Registration Involves More Than One Form
For a doctor who graduated from a medical school outside Israel, registering for the licensing exam involves more than completing a single form.
The Ministry of Health must first review your education and documents and confirm that you are eligible to take the exam. You can then pay the fee and complete registration through the Israeli Medical Association, IMA (הר"י).
A common mistake is to start directly on the IMA website. The correct sequence is:
- Prepare your documents.
- Submit them to the Ministry of Health.
- Receive confirmation of exam eligibility.
- Pay the exam fee.
- Wait 48 hours.
- Register with IMA.
- Receive registration confirmation.
First, Establish Which Licensing Pathway Applies to You
The Ministry of Health assesses several categories of applicants separately, including:
- Graduates of medical schools outside Israel who have not completed a recognised internship.
- Doctors who graduated from a medical school abroad and have practised medicine for up to 10 years.
- Doctors with 10 or more years of professional experience abroad.
Your pathway affects the requirements and subsequent procedures.
The Ministry of Health determines which pathway applies to you. This is not an automatic decision or a route you choose independently.
Official Ministry of Health Guide to General Medicine Licensing ↗Step 1. Check Whether Your Medical Education Is Recognised
Holding a foreign medical degree does not automatically mean that your study programme is recognised in Israel.
The Ministry of Health checks your medical school and study programme.
If you are unsure about your university's status, clarify this before paying for translations or notarisation, or preparing for a specific exam session.
Step 2. Gather Your Documents in Advance
The exact official document list depends on your licensing pathway. However, doctors who qualified outside Israel should consider preparing the following in advance:
- Your passport or identity document, together with documents confirming your legal status in Israel.
- Your medical degree certificate.
- Your diploma supplement.
- An official document confirming your period of study.
- An academic transcript showing subjects, grades, study hours or credits.
- Records of your internship or clinical training, where applicable.
- Your foreign medical licence, if you have one.
- Your specialist qualification certificate, if applicable.
- Official employment statements confirming your work as a doctor, with specific employment dates.
- Documents confirming any change to your first name or surname, if applicable.
An employment record book may help demonstrate your professional experience. However, official statements from medical institutions specifying your employment dates are preferable.
Step 3. Prepare Copies, Translations and Certifications
Do not send irreplaceable original documents unless they are explicitly required.
Some procedures use certified copies. A notary certifies that a copy matches the original and will need to inspect the original document.
Documents written in a language other than the required language may need to be translated. Translation and certification requirements depend on the document type and are set out in the Ministry of Health's current instructions.
Step 4. Register on the Healthcare Professionals Portal
The Ministry of Health uses the Healthcare Professionals Portal (פורטל עוסקים במקצועות הרפואה) for licensing, examinations and other professional procedures.
The portal allows graduates of institutions outside Israel to complete initial registration and provide information about their education.
Before registering, check that the following details are correct:
- Your first name and surname, which must match your documents.
- Your Israeli identity number or passport details.
- Your telephone number.
- Your email address.
- Your legal status in Israel.
Step 5. Submit Your Documents to the Ministry of Health
Graduates of medical schools outside Israel first go through the Ministry of Health's assessment process.
The Ministry reviews your documents, medical education and the licensing pathway that applies to you.
Step 6. Wait for Confirmation of Exam Eligibility
This is a crucial stage. After reviewing your documents, the Ministry of Health must confirm that you are eligible to take the exam.
IMA explicitly states that you cannot register without this confirmation.
Submit your eligibility documents well in advance. The Ministry of Health's review may take several months.
Step 7. Check the Exam and Registration Dates
State exams are held in two sessions. IMA publishes the final dates.
The following dates were listed when this article was reviewed.
Next Exam
6 October 2026
Registration period: 6 August 2026 to 6 September 2026.
Following Session
8 February 2027
Registration period: 8 December 2026 to 8 January 2027.
IMA publishes registration periods on the exam page. The final exam date is announced at least 30 days before the exam.
Step 8. Pay the Exam Fee
The first stage of exam registration is payment through the Ministry of Health.
According to the IMA information recorded when this article was reviewed, the licensing exam fee is:
After payment, you receive a payment confirmation number. Keep it safe, as you will need it to register with IMA.
Step 9. Wait 48 Hours
IMA states that the second stage of registration becomes available only 48 hours after payment.
Being unable to register immediately after paying does not, by itself, indicate a problem. This waiting period is a standard part of the process.
Step 10. Register for the Exam on the IMA Website
After 48 hours, complete the second stage of registration online through IMA.
Registration is not automatic. You must complete it yourself during the registration period published on the exam page.
You will need:
- Your identity document or passport number.
- Your Ministry of Health payment confirmation number.
Step 11. Select Your Exam Language
The IMA page lists four exam languages:
- Hebrew.
- Arabic.
- English.
- Russian.
IMA states that the committee considers providing a translation if at least eight candidates have registered for the relevant language by the registration deadline. A translation is not automatically guaranteed.
You may change your exam language within the deadline set by IMA. The page referenced in this article specifies a deadline of 60 days before the exam.
Step 12. Payment Does Not Mean Registration Is Complete
After payment, you must:
- Wait 48 hours.
- Register on the IMA website.
- Receive registration confirmation.
Step 13. Receive Your IMA Registration Confirmation
IMA sends a confirmation after you complete registration. It explicitly states that this confirmation is proof that the registration process has been completed correctly.
IMA also sends information about the exam venue and arrangements to registered candidates who have been approved to take the exam.
You can check your registration status in your personal exam account.
Special Situations
You Paid for a Previous Exam but Did Not Attend
IMA states that if you paid for a previous exam but did not attend, you do not need to pay the Ministry of Health again.
However, you must still register with IMA for the new session. Your registration is not transferred automatically.
You Are Waiting for the Outcome of an Appeal
IMA states that a candidate awaiting an appeal decision should pay and register for the next session after receiving the outcome.
If the appeal outcome is issued too close to the registration deadline, IMA provides additional time.
You Have 10 or More Years of Medical Experience
The Ministry determines the licensing pathway that applies to your case.
A separate guide, Medical Licensing in Israel for Doctors with 10 or More Years of Experience, is being prepared.
You Already Hold a Specialist Qualification from Abroad
The Ministry of Health handles medical licensing. Recognition of foreign specialist qualifications is handled separately by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association.
Keep these procedures distinct when preparing your documents.
Final Checklist
- Establish which licensing pathway applies to you.
- Check whether your medical education is recognised.
- Gather your documents.
- Prepare the required copies and translations.
- Register on the Ministry of Health's Healthcare Professionals Portal.
- Submit your documents.
- Receive confirmation of exam eligibility (אישור זכאות).
- Check the registration period.
- Pay the exam fee.
- Save your payment confirmation number.
- Wait 48 hours.
- Register with IMA.
- Select your exam language.
- Receive your IMA registration confirmation.
- Check your registration status.
Related Guides
For the full pathway from a foreign medical degree to an Israeli licence, read How to Get a Medical Licence in Israel with a Foreign Medical Degree.
To find out who needs to take the exam and which exemptions may apply, read Who Needs to Take the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam, and Who May Be Exempt?
For the exam format, subjects, passing score and procedures after passing, read How the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam Works.
For help building a structured study plan and using exam questions effectively, read How to Prepare for the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam.