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Illinois Board of Nursing (IDFPR): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: IDFPR accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Fluent translator other than the applicant
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), which licenses nurses with the Illinois Board of Nursing, asks that every document in a foreign language come with an original, notarized translation made by someone other than the applicant who is fluent in both languages and certifies its accuracy.
IDFPR accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary, with notarization added at checkout.
Internationally educated nurses also need a Credential Evaluation Service report from one of five vendors, which IDFPR downloads itself; we do not provide that report, and each vendor sets its own translation rule for the records it evaluates.
IDFPR at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
IDFPR's registered nurse application checklist asks for an original, notarized translation by a person other than the applicant, fluent in both languages, who certifies its accuracy (RN application checklist), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary, notarized, meets it. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- Required, original and notarized
- Who may translate
- Fluent translator other than the applicant
- Credential evaluation
- CES report: TruMerit, ERES, JS&A, TEC, IEE
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Grades
- As recordedNever converted to a US GPA
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on IDFPR's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about IDFPR
Notarized, not by you
A fluent translator other than the applicant certifies accuracy.
Five CES vendors
TruMerit, ERES, Josef Silny, The Evaluation Company and IEE.
Apply first
IDFPR does not review an evaluation before you apply.
IDFPR requirements in detail
Translation
Every document in a foreign language needs an original, notarized English translation (Registered nurse new application checklist); the internationally educated nurses sheet adds that all documents must be translated before submitting (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Who may translate
Anyone other than the applicant who is fluent in English and the document's language, and who certifies those facts and the accuracy of the translation (Registered nurse new application checklist).
Notarization
Required: the translation must be notarized (Registered nurse new application checklist). eVerbary adds notarization at checkout for $34.90 per order.
Evaluation
A Credential Evaluation Service report from TruMerit (Professional Report), ERES (Nursing Evaluation and Course by Course), Josef Silny (evaluation for boards of nursing), The Evaluation Company (Nursing Course Analysis) or IEE; IDFPR downloads it from the vendor (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Alternatives to the CES report
An original TruMerit VisaScreen or JS&A Visa4Nurses certificate, or an original TruMerit Certificate (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
English test
If your program was not taught in English: TOEFL, IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic or MET, sent by the vendor to IDFPR, before the NCLEX; IDFPR may waive it if the CES report shows English instruction and textbooks (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Timing
The CES report is valid for the life of the application or three years at most; IDFPR recommends getting it before applying for the NCLEX because transcripts may be hard to obtain (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Two translation rules: IDFPR's and your evaluator's
IDFPR's own rule covers documents you submit to the Department, such as a foreign license verification, a marriage certificate for a name change or court documents: an original, notarized translation by a fluent translator other than you, who certifies accuracy (Registered nurse new application checklist). A professional translation with notarization meets it.
Your nursing transcripts usually go to the CES vendor instead, and each vendor sets its own rule. IEE refuses translations by the client, a notary or an uncertified translator and accepts certified translators (IEE).
Josef Silny asks for ATA-certified translators when the translation is made in the US (JS&A), and The Evaluation Company accepts outside translators only if ATA-certified (TEC).
TruMerit wants nursing transcripts translated by the school or by TruMerit (TruMerit).
The order of steps in Illinois
IDFPR does not review a foreign evaluation before you apply: if you have never been licensed in the US you apply by examination through Continental Testing Services, and if you hold a US license you apply by endorsement (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Because transcripts can take time, IDFPR suggests ordering the CES report before applying for the NCLEX. When the report is ready, IDFPR downloads it from the vendor's website.
Endorsement applicants who already passed the NCLEX do not need the English test, and may use a CES report from any of the five vendors or a TruMerit or JS&A certificate (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Where IDFPR's pages differ
The registered nurse application checklist names only CGFNS or ERES certification, with the VisaScreen certificate and a Certification of Foreign Licensure form as the fallback (Registered nurse new application checklist).
The internationally educated nurses sheet lists five CES vendors, IEE among them (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
If you plan to use a vendor other than TruMerit or ERES, the five-vendor sheet is the one that names it; ask IDFPR if in doubt.
Need a certified translation for IDFPR?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Nursing license or registration verification from the country of education
- Marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order for a name change
- Nursing school transcripts and diploma, for the CES vendor
- Secondary school records, if the vendor asks for them
- Court or police records, where the application asks about them
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 IDFPR
Translations of documents for IDFPR go with your application as its checklist describes; the checklist asks for the original notarized translation (Registered nurse new application checklist). Confirm with IDFPR whether it wants the printed original or an upload.
Translations of nursing records go to the CES vendor you choose, under its own rules; IDFPR then downloads the vendor's report (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
If you need a translator certified by ATA
Some offices accept only a translator who is personally certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). eVerbary assigns one on request, for the languages ATA certifies into English:
$34.95 per page
Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and Ukrainian
$44.95 per page
Japanese, Korean, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Croatian, Danish and Persian
To order it, ask for a free quote and write in the notes that the translation is for IDFPR, what it is for, and that you need a translator individually certified by ATA, plus anything else the office asks for (notarization, delivery by email to the office).
We confirm the price and the translator before you pay. ATA does not certify other languages into English, so no translator anywhere holds ATA certification for them.
For those languages we provide a notarized certified translation instead, at $44.95 per page plus notarization ($34.90 per order); ask the office to confirm it accepts that, and write its answer in the quote notes.
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service or a licensing agency: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, we cannot send documents on behalf of the school or authority that issued them, and we do not file the license application.
For Illinois that means we translate and notarize your documents; the CES report comes from TruMerit, ERES, Josef Silny, The Evaluation Company or IEE, and the English test results from the test vendor.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- 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
Can I translate my own documents for the Illinois nursing license?
No. IDFPR asks for a translation made by a person other than the applicant, fluent in both languages (Registered nurse new application checklist).
Does the translation for IDFPR need to be notarized?
Yes. IDFPR asks for an original, notarized translation with the translator's certification of accuracy (Registered nurse new application checklist). eVerbary adds notarization at checkout for $34.90 per order.
Which credential evaluation does Illinois accept for nurses?
A CES report from TruMerit, ERES, Josef Silny & Associates, The Evaluation Company or IEE, each with its own report type; IDFPR downloads it from the vendor (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Do I need the CES report before I apply?
No. IDFPR does not review a foreign evaluation before you apply, but it recommends getting the report before applying for the NCLEX (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Do I need an English test?
Yes, if your program was not taught in English, unless IDFPR waives it because the CES report shows English instruction and textbooks; endorsement applicants who passed the NCLEX are exempt (Requirements for internationally educated nurses).
Sources
Illinois Board of Nursing (IDFPR)'s own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for IDFPR?
Upload a scan of your diploma, transcript or license and see the price and delivery time before you pay.