How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Newfoundland and Labrador
Become a medical laboratory technologist in Newfoundland and Labrador: an accredited program, the CAMLPR exam, and NLCHP registration.
How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Quebec
Become a medical laboratory technologist in Quebec through the OPTMQ: a DEC in biomedical laboratory technology, an online permit application, and the French-language requirement.
Applies in: Quebec
The short answer
To work as a medical laboratory technologist in Quebec you must hold a permit from the Ordre professionnel des technologistes médicaux du Québec (OPTMQ). In Quebec the profession is called technologiste médical, and the route is different from the rest of Canada: the permit is based on a college diploma, not on a national certification exam.
The route, in order, is: complete the Diplôme d'études collégiales (DEC) in Technologie d'analyses biomédicales — biomedical laboratory technology, program code 140.C0 — meet the French-language requirement, apply for a permit online with the OPTMQ, wait for the executive committee to issue the permit, and register with the Order and pay the annual dues. Do not carry the CSMLS exam into this guide — Quebec MLTs do not write it for a licence — and do not carry another province's college steps.
Step 1 — Complete the DEC in biomedical laboratory technology
Complete the three-year DEC in Technologie d'analyses biomédicales (biomedical laboratory technology), program 140.C0, at one of the 11 CEGEPs that offer it. Dawson College in Montreal is one of them; its program is fully accredited by EQual Canada and runs three years. The program trains you to perform laboratory analyses in hematology and blood clotting, clinical biochemistry, histology, clinical microbiology, transfusion science, and molecular biology, with clinical placements in the third year.
Admission to the Dawson program needs a Diploma of Secondary Studies or an academic background judged equivalent, Secondary IV mathematics in the technical and scientific or science option, Secondary V chemistry and physics, an interview, and placement at the first college level in both English and French. Applicants whose education was completed outside Quebec need a B2 level in a four-component French proficiency test. The application deadline is March 1, and candidates who completed the prerequisite courses within the last five years are given preference for the interview stage.
Step 2 — Meet the French-language requirement
Under article 35 of the Charter of the French Language, a candidate whose file does not show sufficient knowledge of French to practise the profession must provide a certificate of language competence issued by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) after passing its French exam. The OQLF offers preparation courses and workshops for the exam. While you wait to pass, you can obtain a temporary permit for up to one year, renewable three times with the OQLF's authorization; passing the exam converts the temporary permit to a permanent one. You are exempt if you received at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary instruction in French.
Step 3 — Apply for a permit online with the OPTMQ
File the online admission form with the Order and upload the required documents: a copy of your birth certificate, a copy of your final official transcript showing the DEC in Technologie d'analyses biomédicales, and a copy of your secondary school diploma. Documents written in a language other than French or English must be translated by a certified translator and attested by a sworn declaration from the person who did the translation. Pay the file-study fee of $145 by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or by cheque. This is the Order's own admission route for Quebec-trained candidates, and it lists no professional examination — the diploma is the qualification.
Step 4 — Wait for the executive committee to issue the permit
Once your application is complete and the fee is paid, you receive confirmation that the Order has received your file. The admissions officer checks that the file is complete and contacts you by email if anything is missing. Your file is then submitted to the executive committee for the issue of your permit. The Order publishes the dates of upcoming executive committee meetings on the same page — the next meetings listed at the time of writing are November 27, 2026, January 15, 2027, February 5, 2027, and March 19, 2027, then monthly. If you are unhappy with a decision or how your file was handled, you can complain to the Commissaire à l'admission aux professions, an independent body attached to the Office des professions du Québec — but contact the Order first.
Step 5 — Register with the Order and pay the annual dues
When the executive committee issues your permit, you receive an email confirming it and are invited to complete the member registration form in your member file on the OPTMQ portal and pay the annual dues. If you pay the annual dues by credit card you are automatically entered on the roll of the Order; if you pay by cheque you are entered when the cheque clears. You are then a member of the Order and can practise as a technologiste médical in Quebec.
What the permit costs in 2026–2027
The file-study fee (ouverture et étude de dossier) is $145, non-refundable, and the annual dues are extra. Students on the student register pay $48.33 a year. The annual dues for an active member total $602.71: dues of $481.55 plus GST of $24.08, QST of $48.03, a $37.60 contribution to the Office des professions du Québec, and an $11.45 professional liability insurance premium. New graduates pay less: $408.93 in Year 1 (65 percent of the active dues) and $491.98 in Year 2 (80 percent). If your diploma was obtained outside Quebec or outside Canada, the file-study fee is $600. Registering late for the first time on the roll costs $50. These figures are from the Order's fee schedule for April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
What the opened pages do not state
The fees are in the section above, from the Order's 2026–2027 fee schedule (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027); check the current schedule before you pay, because fees change. The page does not publish a processing timeline for permit applications, so this guide gives none. One correction to the brief for this guide: the plot brief said Quebec MLTs write the OPTMQ's own examination, but the Order's own page for Quebec-trained candidates lists no examination — the permit rests on the DEC, the documents, the file-study fee, and the French-language requirement where it applies. The CAMLPR General exam fee of $989 as of August 2025 comes from Dawson College's admissions page and covers national certification, not the Quebec permit. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the Order's decision when it assesses your application. Job Bank's NOC 32120 page confirms registration is required in Quebec, but it does not set Quebec's rules — the OPTMQ does.
Related guides:
- How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Ontario — the Ontario route, which uses the CSMLS exam Quebec does not require.
- How to Become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Quebec — another Quebec regulated health profession, with its own college and route.
- How to Become a Registered Nurse in Quebec — the registered nurse route in the same province, a different profession with a different order.
- How to Become a Mortgage Broker in Quebec — a Quebec licensed occupation outside health care, with its own provincial course and regulator.
Becoming a medical laboratory technologist in Quebec, in five steps
- Complete the DEC in biomedical laboratory technologyThe three-year Diplôme d'études collégiales in Technologie d'analyses biomédicales, program 140.C0, at one of 11 CEGEPs.
- Meet the French-language requirementShow sufficient French, or pass the Office québécois de la langue française exam; a temporary permit is available while you wait.
- Apply for a permit online with the OPTMQFile the online admission form with your birth certificate, final transcript, and secondary diploma.
- Pay the file-study fee and wait for the executive committeeThe Order reviews the file and the executive committee issues the permit.
- Register with the Order and pay the annual duesComplete the member registration in the OPTMQ portal and pay the annual dues to be entered on the roll.
Questions people ask
Who regulates medical laboratory technologists in Quebec?
The Ordre professionnel des technologistes médicaux du Québec, known as the OPTMQ, regulates the profession. In Quebec the profession is called technologiste médical, and the permit to practise comes from the Order. You must hold a permit from the Order to work as a medical laboratory technologist in Quebec.
What education do I need to become an MLT in Quebec?
You need the Diplôme d'études collégiales, or DEC, in Technologie d'analyses biomédicales — biomedical laboratory technology — program code 140.C0. It is a three-year program offered at 11 CEGEPs, including Dawson College in Montreal. Admission needs a Diploma of Secondary Studies or equivalent, Secondary IV mathematics, Secondary V chemistry and physics, an interview, and placement at the first college level in both English and French.
Do Quebec MLTs write the CSMLS exam?
No, not for the Quebec permit. Quebec licensing is diploma-based: the DEC in biomedical laboratory technology plus an application to the OPTMQ. The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) exam is not the Quebec permit requirement, and the Order's own page for Quebec-trained candidates lists no professional exam. National certification through the Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR) General exam is separate — Dawson College lists its fee at 989 dollars as of August 2025 — and is for national certification, not for the Quebec permit.
What French-language requirement applies?
Under article 35 of the Charter of the French Language, a candidate whose file does not show sufficient knowledge of French for the profession must provide a certificate of language competence issued by the Office québécois de la langue française, the OQLF, after passing its French exam. While waiting to pass, you can hold a temporary permit for up to one year, renewable three times with the OQLF's authorization. Passing the exam converts the temporary permit to a permanent one. Candidates who received at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary instruction in French are exempt.
How do I apply for the OPTMQ permit?
Complete the online admission form on the Order's site and upload the required documents: a copy of your birth certificate, a copy of your final official transcript showing the DEC in biomedical laboratory technology, and a copy of your secondary school diploma. Pay the file-study fee by credit card or cheque. The admissions officer checks the file, the executive committee decides on the permit, and you then complete the member registration form in the OPTMQ portal and pay the annual dues to be entered on the roll of the Order.
Is registration compulsory in Quebec, or can I work without it?
It is compulsory. Job Bank lists medical laboratory technologists under NOC 32120 and states that registration with a regulatory body is required in Quebec, as well as in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. In Quebec the regulatory body is the OPTMQ, and the permit is what lets you practise and use the title.
Sources
- Ordre professionnel des technologistes médicaux du Québec, Candidat formé au Québec — the DEC requirement, the online admission form and documents, the OQLF French exam and temporary permit, the executive committee process, and the member registration and annual dues.
- Dawson College, Biomedical Laboratory Technology — the three-year DEC, program code 140.C0, the 11-CEGEP network, EQual accreditation, and OPTMQ membership on completion.
- Dawson College, Admission Requirements — Biomedical Laboratory Technology — the admission requirements, the March 1 deadline, the CAMLPR exam fee of $989 as of August 2025, and the OQLF French exam.
- Job Bank, Medical Laboratory Technologist in Canada — Job Requirements — NOC 32120, the two- or three-year college program, and registration required in Quebec and seven other provinces.
- Ordre professionnel des technologistes médicaux du Québec, Grille tarifaire 2026–2027 — the $145 file-study fee, the $48.33 student register fee, the $602.71 active member annual dues, the $408.93 new graduate Year 1 and $491.98 Year 2 dues, and the $600 out-of-province file-study fee.