How to Become a Dentist in Canada as an International Dentist. Three Pathways, Real Costs.

Every Number Here Is Tagged

We checked these figures against the official sources in September 2026: the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), the dental schools, the provincial regulators, the ADA and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Canadian fees are in Canadian dollars (CA$). ADA exam fees and our own courses are in US dollars (US$).

Three Ways Into Canadian Dentistry

Every pathway ends in the same two places: NDEB certification, and then a licence from the province where you want to work. What differs is how you get there, how long it takes, and who is allowed to start.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada recognises US programs accredited by CODA, and the NDEB lists CODA-accredited programs among the accredited programs it accepts. That means a US DDS or DMD lets you skip the Equivalency Process entirely. The catch is that you first pay for the whole US route.

1. Complete the US route. INBDE, TOEFL, ECE evaluation, CAAPID application, and a two to two-and-a-half year advanced standing program. Our 13-step US guide covers every step.
2. Apply to the NDEB Certification Process with proof that you completed your accredited program.
3. Pass the Virtual OSCE. 200 questions: 50 single-answer multiple choice and 150 case-based, which can include photos, radiographs and charts. You get a maximum of three attempts.
4. Register with your provincial regulator and sort out your right to work in Canada.

This is the route most internationally trained dentists take. There is no school to attend. You prove your knowledge, judgement and clinical skill through three NDEB assessments taken in order, and then sit the same Virtual OSCE as a Canadian graduate. You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to apply or to sit the exams.

1. Apply and have your credentials verified. Create an NDEBConnect account and submit your documents. The NDEB currently quotes about ten weeks for credential verification.
2. Pass the Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge (AFK). The biomedical and clinical dental sciences exam, and the one our AFK course is built for.
3. Pass the Assessment of Clinical Judgement (ACJ). Diagnosis, treatment planning and radiographic interpretation.
4. Pass the NDECC. The final step of the Equivalency Process, in two components: a clinical skills component and a situational judgement component. Once you pass the ACJ, the NDEB offers you a place for your first NDECC attempt. You have five years to pass both components, and from May 2027 candidates who have not passed within that window stop being Equivalency Process candidates.
5. Apply to the NDEB Certification Process and pass the Virtual OSCE. Exactly the same as Pathway One from this point.
6. Register with your provincial regulator.

Several Canadian dental schools run qualifying or degree completion programs for internationally trained dentists. You take the ADAT, apply directly to the school, and graduate with a Canadian DDS or DMD. As a graduate of an accredited Canadian program you then go straight to the NDEB Virtual OSCE, just like Pathway One.

1. Secure Canadian citizenship or permanent residence before you apply.
2. Take the ADAT and send the results to the schools. Each school sets its own validity window, from three to five years.
3. Prove your English if your first degree was not taught in English. Manitoba asks for IELTS 7.0 in every band or a TOEFL iBT of 100 (5.0 on the new scale from 21 January 2026); Western asks for TOEFL 88 with 20 in each section, or IELTS 6.5.
4. Apply to each school directly, then prepare for its interviews and any hands-on assessment.
5. Graduate with a Canadian DDS or DMD.
6. Apply to the NDEB Certification Process, pass the Virtual OSCE (CA$450 plus CA$1,750), and register with your province.

Your Provincial Licence

NDEB certification makes you eligible, but it is your province that licenses you, and each one charges its own fees and runs its own law and ethics (jurisprudence) requirement. Here are the two largest markets we could verify.

Immigration Fees in Canada

Pathway Three needs permanent residence or citizenship before you even apply. Pathways One and Two can be started from anywhere, but you still need the right to work in Canada before you can practise. These are the government fees, per person.

Which Pathway Fits You?

There is no single best route. It depends on your status in Canada, your budget, and whether you want the United States as an option too.

Study Boards Programs for the Canada Pathways

Exam fees and tuition are fixed. Your preparation is the part you choose. Here is everything we offer that applies to a Canadian plan, with real prices in US dollars.

Get Ready for the AFK

For most internationally trained dentists, the AFK is the first real step toward a Canadian licence, and every retake costs CA$1,000.

Common Questions

Where These Numbers Came From

Every figure tagged Verified traces back to one of these. Fees change, so use this list to confirm them before you pay.