International dentists · France
Dentists trained in France: practising in Quebec at Go Dentiste
What a French-trained dentist needs to know to practise in Quebec: the route to the Ordre des dentistes du Québec permit for your diploma, the French requirement, the work permit and immigration, and what Go Dentiste concretely does to welcome you before, during and after the process.
Your diploma and background from Quebec’s point of view
Your diplôme d’État de docteur en chirurgie dentaire and your registration with the Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes make you eligible for the Quebec–France mutual recognition arrangement (ARM): the most direct route that exists for a dentist trained outside Canada. No NDEB examinations, no university program: an adaptation measure, then the permit. Your studies in French also exempt you from the OQLF exam.
The mutual recognition arrangement: the direct route
The ODQ applies the Quebec–France ARM: if you hold a diploma giving the right to practise dental surgery in France and are registered with the Ordre national des chirurgiens-dentistes, you file a permit application with your documents (certified diploma, order registration certificate, professional conduct certificate, proof of practice over the last five years, criminal record extract under three months old, birth certificate, photo) and complete one adaptation measure, your choice:
- Option 1 — the six-month adaptation internship in a Quebec dental faculty, health facility or dental office, supervised by a supervising dentist (maître de stage) recognized by the Order. You are assessed on work organization, adaptation to Quebec practice and knowledge of the professional system, and you complete two 15-hour trainings (Quebec professional system, pharmacology). You find your own placement.
- Option 2 — the examination: a written test (basic and clinical sciences) and an objective structured clinical examination (diagnostic judgement and treatment planning).
At Go Dentiste we want to host ARM candidates for their adaptation internship in our clinics: tell us about your plans and we will check together the availability of a supervising dentist recognized by the Order (a member for at least ten years with a clean record). The internship takes place within a team of seven dentists, with assistants and an operations director used to integrating new practitioners. After the adaptation measure: FARPODQ enrolment, permit fees, registration, and you practise.
Your studies in French place you under the presumption of section 35 of the Charter of the French language: no OQLF exam. The admissions committee meets monthly; the overall timeline depends mostly on the internship start date.
Coming to work in Quebec: work permit and immigration
To work in Quebec you need a work permit. In the general route, the employer obtains a joint Canada–Quebec Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), you apply for a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), then for the work permit from IRCC. Dentists (NOC 31110) are not on Quebec’s 2026 list of occupations eligible for simplified processing, which makes timelines longer than for hygienists: Go Dentiste prepares these employer steps with you as soon as your route to the permit is under way.
France is an International Experience Canada partner country (working holiday, young professionals and international co-op): within the age range set for your country, an LMIA-exempt work permit is possible, with a job offer for the Young Professionals category. Many young dentists use it for a first stay.
To settle permanently, selection goes through Quebec’s Skilled Worker Selection Program (Arrima), where French proficiency weighs heavily, then federal permanent residence. This is general information: rules change and every file is different; we recommend validating your plan with IRCC, Quebec’s immigration ministry or a regulated immigration consultant or lawyer. Go Dentiste cannot guarantee a permit or selection, but takes its employer role seriously.
What Go Dentiste offers you
- Clinical support from seven general dentists and specialists: mentoring, second opinions, a progressive ramp-up; we know what a first year in a new system is like
- An operations director who coordinates the employer steps (job offer, LMIA, documents for the CAQ and permit) and connects you with foreign-trained dentists on the team
- Three new, bilingual clinics in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (2025, open 7 days a week), Vaudreuil-Dorion (2026, open Monday to Friday) and Saint-Zotique (2027), 45 minutes from Montreal, in a region where housing remains affordable
- Percentage-based pay with patients provided, no management or marketing fees, and an explicit route to co-ownership with no down payment or personal guarantee for eligible projects
- A supportive French-speaking environment to progress in French, with a clientele that also speaks English, Arabic, Spanish and other languages
While your file progresses: work with us now
Until you are entered on the Order’s roll, you cannot perform any act reserved to dentists. You can, however, work in a clinic in a non-reserved role (chairside assisting, clinical coordination, sterilization, team training), which gives you an income, hands-on knowledge of the software, RAMQ, the Canadian Dental Care Plan and Quebec practice, and a team that knows you the day your permit arrives. Write to Maryse Milton, director of clinical operations, at maryse@go-dentiste.com or 514 561-5399, stating your country of training and the step you have reached.
After the permit: percentage first, then co-owner
Once on the roll, you practise on a percentage basis with patients provided and the team’s mentoring. When you know where you want to settle, the co-ownership conversation opens with Félix Hamel, general manager (514 887-9635): for eligible projects, financing may cover up to 100% of the cost, with no down payment or personal guarantee from the dentist per the financing agreement. A dentist from abroad can thus build, within a few years, both a practice and equity in Quebec.
Is the six-month internship paid?
The terms of the internship (status, pay, supervision) are agreed with the supervising dentist and the host site, within the framework set by the Order. Talk to us early: we want the period to be viable for you.
Do I have to take the OQLF French exam?
No if you completed at least three years of full-time studies in French, which is the case for graduates of French faculties: French proficiency is presumed.
Can I choose the examination instead of the internship?
Yes, the ARM provides both options. The internship has the advantage of integrating you into a team and a region from the start; the exam suits those who prefer not to commit six months before the permit.
Can I start the process before arriving in Quebec?
Yes: NDEB registration, document preparation (transcripts, course descriptions, translations) and, depending on the case, some assessments are done remotely or at examination centres outside Quebec. Start as early as possible.
Can Go Dentiste hire me as a dentist before my permit?
No, nobody can: dental acts are reserved to members of the Order. We can employ you in a non-reserved role during the process and prepare your dentist position for the day you are registered.
Go further
- All countries: international dentists at Go Dentiste
- Dentist jobs: percentage or partnership
- Become a Go Dentiste owner
- Career guide: foreign diplomas and equivalencies
- Living in Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Beauharnois-Salaberry
Official sources
- ODQ — Dentists trained in France: mutual recognition arrangement
- ODQ — Becoming a supervising dentist for a French candidate (PDF)
- ODQ — Practice permit: conditions (French, FARPODQ, fees)
- OQLF — Charter of the French language: presumption (s. 35) and temporary permit (ss. 37-38) (PDF)
- IRCC — International Experience Canada: partner countries and categories
- Gouvernement du Québec — Authorizations to hire a temporary foreign worker (LMIA, CAQ, permit)
- Gouvernement du Québec — Skilled Worker Selection Program (Arrima)
General information written by the Go Dentiste team from official websites consulted in September 2026; the texts of the Ordre des dentistes du Québec, the NDEB, the OQLF, IRCC and Quebec’s immigration ministry prevail. Neither legal nor immigration advice.
Content prepared by the Go Dentiste team (Dr Dominic Morel-Maynard, general dentist and owner). Last updated: September 25, 2026. General information for guidance only: only an in-clinic exam can establish a diagnosis and a treatment plan suited to your situation.