District of Columbia Board of Medicine: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about DC Board of Medicine

DC Board of Medicine requirements in detail

Notarized, and signed by the translator

DC writes its translation rule into its regulations.

Section 4603.9 asks for a translation into English by a translation service acceptable to the Board, and for a notarized translation signed by the translator attesting to its accuracy (17 DCMR 4603: applicants educated in foreign countries).

A certified translation without notarization does not meet the second part.

When you order for DC, choose notarization at checkout. The translation, the signed certificate of accuracy and the notarization arrive together as a PDF you can email to the Board with the original-language document.

What goes by email to the Board

The Board's checklist lets several items arrive by email at dcbomed@dc.gov or by mail: the ECFMG certificate, name-change documents, and transcripts and training verifications sent by the institutions themselves (Document checklist: physicians (initial)).

A marriage certificate or court order in another language is the most common document applicants translate for DC; send the notarized translation together with the copy of the original.

ECFMG, whose certification DC requires (17 DCMR 4603: applicants educated in foreign countries), has its own rule for documents uploaded to it: word-for-word, by a professional translation service, never your own (ECFMG).

Training and reciprocity

Applicants educated abroad need three years of ACGME- or AOA-approved postgraduate clinical training; for those already licensed in a US state or board-certified, the Board may accept other training or significant clinical practice as equivalent (17 DCMR 4603: applicants educated in foreign countries).

The DMV reciprocity pathway is closed to foreign-educated physicians licensed in Maryland or Virginia, who apply through the traditional pathway (DC Board of Medicine).

Documents applicants usually translate

• Marriage certificates, divorce decrees and court orders for name changes
• Medical school diploma and transcripts, when the Board asks for a translation
• Foreign medical licenses and good-standing letters
• Foreign postgraduate training records, for an equivalency review

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• Grades, hours and credits exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA or equivalency.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to DC Board of Medicine

• Email the notarized translation with a copy of the original document to dcbomed@dc.gov, or mail it, as the checklist allows for name-change documents (Document checklist: physicians (initial)). Applications themselves are filed in the DC Health online portal (DC Board of Medicine).

• eVerbary can email the certified translation directly to the Board if you write in the order notes that it is for the DC Board of Medicine and which applicant it belongs to.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions