Minnesota Board of Pharmacy: 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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Worth knowing about Minnesota Board of Pharmacy

Minnesota Board of Pharmacy requirements in detail

Why the translation happens before Minnesota sees anything

Minnesota's checklist starts with FPGEC certification and only then the internship, the licensure application and the exams (Foreign pharmacy graduate checklist). Your foreign transcripts, degree and license are read by ECE and NABP during certification, not by the Board.

The FPGEC rule applies to those documents: an official word-for-word translation, seals and stamps included, by an official translator or a professional translation service in any country, with the translator's original signature and date on every page, an accuracy attestation and proof of credentials; no self-translation and no photocopies (FPGEC Bulletin: Documentation Requirements, FPGEC Bulletin: Submit Documentation (license and registration)). Order through a free quote and say the translation is for the FPGEC.

The variance request, and what it asks for

A foreign graduate can ask the Board for a variance from Minn. R. 6800.1250, subp. 1b.

The request goes by email in PDF or by mail, and it needs confirmation of graduation from the foreign college, such as a transcript, proof that you are in the FPGEC process, any FPGEE or TOEFL scores, evidence of legal presence and a statement of intent to practice in Minnesota; the Variance and Policy Review Committee reviews it before a Board meeting (Variance request instructions for foreign pharmacy school graduates).

The form does not say whether a transcript in another language needs a translation. If yours is not in English, a certified translation sent with it lets the committee read it; confirm with the Board if in doubt.

Documents applicants usually translate

• Pharmacy school transcripts, for the ECE report inside FPGEC
• Pharmacy degree certificate
• Pharmacist license or registration from your country, for NABP
• Transcript copy for a variance request, if you file one
• Marriage certificate or court order, if your name changed

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 Pharmacy

• FPGEC translations go by mail with your documents: education records to ECE and license documents to NABP (ECE, FPGEC).

  Minnesota receives a copy of your FPGEC certificate, not the translations; a variance request goes to pharmacy.board@state.mn.us as a PDF (Variance request instructions for foreign pharmacy school graduates).

• eVerbary delivers the certified translation as a PDF and can mail sealed, signed hard copies for the FPGEC ($19.95 Priority or $37.95 Express in the US); write in the order notes that they are for the FPGEC.

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