If you want to compete in Flanders, you need a license from Paardensport Vlaanderen — the startkaart (start card). Unlike with the KNHS, you don't arrange it separately, but through your club, and the license is directly tied to the level at which you compete.
What a Paardensport Vlaanderen License Is
The startkaart (start card) is your official permit to compete under Paardensport Vlaanderen (the Flemish equestrian federation). Exactly how the federation structure fits together — the relationship between Paardensport Vlaanderen, the LEWB (its French-speaking counterpart for Wallonia and Brussels), and the national KBRSF (the Belgian equestrian federation, the counterpart to the KNHS) — is covered in full in Competing in Belgium Explained; we won't repeat that structure here.
The license system has a range of types, numbered from low to high, each tied to a discipline and a level. At the bottom is a recreational license for those competing only at a low level or with a day license; at the top, a license for international participation. In between are provincial, national and international levels per discipline (dressage, show jumping, eventing, endurance, driving, and more), each with its own license number.
Roughly What a License Costs
Paardensport Vlaanderen publishes the exact rates fresh each season, and they range from around ten euros for the lowest, recreational license to several hundred euros for an international license. Expect this order of magnitude:
| License type | Indication |
|---|---|
| Recreational / lowest level | roughly €15–€20 |
| Entry-level provincial/national | roughly €50–€90 |
| National, higher level | roughly €150–€250 |
| International | from €500 |
Basic insurance (civil liability and personal accident cover during club activities) is included in the license. If you also ride outside of club activities — for example alone on a hack or in the arena without a lesson — you can take out supplementary insurance on top of that, for a limited amount per year.
Check with the source: you'll find the precise amounts per license number and discipline, and the current terms of the supplementary insurance, at paardensport.vlaanderen under Membership → Rates.
How to Apply for a Startkaart
You don't apply for a license directly with Paardensport Vlaanderen, but through an affiliated club.
- Join a club. Find a club or association affiliated with Paardensport Vlaanderen and sign up there. The club registers your basic membership and assigns you a membership number.
- Request your license number from the club. With that number, you can apply for the competition license itself.
- Complete the application online. This is done through Paardensport Vlaanderen's online application form, or — at some clubs — you let the club register the license for you right away and settle up directly with the club.
- Pay the invoice. After applying, you'll usually receive an invoice within a few business days; you pay that online.
For a few years now, there's no longer an entry threshold for the first, lowest license: you don't need to show a certificate or a prior exam result to apply for a license for the first time. Higher license levels within a discipline may still carry a certificate or results requirement. Check with the source which condition applies to your discipline and desired level, since this rule changes from time to time.
The Difference With the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the KNHS keeps the start permit (your personal permit as a rider) separate from your membership and your horse's start pass. At Paardensport Vlaanderen, those sit closer together: the startkaart is a license that combines your membership, your permit, and basic insurance in a single step, and the level at which you're allowed to compete is already built into the license number. A Dutch class doesn't carry over one-to-one to a Belgian license number — the club or federation sorts that out when you apply.
In Short
You apply for a startkaart at Paardensport Vlaanderen through your club, not directly with the federation. The license number determines the level and discipline at which you're allowed to compete, costs range from around ten euros to several hundred euros, and basic insurance is included as standard. For the exact rates, license numbers and current conditions, paardensport.vlaanderen is the authoritative source — rates and rules change every season.
See also: Competing in Belgium Explained · Applying for a KNHS Start Permit · Entering a KNHS Competition · Level: First Competitions · Official source: paardensport.vlaanderen