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How to Become a Dentist in Canada with a Foreign Degree (2026–27)

The NDEB equivalency process in plain words: six steps, $11,500 in NDEB fees, and the exam dates for 2027.

By Dentest AI · Updated Oct 14, 2026 · 11 min read

To become a dentist in Canada with a foreign degree, most dentists apply to the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB), pass three exams called the AFK, ACJ and NDECC, then pass the Virtual OSCE and get a licence from their province. NDEB’s own fees for this route add up to $11,500 (Canadian dollars) if you pass every step the first time.

The three exams are NDEB’s Equivalency Process, the route for internationally trained dentists whose program is not accredited in Canada. You do not need to be a permanent resident (PR) or a Canadian citizen to apply or to take the exams. If your degree is from a program accredited in Canada, the US, Australia, Ireland or New Zealand, you skip the three exams and go straight to the Virtual OSCE. (NDEB · How to apply · NDEB, Sep 23, 2025)

Just failed the AFK? Skip to what to do next.

What are the steps to become a dentist in Canada as an internationally trained dentist?

There are six steps, and you take them in order. NDEB runs the first five. Your province runs the last one.

1. Apply to NDEB and get your degree verified

You apply online with an NDEBConnect account. You need a current photo, a desktop or laptop computer and a credit card. The application fee is $900, paid once and not refunded.

NDEB then checks your degree and transcripts. Its current verification time is 10 weeks, if your documents are right the first time. You can book the AFK only after NDEB emails you that your application is approved. (How to apply · Equivalency Process fees · NDEB FAQ)

2. Pass the AFK (Assessment of Fundamental Knowledge)

The AFK tests biomedical science and applied clinical science. It is 200 single-answer multiple-choice questions in two parts, with two hours for each part. A score of 75 or more is a pass, and you must pass before you can take the other exams.

You can take the AFK three times at most. It costs $1,000 each time, and results normally come within eight weeks. (NDEB: AFK · 2026 AFK Protocol)

3. Pass the ACJ (Assessment of Clinical Judgement)

The ACJ tests how you diagnose, plan treatment and read radiographs. You can register once you pass the AFK. It costs $1,350, you can take it three times at most, and results normally come within eight weeks.

NDEB describes the format in two slightly different ways. Its ACJ page says 120 to 150 questions over 5.5 hours. Its 2026 ACJ Protocol says about 150 questions over five hours. Both say there is one break. (NDEB: ACJ · 2026 ACJ Protocol)

4. Pass the NDECC (National Dental Examination of Clinical Competence)

The NDECC is the last exam of the Equivalency Process. It takes two days at the NDEB test centre in Ottawa. In the Clinical Skills part (a full day) you do seven clinical tasks on a manikin, plus infection control. In the Situational Judgement part (half a day) you do 10 stations: five written and five conversations with an actor.

The fee is $6,500, or $3,250 for each part. You can take it any number of times within 60 months (five years) of passing the ACJ, and if you fail one part you retake only that part. From May 2027, candidates who cannot pass both parts within five years stop being candidates and cannot reapply. If you had exceptional medical circumstances, or could not register at least three times in five years, you can send NDEB a Request to Extend Equivalency Process Candidate Status. (2026 NDECC Protocol · NDEB: NDECC · NDEB, Jan 27, 2026 · By-law 2)

5. Pass the Virtual OSCE and get your NDEB certificate

The Virtual OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) has 200 questions: 50 standard multiple-choice and 150 case-based, with photos, radiographs and charts. It costs $1,750 and you can take it three times at most. After the Equivalency Process you do not make a new application; you register with your existing NDEB account. (NDEB: Virtual OSCE · Certification, how to apply · By-law 2, for the OSCE’s full name)

6. Get your licence from your province

NDEB certifies you, but your province licenses you. Once certified, you contact the dental regulatory authority (DRA) in the province where you want to work, for example the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. A DRA may ask for more documents, a jurisprudence (law and ethics) test and proof of English or French. Licence fees are set by each province. (NDEB: certificate and licence · NDEB · list of DRAs)

How much does the NDEB equivalency process cost?

NDEB’s fees add up to $11,500 if you pass each step on the first try. Every retake adds that exam’s fee again. Prep courses, travel to Ottawa and your province’s licence fees are extra.

Sources: Equivalency Process fees · Certification Process fees. The $450 Certification Process application fee is not included, because Equivalency Process graduates do not make that application.

When are the 2027 AFK, ACJ, NDECC and Virtual OSCE dates?

These are the NDEB exams in Canada that start after Oct 14, 2026, as NDEB listed them that day. Deadlines are at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and registration opens at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Book early. Since Sep 1, 2026, the first registration for the AFK, ACJ and Virtual OSCE closes as soon as all seats are full, even before the deadline. A second registration opens about 6 to 8 weeks before the exam, and you can get a seat then only if someone withdraws or NDEB adds seats. As of Oct 14, 2026, NDEB had not published NDECC series after March 2027. The AFK is also held on Feb 6, 2027 in Australia and New Zealand. (Dates and locations · Registration changes, Aug 13, 2026)

How long does the NDEB equivalency process take?

NDEB does not give one number. Its FAQ says the time “will vary depending on the individual” and depends on when you can register and how many attempts you need. (NDEB FAQ)

The calendar above gives a rough idea. The AFK and ACJ each run twice a year in Canada, and results normally take up to eight weeks. Someone who applies in mid-October 2026 with complete documents would be approved around late December, close to the Jan 4 deadline for the February AFK. NDEB says more February seats open on Dec 22, 2026, so a February seat is possible but not certain. If they miss it, their first AFK would be on Aug 13, 2027. Those results would come close to the Oct 4, 2027 deadline for the November ACJ.

Our estimate, not an NDEB figure: plan for two to three years from application to certificate, even if you pass every exam the first time. Each AFK or ACJ retake usually adds about six months.

Is there a route without the three NDEB exams?

Yes. NDEB describes two main routes for graduates of non-accredited programs: the Equivalency Process, or an accredited qualifying or degree-completion program at a Canadian dental school. A school program gives you an accredited degree, so you skip the AFK, ACJ and NDECC and go to the Virtual OSCE. (NDEB)

These programs are small, and each school sets its own rules. The University of Toronto’s International Dentist Advanced Placement Program has 24 places: a six-month intensive program, then two years of the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). Its tuition is $90,656 for the six-month program, then $45,000 for Year 3 and $46,000 for Year 4. Western University’s program has 20 places at most, and you join Year 2 of the DDS. Both require PR or Canadian citizenship and the ADAT (Advanced Dental Admission Test), and Western says it does not consider AFK scores. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, McGill and Dalhousie also have programs. (U of T · Western · ACFD school list)

There is also a pilot: the Bridge Training to Dental Practice in Canada program (BTDPC), run by the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD). You apply after passing the AFK and ACJ. It lasts up to eight months, has preliminary accreditation, and graduates from the 2026–27 group onward go straight to the Virtual OSCE without the NDECC. It takes up to 10 trainees per site at Alberta, Dalhousie and Laval (in French). Fees for 2026–27 were $500 to apply, $1,000 for a six-day in-person assessment and $30,000 tuition. You must be a PR, a citizen, a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person. ACFD says applications for its second group closed on Feb 28, 2026. As of Oct 14, 2026, it had not posted future application dates. The pilot runs through January 2028. (NDEB, Jun 25, 2026 · ACFD: about · ACFD: admission)

I failed the AFK. What should I do next?

A fail is not the end of the road. Take a few days, then plan your next sitting with these facts.

• Count your attempts. The AFK can be taken three times at most, so after a first fail you have two left. A failing result shows your score, so you can see how far you are from 75.
• Pick your sitting. The next AFK is Feb 5, 2027 (deadline Jan 4, 2027). NDEB listed its registration as open on Oct 14, 2026. If it shows full, NDEB says more seats open on Dec 22, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET. After that, Aug 13, 2027, with registration from Mar 2 to Jul 12, 2027.
• Check your score if you doubt it. You can ask NDEB to verify a failing score within 30 days of the day results are released. The fee is $200.
• Know the withdrawal rules. If you register and then withdraw, the fee is 50% of the exam fee before the deadline and 100% after. If a health or personal issue stops you before the exam, withdraw: NDEB says you “will not lose an attempt.”

Sources: 2026 AFK Protocol · NDEB: AFK · Equivalency Process fees · Registration changes

If you are preparing for your next AFK, you can practise with Dentest’s free questions.

Official sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages on Oct 14, 2026.

• NDEB: How to become a dentist in Canada; So you want to be a dentist in Canada (Sep 23, 2025); Graduates of non-accredited programs
• NDEB: Equivalency Process, how to apply; FAQ
• NDEB: Equivalency Process fees; Certification Process fees
• NDEB: Examination dates and locations; Changes to the exam registration process (Aug 13, 2026)
• NDEB: AFK and 2026 AFK Protocol (PDF); ACJ and 2026 ACJ Protocol (PDF)
• NDEB: NDECC and 2026 NDECC Protocol (PDF); EP application and examination validity (Jan 27, 2026); By-law 2 (PDF)
• NDEB: Virtual OSCE; Certification Process, how to apply; Getting your certificate and licence; Contacts and organizations
• NDEB: New entry-to-practice pathway (Jun 25, 2026). ACFD: BTDPC, about; BTDPC, admission; school programs
• Universities: University of Toronto IDAPP; Western University ASPIDG

Last checked Oct 14, 2026 against ndeb-bned.ca, acfd.ca and the university pages above. Rules, fees and dates change, so always confirm on the official page before you pay or register.
Dentest is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDEB. AFK is a trademark of the NDEB. ACJ, NDECC and Virtual OSCE are also NDEB trademarks.