Nursing

Overview of the Profession

Nurses are an integral part of Israel’s healthcare system, providing patient care across hospitals, HMOs (Kupot Holim), community clinics, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare settings. They work in a wide range of specialties, delivering clinical care, patient education, and health promotion while collaborating closely with multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

---

 

Licensing Process

In order to be recognized as a nurse in Israel, one must hold a license issued by the Nursing Division (Minhal HaSiud) of the Ministry of Health (Misrad HaBriut).

The Process

• 1. Open a file at the Ministry of Health Nursing Division and submit your documents. After submission, you will be informed if there are any additional educational requirements to complete.
• 2. Your file gets approved.
• 3. Sit for and pass the government licensing exam. The exam is administered four times a year, with at least one session being a practical-style exam designed for Olim nurses with more than three years of clinical experience.
• 4. Provide proof of Hebrew proficiency

Once you have successfully completed all of these steps, you will be issued a valid license.

Please note: If you have completed steps 1–3 but have not yet fulfilled the Hebrew requirement, you may be issued a temporary license. This allows you to work for up to three years while improving your Hebrew in a real-world setting. You must complete the Hebrew requirement within this three-year period in order to obtain your permanent license.

After obtaining a temporary license, you are required to work full-time for a year before you can apply for a permanent license. For additional information regarding this process, click here.

Documents to Submit to Misrad Habriut

Now you can submit your documents via the nursing division’s online portal, even if you’re pre-Aliyah. Please note that as of now, you still need to verify your original documents and submit them at some point during the process. You can and should send in verified copies of your documents to the nursing division for review via registered mail. Do not send in your originals! Documents can be submitted in Hebrew or English only (as long as they were originally issued in English).

All official documents must be verified. You have 3 verification options:

• Verified with an apostille after having the original document notarized (recommended).
• Bring it to an ISRAELI notary and have them notarize it. American notarization alone is not acceptable.
• A verified copy (אימות העתק, Imut He’etek) at the Israeli consulate.

List of required documents

• Medical Licensing – Questionnaire
• Diplomas.
• An official transcript (or transcripts), listing course topics, grades, and hours of study in both academic and practical work.
• Official confirmation of employment following nursing school, including start and end dates, and a description of your exact position. This needs to be an official letter on letterhead, signed by your supervisor/HR representative.
• Teudat Oleh if you have one.
• Teudat Zehut if you have one. Please note that an ID number alone is not sufficient – the applicant must have a Teudat Zehut. NOTE: If you are applying pre-Aliyah please send a copy of your passport instead of the Teudat Oleh and the Teudat Zehut.
• An official document stating a change of name (if applicable).
• A valid nursing license.
• If you do not have a BA, you must submit an official copy of your high school diploma.
• If you intend to take the licensing exam as a tourist, please make sure to submit this affidavit.

Please note: if relevant coursework was completed at multiple institutions, the official transcript from each institution must be provided.

The Ministry of Health Nursing Division reviews all applications on an individual basis to make sure that your credentials meet Israeli standards. At the end of this process, the nursing division will determine your individual licensing process, please note, that Olim are sometimes asked to take classes in Israel to make up a difference in missing coursework. Olim can contact the nursing division at [email protected]. The address is:

Ministry of Health
39 Yirmiahu St.
Jerusalem, 9446724
Israel

Click here to download the full checklist

7-unit Course

Once all of the documents have been submitted and approved, the nurse will be required to take an additional short course and exam regarding the Israeli health system. The course, known as the “7-unit course” is given in a few nursing schools around the country as well as online. Upon approval from the nursing division, you will receive a letter with instructions for taking the course. The course is broken down as follows:

Part A: Introduction to the Israeli Health System

Before being eligible to take the licensing exam, nurses are required to study the following:

• Israeli laws and regulations
• The Israeli health system
• States of emergency and trauma

The study is done on an individual basis through the mentorship of a hospital. You can either study on your own, with a booklet provided by Misrad Habriut; or you can have up to five meetings with your mentor. The study must be done under the supervision of one of the following hospitals: Wolfson (in Holon), Hadassah (in Jerusalem), and Assaf Harofeh (in Ramle). Upon completion of this study period, you will be tested on the material by your mentor (either orally or in writing, as discussed with your mentor). This study program incurs a fee.

Part B: Professional Training

In addition to the study program, each nurse is required to participate in two professional courses:

• CPR
• Measurement conversion

Information about these courses is available through the hospital where you are being mentored. Click here for an English copy of the User Guide Summary for the Nursing Course/Exam in Israel.

---

 

Licensing Exam

Nursing Exam: Languages and Hebrew Proficiency

The Ministry of Health offers the nursing exam in various languages, including English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. If opting for a foreign language, passing a Hebrew proficiency exam is mandatory for obtaining a professional license. The Hebrew exam, approximately at the Ulpan Daled level, encompasses medical terms and can be taken before or within three years after the licensing exam.

Eligibility

Upon approval of your nursing studies, the Nursing Division will notify you of your exam eligibility. You will receive a letter along with a payment slip for the exam fee, payable at the post office. Submit your request to take the exam, along with the payment receipt, to the Nursing division at least a month before the exam date.

Exam Format

The nursing exam is conducted four time a year, both in Hebrew and English. Click here to see the exam dates. Visit the Nursing Division’s website or contact them at (02) 670-5705 or (02) 670-5097 for more details.

Registration

Register for the licensing exam through the Medical Profession’s Online Portal (Hebrew only). Log in using the username (sent via email) and password (sent via SMS). If you haven’t received these credentials, contact Kol Habriut. Provide your personal contact information, health declaration, and lack of criminal record declaration. Choose the exam date and language and upload the payment proof. The nursing division now offers a computerized exam format. Read more about the process here.

Misrad Haklita Reimbursement for Documents

The Ministry of Aliyah and Integration is offering a retroactive reimbursement of up to 4000 NIS to Olim who were required to translate and/or notarize documents for the purpose of transferring their professional license in Israel. Please contact your local Misrad Haklita office for more information.

Please note the following conditions:

• This can be done ONLY AFTER completing your Aliyah.
• The reimbursement is only retroactive for 2 years prior to your date of Aliyah.
• Only Olim who have not yet reached retirement age are eligible.
• Reimbursement can be made only for Israeli notary/consulate verification with original receipts (or verified copy) . Apostille is not reimbursable!

Misrad Haklita offers a reimbursement (up to 500 NIS) for Olim who took the governmental licensing exam. Your eligibility lasts for 10 years from your date of Aliyah. The reimbursement is ONLY given retroactively and will be paid back ONLY after submitting the receipt for your exam to your local Misrad Haklita office. Please contact your local Misrad Haklita office for more information.

Please note: If you, unfortunately, didn’t pass the exam and think that you have reason to submit an appeal, please follow the instructions delineated here.

Project Mitchadshim

Collaborating with Misrad Ha’aliyah V’haklita, the Nurses Administration has initiated Project Mitchadshim. This project aims to integrate newly immigrated nurses who are graduates of foreign nursing study programs. Learn more about the project details here.

Receiving Your Licensing Exam Grade

Once the scores are in, you will get an SMS letting you know to log in to the portal again to find out your score.

In order to get your nursing license, a good working knowledge of Hebrew is mandatory. You must prove your knowledge of Hebrew in one of the following ways:

• Passing the license exam in Hebrew.
• Passing the Bagrut exam in Hebrew (average score of 60).
• Successfully completing Ulpan Gimmel at a Ministry of Aliyah and Integration approved Ulpan (score of 70 or higher on the final test).
• YAEL exam (score of 65 or more) – The exam is offered several times a year, for a fee, at various locations in Israel. You can take the YAEL exam prior to making Aliyah as a tourist and results usually take approximately 40 days to be processed. Click HERE for more information.
• Pass the Ministry of Education proficiency test with a score of 65% or better.
• New Olim who have completed an advanced Hebrew course offered by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (in cooperation with the Ministry of Education) are exempt from the Hebrew proficiency test.

Medical Ulpan

The Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Integration occasionally offers Shlav bet, an Ulpan for medical professionals (in-person and/or online), alongside regular Ulpan classes. The class opens based on sufficient interest. Contact your local Misrad HaKlita branch to inquire about the next session’s start date. To join, participants must either complete a regular Ulpan course or pass a Hebrew entrance exam.

The Ministry of Health’s Nursing Division has also put together a medical Hebrew ulpan for nurses who are post-Aliyah. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Mandatory Education Requirements of Misrad Habriut

Foreign nursing programs that include 80% of the theoretical and clinical studies in the Israeli core curriculum are deemed sufficient for recognition by Misrad Habriut (see below). If your course of study abroad did not include 80% of the coursework required by Misrad Habriut you will be required to take additional coursework in Israel. If you have questions regarding whether or not your coursework meets the requirements, please call (02) 670-5705 or (02) 670-5097. It is recommended that you be in touch prior to your Aliyah in order to ascertain what requirements you will need to fulfill.

Due to the differences in coursework between Israeli and foreign programs, nurses are often required to do additional coursework in order to qualify for the licensing exam.

In addition to meeting the educational requirements of Misrad Habriut, all candidates for nursing recognition must take a 7 credit (98 hour) preparatory internship as part of the licensing process. The internship focuses on aspects of nursing that are specific to Israeli healthcare delivery.

NOTE: The Israeli Department of Education does not recognize doctorates that are not PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees. This includes all professional doctorate degrees (DPT, DNP, OTD, OD, DC, AuD, DPM, DO). They will be recognized only as Master’s degrees.

Voluntary Educational Courses

Training Course for Olim with Academic Degrees

If you have a BA in a field other than nursing, you may be eligible for a shortened course to become a nurse that is offered by several universities in Israel. For more information, click here. Some of the nursing schools which offer the course include: Hadassah, Shaare Tzedek, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Kaplan Nursing School, Ashkelon Nursing School, Afula Sherman Nursing School and Asaf HaRofe.

Phlebotomy
Nurses can work as phlebotomists in Israel but they must take a 2 day course and pass an exam in order to be certified. The courses are given in Jerusalem and Petach Tikva. They must also have their degrees recognized by Misrad Habriut. For information about the course, please contact: Sharon, at: 02-655-1871.

Lactation Consultants
Misrad Habriut offers courses, for nurses only, to become lactation consultants. This course is offered once a year, starting in January. It is 336 hours (about 7 months) long. It is offered in Haifa, Tel Hashomer and Kaplan nursing schools. All nurses must have a nursing license and Bachelor’s degree. An acceptance exam is given in June or July. Olim who would like to be lactation consultants must first be recognized as nurses. If you already have a certificate as a lactation consultant from abroad, you will need to apply to the nursing division regarding conversion of your license. In most cases, you will be asked to take additional courses; in all cases, you will be required to pass an exam. For more information, contact Hanna Tsofnat at: [email protected] or 03-737-8109.