Key Points
- To practise medicine in Israel, you need a licence from the Israeli Ministry of Health. Academic recognition of your degree alone is not sufficient.
- Start by checking whether your specific medical school is recognised, particularly in light of the 2019 Yatziv reform.
- The Ministry of Health determines your pathway individually, based on your documents. This includes any exam, exemption or internship requirements.
- Doctors with 10 or more years of professional experience fall into a separate pathway category, but do not receive a licence automatically.
- Recognition of a specialist qualification obtained abroad is a separate process handled by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA).
From a Foreign Medical Degree to an Israeli Medical Licence
If you are researching how to have your foreign medical degree recognised in Israel, it is important to distinguish between academic recognition and professional licensing. Academic recognition alone does not qualify you to work as a doctor.
To practise medicine, you must complete the Israeli Ministry of Health's licensing process. This typically involves:
Your specific pathway depends on your education, internship, professional experience, any previous medical licence, and other circumstances.
What Does Recognition of a Medical Degree Mean in Israel?
People use terms such as “medical degree recognition”, “degree equivalence” or “recognition of medical qualifications” when discussing this process.
However, the key requirement for working as a doctor in Israel is a licence from the Israeli Ministry of Health, known in Hebrew as רישיון לעסוק ברפואה.
This is distinct from the standard assessment of a foreign academic qualification.
Step 1. Check Whether Your Medical School Is Recognised
This is one of the most important stages. The Ministry of Health assesses not only whether you hold a medical degree, but also your medical school, study programme and their compliance with the applicable criteria.
The Yatziv Reform
The rules associated with the Yatziv reform are particularly important. For students who began their studies in 2019 or later, recognition of the specific medical school is a crucial factor. Graduates of an unrecognised institution may not be eligible to take the state licensing exam.
You should therefore not rely on the country of study alone. Two doctors who graduated from different universities in the same country may face different requirements.
This is particularly relevant to graduates of medical schools in Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Georgia and other countries where the status of each institution needs to be checked separately.
Step 2. Prepare Your Documents
The documents required depend on your circumstances. The Ministry of Health may consider:
- Your medical degree certificate.
- Documents confirming the content and duration of your study programme.
- Records of your internship or other postgraduate training.
- A current or previously issued medical licence from another country.
- Evidence of your professional experience.
- A Certificate of Good Standing or confirmation of your professional status.
- An identity document or passport.
- Documents relating to your specialist qualification, if applicable.
- Any additional documents requested by the Ministry of Health for your application.
Step 3. Apply to the Ministry of Health
Medical licensing is handled by the Israeli Ministry of Health's department responsible for licensing medical professions.
The Healthcare Professions Portal allows you to communicate with the Ministry, submit forms and requests, register for available services, and track the progress of your application.
Applicants outside Israel can begin the preliminary process through the section for graduates of institutions abroad.
After receiving your documents, the Ministry of Health reviews your education and professional background and determines which requirements apply to you.
Step 4. Receive a Decision on Your Licensing Pathway
Not all doctors who qualified outside Israel follow the same pathway. The current Ministry of Health page lists separate pathways, including those for:
- Graduates of medical schools outside Israel who have not completed a recognised internship.
- Doctors who graduated from medical schools abroad and have practised medicine for up to 10 years.
- Doctors with 10 or more years of professional experience.
Doctors with 10 or More Years of Experience
Under the Ministry of Health's current rules, doctors with 10 or more years of professional experience follow a separate pathway.
However, 10 years of experience does not mean automatic recognition of your degree or exemption from all requirements.
The Ministry of Health reviews each applicant's documents and determines the next steps individually.
Step 5. Do You Need to Take the Licensing Exam?
This depends on the pathway determined by the Ministry of Health. If an exam is required, you must obtain approval to take it and register for the state licensing exam.
The exam covers five main areas:
- Internal medicine.
- Paediatrics.
- Surgery.
- Obstetrics and gynaecology.
- Psychiatry.
Further reading:
- Who Needs to Take the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam?
- How to Register for the Medical Licensing Exam.
- How the Israeli Medical Licensing Exam Works.
- How to Prepare for the Medical Licensing Exam.
Can Passing the USMLE Qualify You for an Exam Exemption?
In some cases, yes. According to current Ministry of Health information, passing USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK may qualify you for an exemption from the state licensing exam, provided you meet all other legal and licensing requirements.
Step 6. Do You Need to Complete an Internship in Israel?
Not every doctor with a foreign medical degree needs to repeat the same internship. The Ministry of Health considers:
- Whether you completed an internship abroad.
- Whether that internship is recognised.
- Whether you have worked as a doctor.
- The length of your clinical experience.
- Other documents relating to your professional background.
If the Ministry of Health requires an internship or another period of clinical work in Israel, it will specify the conditions for your category.
You should not assume that every doctor who qualified abroad must complete a full year of internship in Israel.
Step 7. Demonstrate Your Hebrew Language Proficiency
Working as a doctor in Israel requires sufficient Hebrew to communicate with patients and work with medical records. The Ministry of Health provides several ways to demonstrate language proficiency, including a dedicated Hebrew exam for doctors at a level equivalent to Ulpan Gimel.
Step 8. Obtain Your Medical Licence
Once you have met the requirements of your pathway, the Ministry of Health makes its final decision on issuing your licence. After you meet the licensing conditions, the prescribed licence fee is paid and the Ministry issues your licence to practise medicine.
Medical Licensing and Recognition of a Specialist Qualification Are Separate Processes
This is a common source of confusion. A medical licence allows you to practise medicine in Israel. However, if you obtained a specialist qualification abroad, its recognition is a separate process. This applies to qualifications in fields such as cardiology, surgery, gynaecology and psychiatry.
Recognition of specialist qualifications is handled by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA / הר״י). The Council assesses your specialist training programme, its duration, your clinical experience, examinations and other documents. Depending on the assessment, your specialist training may be recognised in full or in part. Alternatively, you may need to meet additional requirements, complete an adaptation period or take examinations.
Can You Obtain an Israeli Medical Licence with a Ukrainian Medical Degree?
Yes. Holding a Ukrainian medical degree does not, in itself, rule out obtaining a licence. However, the decisive factors are your specific medical university, study programme, the year you began studying, internship history and professional background.
Following the Yatziv reform, you cannot determine eligibility from the country of study alone. If you studied in Ukraine, first check whether your specific medical school is recognised by the Ministry of Health.
What About a Medical Degree from Russia?
The same principle applies. The Ministry of Health assesses the specific institution and study programme. Medical school recognition rules are particularly important for those who began their studies in 2019 or later.
The correct first step is therefore to check your specific university and documents, rather than look for a general answer to whether Russian medical degrees are recognised.
How Long Does the Medical Licensing Process in Israel Take?
There is no single timeline. The time required depends on:
- Whether your documents are complete and accurate.
- Whether additional verification is needed.
- Recognition of your medical school and internship.
- Whether you need to take an exam.
- The next available exam date.
- Any internship or clinical training requirements.
- Evidence of Hebrew language proficiency.
- The Ministry of Health's decision on your individual application.
It is best to start early, particularly if you need to obtain documents from another country.
Can You Start the Process Before Making Aliyah?
Yes. You can begin part of the process while you are still outside Israel. The Ministry of Health portal allows applicants abroad to complete preliminary registration and a questionnaire. This can help you understand which documents and additional steps will be required after moving to Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need a Separate Academic Assessment of My Foreign Degree?
For working as a doctor, the main requirement is to complete the Ministry of Health's medical licensing process. The standard assessment of a foreign academic qualification is a separate administrative procedure. It does not, by itself, give you the right to work as a doctor.
Do All Doctors Who Qualified Abroad Need to Take the Exam?
No. This depends on your education, professional experience, internship, any grounds for exemption, and the Ministry of Health's decision.
Are 10 Years of Medical Experience Enough to Obtain a Licence?
No. Ten or more years of experience place you in a separate category within the current licensing system, but do not result in a licence being issued automatically.
Can USMLE Results Replace the Israeli Licensing Exam?
Passing USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK may qualify you for an exemption from the state licensing exam if you meet the applicable conditions. All other licensing requirements still apply.
Will My Foreign Specialist Qualification Be Recognised Along with My Medical Degree?
Not automatically. Recognition of specialist qualifications is a separate process handled by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association.
Where Should I Start?
Start with two steps:
- Check whether the Ministry of Health recognises your medical school and study programme.
- Find out which documents are required for your category.
You can then open an application file and submit your documents to the Ministry of Health.
Summary
Having a foreign medical degree recognised and obtaining the right to practise medicine in Israel is not a matter of getting one certificate or passing one exam. It is better understood as a pathway to an Israeli medical licence:
If you are starting the process, first check the recognition of your medical education and the Ministry of Health's official requirements.