VCA certificate: B-VCA, VOL-VCA, exam and validity
The personal safety diploma that clients in industry, petrochemicals and construction require from every contractor and their staff.
| Who needs it, by law or by the site? | Operational staff (B-VCA) and supervisors (VOL-VCA) of VCA-certified contractors |
|---|---|
| Validity and renewal | Ten years from the exam date |
| How do you get it? | Exam at an exam centre recognised by BeSaCC-VCA |
Who needs it, by law or by the site?
VCA stands for Safety, health and environment Checklist for Contractors: a certification scheme for contractors working on sites with increased risk, managed by the non-profit BeSaCC-VCA (Contractor Safety Management). The company is certified after an audit by a certification body; its staff prove their knowledge with a personal diploma. All operational staff of a VCA company must hold the Basic Safety diploma (B-VCA); anyone supervising operational staff needs the Safety for Operational Supervisors diploma (VOL-VCA). [1] [2] [3]
VIL-VCU (Safety for Temp Agency Consultants and Supervisors) is the diploma within VCU, the variant of the scheme for temp agencies that place people with VCA companies. Employees performing risk-bearing tasks must in addition have followed specific training for that task (see the register of risk-bearing tasks under the forklift and aerial platform certificates). [1] [5] [2]
Legal basis
No law imposes VCA: it is a private standard (VCA 2017/6.0, since 2 April 2018 one scheme for Belgium and the Netherlands) that clients contractually require from their contractors. The employer's general duty under the Code to inform and train employees (articles I.2-16 to I.2-21) applies, but it does not prescribe a VCA diploma. [1] [8]
How do you get it?
You take the exam at an exam centre recognised by BeSaCC-VCA; the list of recognised centres is on besacc-vca.be. The questions come from a central question database based on the final and test terms; there is one practice exam for Basic, VOL and VIL, for training purposes only. A diploma only counts if it was issued by a recognised exam centre. [2] [3] [4]
Anyone still holding a valid diploma may be registered for the same exam again at the earliest two years after issue; for the same exam you can be registered at most twice a day. [6]
Length of the training
The length of a preparatory course is not in the exam regulations and differs per training centre. BeSaCC-VCA sells the handbook through its webshop and the recognised centres; many exam centres are training centres as well. [2] [6]
Validity and renewal
A VCA diploma is valid for ten years, counted from the exam date. An operational employee only complies with a Basic Safety diploma that is not older than ten years; the same applies to supervisors with VOL-VCA. After that term you sit the exam again. [2] [3]
Finding or requesting it
All diplomas issued since 1 January 2010 by Belgian recognised exam centres are automatically in the Central Diploma Register (csm-examen.be/cdr); older diplomas were added. You search by diploma number or by name plus date of birth. The register holds B-VCA, VOL-VCA, VIL-VCU and the risk-bearing task certificates. A register entry is usually sufficient as proof; you only need a duplicate if an employer or client wants to see a paper diploma. [5] [7]
A duplicate can only be issued by the exam centre that issued the original, under its own financial conditions; BeSaCC-VCA itself does not issue duplicates. Diplomas from Dutch exam centres are found in the Dutch Central Diploma Register (cdr.ssvv.nl). [5] [2]
What does it cost?
No official source names an amount for training or exam; the price differs per training centre. First ask your employer or temp agency whether they pay for the training.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between B-VCA and VOL-VCA?
B-VCA (Basic Safety) is the diploma all operational staff of a VCA company must hold. VOL-VCA (Safety for Operational Supervisors) is required for anyone supervising operational staff. Both are taken at a recognised exam centre and are valid for ten years. [2][3]
How long is a VCA diploma valid?
Ten years, counted from the exam date. After that you sit the exam again at a recognised exam centre; anyone still holding a valid diploma may re-sit at the earliest two years after issue. [2][6]
How do you obtain the VCA certificate?
You prepare through self-study with the handbook or a course at a training centre, then sit the exam at an exam centre recognised by BeSaCC-VCA. Only a diploma from a recognised centre counts. The length and price of the preparation differ per training centre. [2][4]
How do you find your VCA diploma?
Search the Central Diploma Register at csm-examen.be/cdr, by diploma number or by name plus date of birth. Diplomas from Belgian recognised centres since 2010 are in it automatically. A paper duplicate is requested from the exam centre that issued the original; that may cost something. [5][7]
Is VCA a legal requirement?
No. VCA is a private certification standard of the non-profit BeSaCC-VCA. The obligation comes from the contract with the client: anyone working on a site that requires VCA must be able to show a valid diploma, otherwise you do not get in. [1]
Vacancies that mention this certificate
Sources
Every paragraph points with a number to the source it rests on. What no official source says is not on this page; where the rule differs per employer or per training centre, it says so literally.
- BeSaCC-VCA: VCA info (checked on 23 October 2026)
- BeSaCC-VCA: Basisveiligheid B-VCA (checked on 23 October 2026)
- BeSaCC-VCA: Veiligheid voor Operationeel Leidinggevenden VOL-VCA (checked on 23 October 2026)
- BeSaCC-VCA: erkende examencentra B-VCA, VOL-VCA, VIL-VCU (checked on 23 October 2026)
- BeSaCC-VCA: Diplomaregister (checked on 23 October 2026)
- BeSaCC-VCA: Algemeen Reglement Examinering VCA 2018-03 (pdf) (checked on 23 October 2026)
- Centraal Diplomaregister (CSM Examenbeheer) (checked on 23 October 2026)
- FOD Werkgelegenheid: attest voor het besturen van een gemotoriseerd transportwerktuig (opleidingsplicht Codex I.2-16 tot I.2-21) (checked on 23 October 2026)
This page is information, not legal advice. Your employer, its prevention advisor and the competent region remain responsible for what applies at your workplace.