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Iowa Dental Board: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Accepted
Iowa Dental Board accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
- eVerbary translatesCertified, usually within 24 hours
- Credential evaluation, if askedWhen it is needed
- Iowa Dental BoardYou submit the translation with the original
$24.95per page · usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- ATA member #273062
- Preserves the original layout
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
See a sample translation →Real order format, fictitious data
Requirements checked on November 12, 2026 from Iowa Dental Board's public pages (sources).
The Iowa Dental Board requires graduates of foreign dental schools to submit a final, official transcript from that school and, if it is not in English, an original, official translation, under rule 481 IAC 572.4; the rule does not say who must translate.
A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it.
The rule also requires a supplemental program, a general practice residency or a board-approved formal evaluation, and English proficiency, which a translation does not replace.
Iowa Dental Board at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
Rule 481—572.4(1)(b) says that if the foreign transcript "is written in a language other than English, an original, official translation will also be submitted," without limiting who translates (481 IAC 572.4), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on November 12, 2026.
- Translation
- Original, official translation
- eVerbary translation
- AcceptedAs a certified translation from a professional service
- Credential evaluation
- Program, GPR or approved evaluation
- Price
- $24.95 per pageNo word cap, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Grades
- As recordedNever converted to a US GPA
Checked on November 12, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Iowa Dental Board's own page before you submit.
Sample translation: a Congolese secondary school transcript
This is what an order looks like when it is delivered, with a fictitious student. The PDF starts with the signed certification page, and the translation follows the original line for line: every abbreviation is explained, stamps, seals and signatures are noted in brackets, and the grid stays the same, so an admissions officer or a credential evaluator can match it without guessing.

What to notice
- Two school years in the same grid as the original: every subject, grading period, exam and total, so each grade can be read against its maximum.
- The French rating abbreviations are translated (TB becomes VG, Very good), and every abbreviation is explained in a translator's note at the foot of the same page, including one the original never defines.
- Dates are written the US way (the original's 02/07/2015 is February 7, 2015).
- The photo, seals and signatures are noted in brackets where they appear.
Worth knowing about Iowa Dental Board
Original, official translation
Rule 481—572.4(1)(b).
Three education options
Supplemental program, GPR or evaluation.
$200 by exam
Credentials or verification: $550.
Iowa Dental Board requirements in detail
Translation
A final, official transcript from the foreign school, with an original, official translation if it is not in English (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Who may translate
Not specified in the rule (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Education
One of: a supplemental program of at least two academic years at an accredited dental school; a general practice residency of at least one academic year at an accredited dental college; or a formal evaluation by a board-approved professional credentialing organization showing substantial equivalence (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools, Iowa Dental Board).
License abroad
Verification from the governmental authority that licensed you abroad, when applicable, with no adverse action (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
English
TOEFL at the highest level of ability on each section, or other evidence the board approves (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Recent competence
Practice within three years before applying, or a clinical exam or assessment within three years (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Fee
$200 for a license on the basis of exam; $550 on the basis of credentials or verification; $46 background check packet (Dentists: licensing).
Iowa's rule for foreign graduates, effective April 2025
Rule 481—572.4 (ARC 8986C, effective April 9, 2025), which replaced the former dental board rule 650—11.4, applies when a foreign graduate does not meet the usual education requirements and does not qualify for licensure by verification (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
It adds a third way to show equivalent education: a formal evaluation of the foreign dental education by a board-approved professional credentialing organization (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
The pages we read do not name the approved organization; ask the board before you order one.
Whatever the option, the foreign transcript and its original, official translation are part of the application (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
If the license verification from your country is not in English, it is sensible to translate it too, though the rule spells out the translation only for the transcript.
Waivers and licensure by verification
A foreign graduate who meets none of the options may petition for a rule waiver; the board says it has generally granted waivers when the applicant completed at least one year of a general practice residency at an accredited dental school (Dentists: licensing).
Dentists licensed in another state may apply by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 instead (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Need a certified translation for Iowa Dental Board?
$24.95 per page with no word cap, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Final transcript from the foreign dental school
- Foreign dental diploma
- License verification from the authority abroad
- Name-change records such as a marriage certificate
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 with no word cap, 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 Iowa Dental Board
Submit the translation with the foreign transcript as part of the dentist application to the Iowa Dental Board (Dentists: licensing).
eVerbary can mail the translation in a sealed, signed envelope: choose the hard copy at checkout with the board's address ($19.95 Priority or $37.95 Express in the US) and write in the order notes that it is for the Iowa Dental Board.
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 Iowa that means we translate your records; the formal evaluation, if you choose that option, comes from the board-approved credentialing organization, and the board decides equivalence.
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
Does the Iowa Dental Board need a translation of my foreign transcript?
Yes, an original, official translation if the transcript is not in English (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Who may translate it?
The rule does not say (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools); a certified translation from a professional service meets it.
Can I be licensed in Iowa without a US dental degree?
Possibly: the rule accepts a two-year supplemental program, a one-year GPR, or a board-approved evaluation showing substantial equivalence (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
Which English test does Iowa accept?
TOEFL at the highest level of ability on each section, or other evidence the board approves (481 IAC chapter 572, rule 572.4: Graduates of foreign dental schools).
What does the application cost?
$200 on the basis of exam, $550 on the basis of credentials or verification (Dentists: licensing).
Sources
Iowa Dental Board's own pages, read on November 12, 2026.
Translating documents for Iowa Dental Board?
Upload a scan of your diploma, transcript or license and see the price and delivery time before you pay.
