Evaluation and Recognition of Academic Degrees from Countries Outside of Israel

What is the purpose of getting an academic degree recognized?

A person with an academic degree earned outside of Israel has three main avenues for using this degree in Israel:

1. Academic: In order to pursue an advanced degree in Israel, you must submit your foreign degree to the Israeli university or college you wish to attend. Most schools conduct the evaluation of foreign degrees at the academic institution itself and according to academic criteria. The universities have full academic freedom in this matter and are not subject to the criteria set by the Israeli Ministry of Education.
2. Employment: In order to practice a profession that requires Israeli licensing (e.g., medicine, law, engineering, psychology, para-medical professions, etc.), you must apply for a license from the appropriate government office (see link below). For example, Misrad Habriut grants licenses to practice medicine, psychology, and other health-related fields. Transcripts and diplomas must be submitted to the appropriate governing body. If you have questions about your eligibility to meet Israeli licensing requirements, please see: Professional Licensing in Israel.  If you have questions about medical licensing in Israel, please reach out to our International Medical Aliyah Program team: [email protected]. For more information, click here.
3. Salary: If you are employed in the Israeli public sector, your salary is based on your academic degrees. Degrees from Israeli institutions are automatically recognized.

If you made Aliyah from Jan. 1, 2025, you should apply to משרד הקליטה – Ministry of Aliyah and Integration for degree recognition.

Submission of degree evaluation applications to the Misrad HaKlita is done only through your personal area on the government website.

The Ishur – אישור – official degree evaluation received from Misrad HaKlita should be accepted by both private and public sector employers. You should receive your Ishur within 45 working days of submission.

Before submitting the documents online, Olim Chadashim who have studied prior to making Aliyah,  must ensure that all documents submitted in the online system have the “certified true copy” stamp by an Israeli lawyer on each page.  You have the option of contacting the absorption advisors at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration to have your documents stamped נאמן למקור – “true copy”, free of charge, instead of paying a lawyer. 

The list of required documents is available on the “Documents to be Submitted” tab on this page.

FAQ on Degree Recognition is here.

If you made Aliyah prior to Jan. 1, 2025, you should apply to   משרד החינוך – Misrad of Education, which provides two types of degree recognition:

1. Equivalency confirmation for those interested in having their foreign academic degree evaluated for ranking and salary purposes in the public sector. You must submit a request through the online system according to the guidelines, and then send the employment/candidacy confirmation from the human resources department at your workplace on this online form.
   
   
2. General approval of foreign academic degrees for those who are not employed or candidates for employment in the public sector. This general approval is not an equivalency confirmation for ranking and salary purposes in the public sector, and the foreign academic degree you were awarded will not be evaluated in comparison to academic degrees awarded in Israel.

Click here for more information and guidelines, and to access the online portal to submit a request for degree recognition of both types described above.

Tips and Information for Olim before Jan. 1, 2025 (applying to Misrad Hachinuch):

• English documents do not need to be translated.
• Save your information and documents in the system periodically by clicking save at the top left corner.
• Each degree requires its own entry in the system.
• A copy of all documents submitted in the online system must be signed “true copy” (נאמן למקור) by an Israeli lawyer or a representative of Misrad Haklita on the link at the top of this page.
• The only documents that need to be mailed are notarized translations with a red ribbon on them. Instructions are on the Misrad Hachinuch site. Since English documents do not need to be translated, this is mainly relevant for Olim from countries whose degrees are in languages other than the following exempt languages: English, Arabic, Ukrainian, or Russian.

​Questions and problems with the online system:

*6552 or 073-3983960. Operating hours: Sunday – Thursday between the hours 07:30 – 17:00

Inquiries at The Division of Degree Evaluation: 

Phone: 073-3934455. Operating hours: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, between the hours 08:30 – 13:00

Once you have submitted your diploma for approval, you can submit inquiries on this link.

Evaluation of Online Degrees

Students who have earned an online degree prior to making Aliyah are evaluated differently from those who earn an online degree in Israel.
Pre-Aliyah: If the degree is listed as a recognized institution on the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) site, it will likely be approved by the Ministry of Education/Ministry of Aliyah. If it is in one of the health or para-medical professions, it is likely not to be recognized. If you have an online degree in Psychology, it is likely not to be recognized. Please refer to this for guidelines and more information.

Post-Aliyah: The CHEA site is utilized, but there are additional evaluation criteria.

NOTE: The Ministry of Health DOES NOT recognize any online degrees in the medical or para-medical fields.

Non-Academic Credits

There are strict guidelines about the acceptance of non-academic credits. These include credits from institutions that are not recognized officially as institutions of higher education (such as yeshivot and seminaries) as well as credits that were not taken in the course of a degree program (even if they were obtained from a recognized academic institution).

Additional Notes

As there have been issues in recent years with the acceptance of foreign degrees (especially those that included non-academic credits), please note the points below.

• You must submit separate transcripts from each source of credits that counted toward your degree. For example, if your degree is from the University of Maryland but you took courses for credit that counted toward your degree at NYU, you must also submit the NYU transcripts.
• In order to facilitate the acceptance of yeshiva or seminary credits, it is recommended to major or minor in Jewish Studies or another faculty where a connection to the yeshiva/seminary credits can be clearly established. Another option is to take extra credits toward your degree so that the yeshiva/seminary credits don’t have to be counted.
• Anyone who started university studies after August 2000 must also present a high school diploma.

* Last updated on February 2, 2026 *