlands can involve three connected but distinct stages:

VIG recognition: Recognition for the Dutch profession Verzorgende IG.

Registered Nurse recognition: Recognition of the foreign nursing qualification for the Dutch profession verpleegkundige.

BIG registration: The formal professional registration required to work under the protected Dutch Registered Nurse title.

VIG recognition and Registered Nurse recognition are separate applications. However, BIG-register explicitly allows a foreign-trained nurse to apply for both professions at the same time.

This means that, where the candidate is ready, VIG recognition and Registered Nurse recognition can progress in parallel.

1. VIG Recognition

The first professional route used in the pathway is recognition as Verzorgende IG (VIG).

VIG does not require BIG registration.

The applicable recognition route depends on the candidate's nursing qualification.

Four-Year BSc Nursing / Bachelor in Nursing

BIG-register currently provides a simplified VIG mandate route for:

four-year programmes leading to a diploma titled Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor in Nursing, from all countries.

Under this route, no substantive assessment by the CBGV is required.

The mandatory intermediary dossier consists of:

• completed and signed authorisation form;
• completed and signed general application form;
• certified copy of a valid identity document;
• certified copy of the four-year nursing diploma;
• certified copy of an accepted Dutch B1 language certificate.
  

BIG-register lists both verpleegkundige and verzorgende-IG at B1 Dutch level.

The simplified route does not mean automatic recognition. CIBG remains responsible for the final recognition decision.

GNM / Other Nursing Qualifications

Qualifications that do not fall within the simplified mandate route follow the full VIG assessment procedure.

The candidate's nursing education, curriculum, clinical training, professional registration, work experience and other relevant evidence may then form part of the assessment.

→ Documents Required for VIG Recognition Application For GNM Holders

2. Hexallt Coordination of the VIG Application

Candidates may formally authorise Hexallt Enterprises to act as their intermediary for the VIG recognition process.

CIBG has confirmed directly to Hexallt that:

• an India-based Hexallt can act as an intermediary for Indian VIG applicants;
• candidates can authorise Hexallt to coordinate their applications and correspondence;
• Hexallt can arrange a pre-submission appointment with CIBG to determine whether candidate documents are complete and correct.

The process can therefore follow:

Candidate documents collected
↓
Hexallt reviews and structures the dossier
↓
Required certifications and missing documents are completed
↓
Pre-submission cross-check with CIBG where appropriate
↓
Identified issues are addressed
↓
Formal application submitted

CIBG has also confirmed that an IDW valuation should not be obtained routinely. If a valuation is needed, CIBG will request it; CIBG indicated that such diploma valuations are normally not required for nurses.

→ Authorising Hexallt to Coordinate Your VIG Recognition Application

→ BIG-register Authorisation Form and Completion Guide

3. Registered Nurse Recognition Can Begin in Parallel

VIG recognition does not need to be completed before the separate Registered Nurse recognition process begins.

BIG-register expressly states that a foreign-trained nurse may apply for recognition as VIG and verpleegkundige simultaneously.

The applications remain separate:

VIG application → recognition as Verzorgende IG

RN application → recognition as verpleegkundige

Where the candidate is ready, both recognition processes can therefore progress in parallel.

4. Language Requirements for Registered Nurse Recognition

Dutch: B1
English: A2 reading ability.

Dutch evidence must cover:

• reading;
• writing;
• listening;
• speaking.

English evidence concerns reading ability.

For English, a separate test is not always necessary. BIG-register also accepts certain other evidence, including a diploma supplement showing that the professional education was completed in English.

Where a language-test certificate is used, BIG-register applies validity and evidence requirements; certificates generally must not be older than two years.

Important

Language evidence accepted specifically for the VIG application should not automatically be assumed to satisfy the Registered Nurse application unless it also meets the requirements applicable to verpleegkundige.

5. Documents Required for Registered Nurse Recognition

The Registered Nurse application follows the Verklaring van vakbekwaamheid — Certificate of Competence procedure.

The mandatory supporting documents are more extensive than the Simplified VIG mandate procedure.

BIG-register also recommends submitting relevant CV, professional experience, additional courses and further nursing education, because these can be considered during the substantive assessment.

5.1 Professional Competencies Appendix — Nurses

The official Bijlage Beroepscompetenties Verpleegkundigen is a mandatory part of the Registered Nurse recognition application.

It asks the candidate to describe competencies developed through:

• nursing education;
• patient/client care;
• professional experience;
• working within healthcare organisations;
• quality and professional development;
• specialisation and further experience.

The form should preferably be completed digitally and must be completed in Dutch. It is uploaded with the application.

It is not a certificate and does not require notarisation or institutional certification.

5.2 Academic Documents

The nursing diploma, transcript/subject overview and detailed curriculum must be provided as originals or properly certified copies.

BIG-register permits the educational institution where the nursing programme was completed to certify these documents.

The curriculum must relate to the actual programme completed by the candidate and include:

• candidate's name;
• years of study;
• subjects/content;
• theory and practical components;
• number of training/education hours.

5.3 Professional-Authority Declaration — bevoegdheidsverklaring


This document proves that the candidate is legally authorised to practise the profession in the country where the qualification was obtained.

BIG-register requires an original or certified copy.

For Indian BSc Nursing and GNM candidates, CIBG has confirmed directly to Hexallt that:

a Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS), or evidence of registration in a national register, can satisfy this requirement.

For the Hexallt pathway, the standard document is therefore a CCPS issued by the relevant State Nursing Council / competent nursing registration authority.

If a copy is used, BIG-register identifies the authority where the professional registration took place as an appropriate certifier.

Important terminology

Do not confuse this document with the Dutch Certificate of Competence.

Professional-authority declaration / CCPS
→ submitted near the beginning of the RN recognition process.

Certificate of Competence (Verklaring van vakbekwaamheid)
→ the successful recognition outcome issued at the end of the RN recognition process.

6. RN Recognition Can Be Started From India

Once the candidate has:

• Dutch B1 evidence;
• applicable English-reading evidence;
• complete academic documents;
• professional-authority evidence;
• required certifications;
• completed Professional Competencies Appendix;

the RN recognition application can be submitted from India.

BIG-register specifically provides BIG-login for applicants who do not have a Dutch BSN, including people living abroad.

CIBG first checks whether the application is complete.

Once the application is complete, the nurse receives an invitation to register for the BI professional-content test.

This means the document and application stage can already be progressing before the candidate relocates.

The timing of the BI test depends on available test rounds and capacity.

7. BI Test and CBGV Assessment

For nurses, it consists of:

• written knowledge test;
• practical skills test;
• clinical-reasoning interview.

The current candidate contribution for the nurse BI test is €400. Official fees may change. Check the current fee on the official BIG-register BI-test page.

After the BI test, the application proceeds through the CBGV assessment process.

The Commission considers the applicant's total professional picture, including the dossier and test results.

If significant differences from the Dutch Registered Nurse level remain, additional education or practical training may be required before recognition can be granted.

8. Certificate of Competence — RN Recognition

When the Registered Nurse recognition process is completed successfully, the candidate receives a:

Verklaring van vakbekwaamheid — Certificate of Competence

This is the Dutch recognition outcome confirming that the candidate's foreign qualification has been recognised for the profession verpleegkundige.

This is different from the professional-authority declaration supplied earlier in the application.

The Certificate of Competence establishes that:

• the foreign qualification has been recognised for the relevant profession;
• the applicable Dutch-language requirement has been met.

The candidate is now RN recognised, but BIG registration still has to be completed before ordinary practice under the protected Registered Nurse title.

9. BIG Registration After RN Recognition

Verpleegkundige is one of the professions for which BIG registration is mandatory.

RN recognition and BIG registration are legally separate stages, but they can be linked administratively.

When submitting the RN recognition application, the candidate can indicate that they also want BIG registration.

If RN recognition is later granted, BIG-register contacts the candidate about the remaining registration requirements and a separate BIG-registration application is not necessary.

If BIG registration was not requested during recognition, it can still be applied for afterwards.

10. Documents Required for BIG Registration

The main documents required at this stage are different from the recognition dossier.

Fresh CCPS

The candidate must show that no professional restrictions apply.

The CCPS must:

• be no more than three months old;
• be an original or certified copy.

BIG-register requires a CCPS from the country where the nursing diploma was obtained and from each other country where, after obtaining the diploma, the candidate worked in the profession or completed additional clinical training for more than three months. If the candidate lived in another country for more than three months but did not work in the profession or complete clinical training there, a non-registration statement is required instead of a CCPS.

A CCPS used earlier during RN recognition may therefore need to be obtained again.

Certificate of Good Conduct — CGC

The candidate must also provide evidence that there are no relevant criminal convictions.

The CGC must similarly:

• be no more than three months old;
• be an original or certified copy.

The CGC is required from the country where the nursing diploma was obtained and from each country where, after obtaining the diploma, the candidate lived, worked, or undertook additional clinical training for more than three months.

Updated CV

The CV must provide a complete record of:

• education;
• courses;
• work experience;
• start and end dates;
• country where each activity occurred.

Registration fee

The current BIG-registration fee is €85 for five years. Official fees may change. Check the current fee on the official BIG-register Costs and Processing Time page.

11. Preparing Before Travel

As part of the Hexallt pathway, the objective is to complete the candidate's academic and professional-recognition documentation while the candidate is still in India, wherever possible.

Document collection and certification should therefore begin during Dutch-language training, rather than waiting until B1 has been completed.

This includes:

• nursing diploma;
• transcript / subject overview;
• detailed curriculum;
• professional-registration records;
• work-experience evidence;
• additional nursing qualifications and training;
• professional-authority declaration / CCPS required for the RN recognition dossier;
• complete professional history and supporting records.

The objective is to have the RN recognition dossier substantially ready so that, once the required Dutch B1 certificate and applicable English-reading evidence are available, the application can proceed without unnecessary documentation delays.

A fresh CCPS and CGC required later for BIG registration are treated differently. Because these documents must normally be no more than three months old, they should be obtained or renewed when the candidate approaches the BIG-registration stage rather than being collected too early.

12. Three-Month Supervised RN Period

If the BIG-registration application is approved, the candidate is initially entered in the register under conditions for three months.

During this period, the candidate must work under the supervision of a healthcare professional who:

• is BIG registered;
• works in the same profession.

For a Registered Nurse, the supervisor must therefore be a BIG-registered verpleegkundige.

The purpose is to become familiar with practising the profession within Dutch healthcare.

The official supervision form lists healthcare settings such as:

• hospital;
• nursing home (verpleeghuis);
• primary-care setting;
• mental-health institution;
• other appropriate healthcare setting.

The supervision requirement is not tied to a particular employer.

During this conditional period, the candidate may use the Registered Nurse professional title and perform the professional activities belonging to the profession, subject to the supervision condition.

Hexallt may support candidates in understanding and coordinating this progression stage. Any actual supervised employment arrangement remains subject to the healthcare organisation and applicable employment and regulatory requirements.

13. Full BIG Registration

After completing the three-month supervised period:

supervision period completed
↓
official supervision declaration completed
↓
BIG-registered RN supervisor signs it
↓
declaration submitted to BIG-register
↓
conditional registration converted to ordinary BIG registration

Ordinary BIG registration is valid for five years.

Complete Professional Progression

Preparation

Recognition

VIG recognition application + RN recognition application when ready

These applications may progress at the same time.

VIG Recognition Stage

Registered Nurse Recognition Stage

After RN Recognition — BIG Registration

Key Distinctions

Related Guidance

→ Documents Required for VIG Recognition Application

→ Authorising Hexallt to Coordinate Your VIG Recognition Application

→ BIG-register Authorisation Form and Completion Guide

Clarifications

Hexallt supports preparation, documentation, authorised VIG coordination and professional-progression guidance.

Hexallt does not grant:

• VIG recognition;
• Registered Nurse recognition;
• a Certificate of Competence;
• BIG registration.

These decisions remain with CIBG/BIG-register and the competent Dutch authorities.

Registered Nurse recognition may also result in additional education or practical requirements depending on the candidate's individual assessment.