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Iowa Board of Medicine: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Iowa Board of Medicine accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Not specified; professional service qualifies
- $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 Iowa Board of Medicine's rules ask for a complete translation of any medical diploma not written in English, and of a non-English transcript when the Board requests it, without saying who must translate.
The Iowa Board of Medicine accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. FCVS is optional; we translate, but we do not file your Uniform Application or the state addendum, which only you may complete.
Iowa Board of Medicine at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
Iowa's licensure rules ask for "a complete translation" of a diploma not written in English, without naming a translator (481 IAC 652.4(2)), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- Complete translation of the diploma
- Who may translate
- Not specified; professional service qualifies
- Credential evaluation
- FCVS optional; ECFMG if school not approved
- 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 Iowa Board of Medicine's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Iowa Board of Medicine
Complete translation
Of the diploma, and of the transcript if the Board asks for it.
Three alternatives
An English transcript from the school or an FCVS profile can replace it.
Provisional license
A track for foreign graduates with five years of practice abroad.
Iowa Board of Medicine requirements in detail
Translation
A complete translation of any diploma not written in English (481 IAC 652.4(2)(e)); a complete translation of a non-English transcript if the Board requests the transcript (652.4(2)(g)).
Who may translate
The rules do not say. A certified translation from a professional service qualifies under their wording.
Alternatives
An official transcript in English received directly from the school and showing graduation, or an official FCVS Physician Information Profile, can stand in for the diploma translation (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
Original or copy
A photocopy of the medical degree, plus a sworn statement from a school official certifying the degree date (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
FCVS
Not required by the Board, but accepted (How do I apply for a physician (MD or DO) license?).
Training
Graduates of international medical schools need 24 months of accredited postgraduate training for a permanent license (Physicians).
How to apply
Online only: the FSMB Uniform Application plus the Iowa state-specific addendum; the Board does not accept third-party or paper applications (How do I apply for a physician (MD or DO) license?).
A complete translation, or one of two substitutes
Iowa writes its translation rule into the application section of its licensure rules.
With the photocopy of your medical degree you submit a complete translation if the diploma is not in English; an official transcript written in English, sent directly by the school and showing graduation, is a suitable alternative, and so is an official FCVS Physician Information Profile (481 IAC 652.4(2)).
The transcript itself is needed only if the Board requests it, and then with a complete translation.
Complete means every line of the diploma, including the seals, signatures and registration notes on the back. We translate all of it and keep the degree title as issued, next to its English rendering.
Provisional and special licenses for physicians trained abroad
Iowa's rules include a provisional license for foreign medical graduates: five years of practice after a residency or similar training, good standing abroad, all USMLE steps, an offer of employment from an Iowa health care facility, and an ECFMG certificate or an English test (TOEFL, TSE or OET Medicine).
The application asks for a photocopy of the degree, a sworn statement from the school and a complete translation of any diploma not in English (481 IAC 653.6).
The special license for physicians joining an academic medical staff uses the same diploma rule (481 IAC 653.4).
The provisional track also asks for a certified criminal history record from your country of residence and a sworn good-standing statement from your medical regulator (653.6(3)), documents that often need a translation too.
Where the Iowa Board's pages differ
The Board's physician page still points to eligibility in "Chapter 9.3" of the old Board of Medicine rules (Physicians); those rules were transferred in June 2025 to Inspections, Appeals and Licensing chapters 652 and 653 (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
The translation wording is the same in the current chapters.
If you are applying for ECFMG certification as well, ECFMG asks for word-for-word translations by a professional translation service or an official (ECFMG translation requirements).
Need a certified translation for Iowa Board of Medicine?
$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
- Medical diploma
- Medical school transcripts, if the Board asks for them
- Criminal history record from your country of residence, for the provisional license
- Good-standing statement from your foreign medical regulator
- Marriage certificate or court documents for a name change
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 Iowa Board of Medicine
You complete the state-specific addendum in the Board's online services portal, after the FSMB Uniform Application (How do I apply for a physician (MD or DO) license?).
Once your application is reviewed, your reviewer emails you instructions for submitting outstanding materials, such as the diploma photocopy and its translation.
If you use an FCVS profile instead, FCVS collects the records under its own instructions.
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 diploma and other records; we do not complete the Uniform Application or addendum, which applicants must fill out themselves, or obtain your school's sworn statement.
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 Board of Medicine require a translation of my diploma?
Yes, a complete translation if it is not written in English (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
Who can translate it?
The rules do not name a translator. A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Do I need to translate my transcript?
Only if the Board requests the transcript; then a complete translation is required (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
Is FCVS required in Iowa?
No, but the Board accepts it (How do I apply for a physician (MD or DO) license?), and an FCVS profile can replace the diploma translation (481 IAC chapter 652: permanent and administrative medicine physician licensure).
Can someone else fill in the application for me?
No. The Board does not accept third-party applications (How do I apply for a physician (MD or DO) license?).
Sources
Iowa Board of Medicine's own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for Iowa Board of Medicine?
Upload a scan of your diploma, transcript or license and see the price and delivery time before you pay.