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Meta title: Studying Dentistry Abroad: Routes, Fees and Licensing
Meta description: Dental school abroad: programme length, 2026/27 fees, ORE and INBDE, EU recognition rules and what Russian and Kazakh graduates need to practise.
Last modified: 2026-10-01

# Studying Dentistry Abroad: Where to Train and Where You Can Practise

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You can start dental school abroad straight after secondary school in most of Europe, Turkey and the UK: a single 5 to 5.5-year programme leads to a primary dental qualification. In the United States and Canada the route is longer, with an undergraduate degree first and then a four-year DDS or DMD. The country where you plan to treat patients matters more than price or rankings, because it decides whether you will face a national licensing exam, a recognition procedure or retraining after graduation.

| At a glance | What to know |
| --- | --- |
| Minimum training in the EU | At least five years and 5,000 hours of full-time theoretical and practical training (Article 34, Directive 2005/36/EC) |
| United Kingdom | BDS, usually five years; graduates from outside the UK and EEA normally need the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) to register |
| United States | Undergraduate degree, then DDS/DMD; licences are issued by state dental boards |
| Price examples for 2026/27 | Debrecen, Hungary: $17,500 a year; LSMU, Kaunas: $15,440–16,010 (€13,600–14,100) a year; Charles University, Prague: $27,540 (€24,250) a year |
| Practising in Russia | Recognition of the foreign qualification, a Roszdravnadzor compliance decision, then specialist accreditation |
| Practising in Kazakhstan | Recognition of the diploma, a professional readiness assessment and a specialist certificate |

A handheld dental X-ray unit in a dental surgery. Photo: Infrogmation / [source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:In_a_dental_clinic,_New_Orleans,_2_April_2026_-_1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

## Decide where you will practise first {#section-1}

There is no such thing as an "international dental degree". There are national degrees and national rules on who may treat patients. Before choosing a school, answer three questions:

1. In which country do you want to work for the first five to ten years after graduating?
2. Which body grants the right to practise there: a ministry, a professional council, a registration authority?
3. Does that body accept graduates of your chosen school without an exam, with an exam, or not at all?

If you plan to stay in the country where you study, the path is simple: graduates of local accredited schools follow the standard route. If you plan to return home, count recognition and exams as part of your training time. If you plan to move to a third country, for example studying in Czechia and then working in Canada, check what the Canadian regulator requires from graduates of non-accredited programmes before you apply.

## Programme types and degree names {#section-2}

Degree titles differ, but each leads to a primary qualification as a general dentist.

- European Union — an integrated programme in Dentistry or Dental Medicine lasting 5 to 6 years. The degree may be called MDDr., DMD or a master's in dentistry. In Lithuania, for example, Odontology is a five-year integrated programme leading to a master's degree and a professional qualification.
- United Kingdom — BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), usually five years, with separate graduate-entry and medical-graduate routes.
- United States — DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). Both are professional degrees taken after an undergraduate degree.
- Turkey — a five-year dentistry faculty taught in Turkish or English. Fees and schools are listed in our guide to [dentistry in Turkey](https://www.studyu.org/en/program-dentistry).

Specialist training in orthodontics, oral surgery or implantology comes later and has its own admissions.

## Comparing the main routes {#section-3}

| Route | Length | Entry from school | Language | What you need to practise in the study country |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EU (Czechia, Hungary, Lithuania and others) | 5–5.5 years | Yes, usually with a biology and chemistry entrance test | English or the national language | Local registration; automatic recognition inside the EU applies to EU citizens |
| United Kingdom | 5 years | Yes, but a Russian or Kazakh school certificate usually requires a foundation year or a year of university first | English | GDC registration; UK graduates register without the ORE |
| United States | 4-year bachelor's + 4-year DDS/DMD | No | English | INBDE, a clinical exam, a state licence |
| Turkey | 5 years | Yes, based on school results and university rules | Turkish or English | Turkish rules; for foreigners, work also depends on residence status |

The further the rules of your study country are from the rules of your future work country, the more years you will spend after graduation. This hidden cost rarely appears in programme brochures.

## Verified fee examples for 2026/27 {#section-4}

Fees below come from official university pages checked on 1 October 2026. Dollar amounts are converted at the ECB reference rate, with the billing currency in brackets; Debrecen bills directly in US dollars.

| University | Programme | Tuition | What is included and what is extra |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine (Prague) | Dentistry in English, 2026/27 intake | $27,540 (€24,250) a year | Application fee $320 (€285) |
| LSMU (Kaunas, Lithuania) | Odontology in English, 5 years | $15,440 (€13,600) a year in years 1–3, $16,010 (€14,100) in years 4–5 | LSMU states that dental materials are included; housing and insurance are extra |
| University of Debrecen (Hungary) | Dentistry in English, 5 years | $17,500 a year if the full year is paid in one instalment; $10,000 + $8,500 if paid by semester | Billed in US dollars; housing and insurance are extra |
| University of Liverpool | BDS, 5 years, September 2027 start | $67,760 (£51,000) a year for international students; this is the 2026/27 rate and may change for 2027/28 | UCAS deadline for international applicants: 15 October 2026 |
| Private universities in Turkey | Dentistry in Turkish or English | $14,000 to $36,000 a year in our Turkey table | A preparatory language year if needed |

The rows differ in more than price. LSMU includes dental materials in its fee, while at many other schools clinical-year students buy their own instruments and consumables. Compare what each university lists in its contract or fee page, not the headline figure.

## Licensing after graduation: EU, UK, USA, Canada {#section-5}

### European Union

Directive 2005/36/EC sets the minimum for dental training: five years and 5,000 hours. Member states automatically recognise the dental qualifications listed in Annex V (Article 21). The directive primarily protects EU citizens. If you hold a Russian or Kazakh passport and, say, a Hungarian degree, your right to work in Germany depends on German law and your residence status, not on the directive alone.

### United Kingdom

Most dentists whose primary qualification was gained outside the UK and EEA must pass the ORE before applying to the General Dental Council. Part 1 tests the application of knowledge; Part 2 is a multi-day practical exam. You have up to four attempts at each part and must pass Part 2 within five years of your first Part 1 attempt. Current GDC fees are $150 (£115) for the application, $640 (£485) for Part 1 and $9,260 (£6,967) for Part 2. The GDC warns that demand is extremely high, places have gone within 30 minutes of booking opening, and the ORE can take several years.

### United States

Licences are granted by state boards. The common elements are education, the INBDE written exam and a clinical exam. All US states and territories accept the INBDE. Candidates from schools not accredited by CODA must submit a certification of eligibility signed by their dean or registrar. For foreign-trained dentists, the most portable route is an advanced standing programme: two to three years at a US dental school leading to a US DDS/DMD.

### Canada

Graduates of non-accredited programmes go through the NDEB Equivalency Process. Credential verification takes about ten weeks if everything is submitted correctly, followed by three examinations.

## If you plan to work in Russia {#section-6}

Since 1 January 2023, a person with medical education obtained abroad may practise in Russia only after specialist accreditation, and only once Roszdravnadzor has confirmed that the foreign education meets the qualification requirements. In practice there are three stages:

1. Recognition of the foreign qualification by Rosobrnadzor where no mutual recognition treaty or government list applies (Article 107 of the Federal Law on Education). A state fee is charged.
2. A Roszdravnadzor compliance decision for each specialty.
3. Specialist accreditation before the accreditation commission, with certified Russian translations of foreign-language documents.

Keep your curriculum, transcript and clinical logbook from the first year; recovering them five years later is much harder.

For Kazakh citizens the sequence is different. Health professionals educated abroad are admitted to certification once their education is recognised under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education rules (Order No. 268 of 12 June 2023). Certification follows a professional readiness assessment and is applied for via egov.kz or elicense.kz. See also our guide to [studying abroad from Kazakhstan](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-study-abroad-from-kazakhstan).

## How admission works {#section-7}

Requirements vary, but the same elements appear almost everywhere:

- a school certificate with strong biology and chemistry; for the UK a Russian 11-year certificate usually needs a foundation year or a year of university;
- an entrance test in biology and chemistry, standard in Czechia, Hungary and Lithuania; LSMU combines an online test with an interview;
- English via IELTS, TOEFL or the university's own test;
- a medical certificate and vaccinations before clinical work;
- for the UK, UCAT and an interview, with an early UCAS deadline.

Check dates on the official page. Charles University's First Faculty of Medicine took applications for 2026/27 from 1 December 2025 to 5 September 2026, with entrance exams in Prague in September. For most UK dentistry courses the UCAS deadline is 15 October of the year before entry.

To compare dentistry with medicine, start with our overview of [studying medicine abroad](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-studying-medicine-abroad), then see the country guides to [medicine in Hungary](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medicine-in-hungary), [Czechia](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-studying-medicine-in-czechia), [the UK](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-studying-medicine-in-the-uk) and [the USA](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medical-school-in-the-usa-for-international-students).

## Questions to ask before you pay a deposit {#section-8}

- From which year do students treat patients, and how many clinical hours does the programme include?
- In which language do patients speak? English-taught programmes in Central Europe often add the local language to the curriculum for this reason.
- Who pays for instruments and consumables?
- Is the qualification recognised in the country where you intend to work?
- What documents does the school issue for recognition: diploma, diploma supplement, description of clinical training?

## Common mistakes {#section-9}

- Choosing on price alone. A cheaper degree that is not accepted where you plan to work can cost more in years of exams.
- Assuming EU-wide recognition without EU citizenship. The directive does not give non-EU citizens an automatic right to practise anywhere in the EU.
- Ignoring the local language. Even on an English programme, the clinic needs you to talk to patients.
- Applying late. UK deadlines close almost a year before the start, and many European entrance tests run from spring.
- No plan for going home. Recognition documents are easier to collect while you study.

## Timeline {#section-10}

| When | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| 18–24 months before | Choose your future work country and read its regulator's requirements |
| 12–18 months before | Shortlist 4–6 programmes; compare language, clinical training, price and recognition |
| 9–12 months before | Take an English test, revise biology and chemistry, prepare certificates and translations |
| 6–9 months before | Apply, sit tests and interviews |
| 3–6 months before | Pay the deposit, arrange a visa or residence permit, find housing |

If you are paying from Russia, plan the payment route early; legal options are covered in [how to pay for studies abroad from Russia](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-how-to-pay-for-studies-abroad-from-russia).

## What we do and who decides {#section-11}

Country strategy, programme shortlisting, requirement checks, document preparation and applications are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Admission is decided by the university, visas and residence permits by the consulate and immigration authority of the study country, and the right to practise by the regulator of the country where you will work.

## FAQ {#faq}

### Can I study dentistry abroad straight after school?

Yes. In EU countries such as Czechia, Hungary and Lithuania, integrated programmes admit school leavers on the basis of their certificate and an entrance test; in Turkey, on the certificate and each university's own requirements. For a UK BDS, applicants with a Russian or Kazakh school certificate usually need a foundation year first, and in the US and Canada you must complete a bachelor's degree before dental school.

### How long is dental school in Europe?

The EU minimum is five years and 5,000 hours of training. Most programmes last 5 to 5.5 years and lead to a primary qualification; specialist training is a separate stage with its own admissions.

### Is a European dental degree recognised in Russia?

The degree alone does not give the right to practise. You need recognition of the qualification where no treaty applies, a Roszdravnadzor compliance decision and specialist accreditation. Timing and outcome depend on the programme and your documents.

### Can I work in the UK with a European dental degree?

Dentists whose qualification was gained outside the UK and EEA normally need to pass both parts of the ORE before registering with the GDC. Places are scarce, so allow several years between graduation and practice.

### How much does dental school in Europe cost?

Official 2026/27 figures: $15,440–16,010 (€13,600–14,100) a year at LSMU in Lithuania, $17,500 a year at the University of Debrecen in Hungary and $27,540 (€24,250) a year at Charles University's First Faculty of Medicine in Prague. Add housing, insurance and, where they are not included, instruments.

### Do I need the local language on an English-taught programme?

Usually, yes. Lectures are in English, but clinic patients speak the national language, so schools teach it in the early years. Ask what level is expected before clinical work starts.

## Sources {#section-13}

- [Directive 2005/36/EC, Articles 21 and 34 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2005/36/article/34)
- [General Dental Council: About the ORE](https://www.gdc-uk.org/registration/overseas-registration-exam/about-the-ore)
- [JCNDE: Integrated National Board Dental Examination](https://jcnde.ada.org/inbde)
- [NDEB: pathways for graduates of non-accredited programmes](https://ndeb-bned.ca/en/non-accredited/)
- [Roszdravnadzor: admission of persons educated abroad](https://www.roszdravnadzor.gov.ru/spec/medactivities/specialist)
- [Federal Law on Education, Article 107](https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_140174/8765fc4bcab2fa76d72a00ba54d39f74466167b9/)
- [Kazakhstan Ministry of Health Order ҚР ДСМ-274/2020 on specialist certification](https://zakon.uchet.kz/rus/docs/V2000021818)
- [Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine: Admissions 2026/27](https://en.lf1.cuni.cz/admission-20262027)
- [LSMU: Odontology](https://lsmu.lt/en/admission/integrated-studies/odontology/)
- [LSMU: 2026/27 tuition fees and what they cover](https://www.lsmu.lt/en/admission/tuition-fees/)
- [University of Debrecen: medical programmes tuition fees 2026/27 (PDF)](https://edu.unideb.hu/tartalom/dok/medical-programs-tuition-fees202627_1_1.pdf)
- [University of Liverpool: Dental Surgery BDS](https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/dental-surgery-bds)
- [UCAS: dates and deadlines](https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/dates-and-deadlines-for-uni-applications)

ECB reference rate of 30.09.2026 (latest published on the check date, 01.10.2026): €1 = $1.1355, €1 = £0.85463. Amounts rounded to $10.

To discuss your situation, [send us a request](https://www.studyu.org/en/apply).

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

## Next steps

- [How to Pay for Studies Abroad from Russia: What Works in 2026](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-how-to-pay-for-studies-abroad-from-russia)
- [Studying Medicine in Czechia: Free in Czech or Paid in English — Faculties, Exams, Fees and Degree Recognition](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-studying-medicine-in-czechia)
- [Medical School in the USA for International Students: the MD Route Explained](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medical-school-in-the-usa-for-international-students)
- [Studying Medicine in the UK as an International Student: UCAT, Quotas, MBBS Fees and GMC Registration](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-studying-medicine-in-the-uk)
- [Studying medicine in Hungary: English-taught programmes, entrance exams and costs](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-medicine-in-hungary)
- [Study Abroad from Kazakhstan: Where and How in 2026](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-study-abroad-from-kazakhstan)

Updated: October 2026