Minnesota Board of Dentistry: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

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.

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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.

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More sample translations

Worth knowing about Minnesota Board of Dentistry

Minnesota Board of Dentistry requirements in detail

The eight steps, and where translations enter

Minnesota lets a graduate of a non-accredited dental program qualify without a US degree if the Board finds the training equivalent (Limited General License). Step 1 is the FCSA evaluation.

Step 2 is one complete packet to the Board: the $200 fee, the pre-application, INBDE results, TOEFL or OET scores, a CV, an infection-control certificate, the diploma or transcripts and an original license verification showing clinical practice, each with an official certified translation if not in English (Limited General License).

The rule lists the same items, including the professional translation of the diploma and other credentials (Minn. R. 3100.1130, Limited General Dentist).

If the committee finds your education equivalent, Step 4 is an interview with patient records no more than five years old, on the Board's recordkeeping forms; records not in English also need an official certified translation (Limited General License).

Only then does the Board allow a clinical exam, to be passed within 18 months, followed by the jurisprudence exam and a written agreement with a supervising Minnesota dentist (Limited General License).

FCSA and the recommended translator

The Board names Texan Translation as the recommended provider "for Foreign Credentials Service of America" (Limited General License).

That is a recommendation, not a rule: FCSA itself asks for a certified English translation and accepts translations from most professional agencies in the US or abroad (FCSA).

The Board's rule only says professional translation (Minn. R. 3100.1130, Limited General Dentist).

If you translate the diploma and transcripts once, the same certified translation can go to FCSA and into the Board packet; order the patient records later, when the committee asks for them.

Other routes for internationally trained dentists

The Board also accepts a US advanced standing (PASS) DDS program, a specialty license after a CODA-accredited specialty program and 2,000 hours of practice, and faculty licenses (Limited General License). On those routes the US program certifies your education, so translations are needed less often.

Documents applicants usually translate

• Dental diploma (DDS or equivalent)
• Dental school transcripts or mark sheets
• License verification or letter of good standing from abroad
• Patient records for the committee interview
• Other dental credentials and certificates

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 Minnesota Board of Dentistry

• Send the translations with the complete Step 2 packet to the Board; it asks you not to send anything until every item can go together (Limited General License). The Board is at 335 Randolph Ave, Suite 250, Saint Paul (Limited General License).

• For FCSA, send the translation with your education documents as FCSA instructs; the report goes from FCSA to the Board.

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