Pathways to Canada for internationally trained dentists
The route to a Canadian dental license through the NDEB Equivalency Process is the same for every graduate of a non-accredited program. The paperwork, the numbers and the currency change from country to country. These guides put each country's version in one place, with a source and a date on every fact.
The country guides
Each guide gives the applications NDEB counted from that country in its 2024-25 annual report, the documents NDEB lists, the fees in Canadian dollars and in the local currency and the official places to ask for help. The steps, the timeline, the language rules and the practice advice are the same for everyone, so they sit once on the AFK pathway page. Applications created for the Equivalency Process went from 1,984 in 2023-24 to 1,697 in 2024-25, a fall of about 14.5%.
- 840 applications in 2024-25
India to Canada
NDEB offers World Document Services as a second way to send three document types, and asks for an internship completion certificate.
One pass of every step: $11,500 CAD, about ₹7.8 lakh.
- 146 applications in 2024-25
Pakistan to Canada
NDEB lists no internship requirement, and the degree must be issued in English.
One pass of every step: $11,500 CAD, about PKR 22.7 lakh.
- 116 applications in 2024-25
Iran to Canada
Translations done in Iran must be validated by the Iranian Judiciary and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
One pass of every step: $11,500 CAD, about 1,500 million toman.
- 59 applications in 2024-25
Egypt to Canada
The academic record must be issued in English, and the degree needs a translation only if it is not in English.
One pass of every step: $11,500 CAD, about EGP 452,800.
Application counts are from the map in NDEB's annual report, which shows countries with 20 or more applications. They count applications and say nothing about exam takers. Local amounts are estimates at the rates read on 23 October 2026. Indian and Pakistani rupee amounts use lakh (1 lakh is 100,000), and Iran's use toman (1 toman is 10 rials).
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB annual report 2024-25, NDEB required documents.
What is the same for every country
Whatever your country, the Equivalency Process is for graduates of non-accredited dental programs. The exams of the Equivalency Process must be taken in order, beginning with the AFK. A passing grade on the AFK is required before the ACJ, and a pass on the ACJ before the NDECC. The Equivalency Process ends with eligibility for the Certification Process, whose Virtual OSCE leads to NDEB certification and is required for licensure in Canada.
The fees are the same too: $11,500 CAD for one pass of the application, AFK, ACJ, NDECC and Virtual OSCE, in Canadian dollars. Applicants do not need to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents to apply to the Equivalency Process or to sit its exams. NDEB says certification takes 6 to 18 months from the time a candidate can take the certification exams, depending on how many attempts are needed. Our AFK pathway page has the same route in the order NDEB runs it, and the pathway cost calculator turns the fees into a plan for your own number of attempts.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB Equivalency Process, NDEB Certification Process, NDEB FAQ.
What changes by country
The document lists are not the same for every country. India asks for an internship certificate and Pakistan does not. India lets World Document Services send three document types, and the other three countries have the university or the licensing body send them directly. Iran has a validation chain for translations done in Iran: the Iranian Judiciary and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. NDEB lists the documents by country of education. A candidate whose country is not on the list sends NDEB the details of the program and university, and NDEB confirms eligibility within a few weeks.
Every country shares the notary and translation rules. A notarized photocopy bears the original seal and signature of a Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths, who makes the photocopy from the original document. Candidates do not photocopy it themselves. A translation must be done by a certified translator, who seals it and secures it to a photocopy of the original. A translation attested by a school official is not accepted. A guide here is a reading of NDEB's page for that country on the day shown. NDEB reviews its requirements regularly, so read its page again before you pay for a translation or a courier.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB required documents.
What NDEB does not publish
NDEB's results page splits candidates into all, first-time and repeat takers. It shows no split by country of training. NDEB analyzed 14 years of exam data by country of education and by school, to support targeted help such as preparatory courses. The annual report prints no results from it. A pass rate for one country, from any source, does not come from NDEB's published pages, so ask where it comes from.
We publish what NDEB publishes. On the AFK pass rate page that is the pass rate for all candidates, for first-time takers and for repeat takers, by calendar year. We give no immigration or legal advice either. NDEB says it cannot help with visas, and for immigration the official source is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB exam results, NDEB annual report 2024-25.
Countries that come next
The same annual report map shows other countries with 20 or more applications in 2024-25: the United States with 185, Australia with 123, Ireland with 46, the Philippines with 42, Ukraine with 35, Brazil with 26, Nigeria with 21, Iraq with 21, Syria with 20. The map does not separate the Equivalency Process from the Certification Process, so it shows where applicants studied and no more. NDEB's page of document rules lists Australia only for graduates before 31 March 2010, Ireland only for graduates before 5 December 2012 and New Zealand only for graduates before 14 December 2011.
We add a guide when we have read NDEB's page for the country and the documents are clear enough to summarize. If you want one, write to us through the contact page. In the meantime the AFK is the first exam for all of them, and the free mini mock and placement check work the same for every country. For other exams, see how the AFK compares with the ADC, the INBDE and the ORE.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB annual report 2024-25.
Questions candidates ask
Which country guide should I read?
The one for the country where you studied dentistry, because NDEB lists its document rules by country of education. If your country has no guide here yet, the NDEB page lists it in a drop-down, and a country that is not on NDEB's list can send details of the program and university for an eligibility check.
Are the exams different for graduates of different countries?
No. Every graduate of a non-accredited program follows the same Equivalency Process: the AFK, then the ACJ, then the NDECC, then the Virtual OSCE of the Certification Process. The documents NDEB asks for differ by country.
Do you give immigration advice?
No. NDEB says it cannot help with visas, and these pages cover only NDEB exams, fees and document rules. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the official source for immigration questions.
Why are the local currency amounts only estimates?
NDEB charges in Canadian dollars. We convert at one fixed rate per currency, read on 23 October 2026. Your bank or exchange office will use its own rate, and may add charges.
Does MolarPath have practice for the whole route?
MolarPath has practice for the AFK, the first exam. It does not cover the ACJ, the NDECC or the Virtual OSCE today, and it never uses NDEB released questions.
Last checked 23 October 2026. Source: NDEB FAQ.
MolarPath is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the NDEB. The figures here come from NDEB pages, linked at the end of each section, and NDEB can change them.