Registered Nurses Credential Evaluation – Internationally Educated Nurses
Information for registered nurses, new immigrants and graduates of nursing programs outside of Israel.
Have you ever worked as a registered nurse abroad and want to work in Israel? Here is the information on the process of professional recognition of your status.
Instructions for nurses who are Olim
New immigrants?
To improve the experience of accreditation of registered nurses who are new immigrants (Olim), we simplified the process. The main changes:
- You can log into the Healthcare Professionals Portal without an Israeli identity document.
- Exempt from Hebrew proficiency test for new immigrants who completed an advanced Hebrew course of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (in cooperation with the Ministry of Education).
- Simplified process of obtaining a permanent permit for clinical nurses and obstetricians with at least one year of experience.
Have you studied nursing outside of Israel?
Note that as of 01.09.2022 new applications for credential evaluation are online only:
- Submitted documents must have a digital signature of a notary who is licensed in Israel. For your convenience, here is a link to the Licensed Notary Database - Regulation of Professions Division, Ministry of Justice (HE).
- The documents must be scanned to be able to upload them to the Portal.
As of the above-mentioned date, follow these new guidelines when applying for credential evaluation; do not send paper documents via post.
To practice nursing in Israel, your credentials must be verified by the Nursing Administration and you must be listed on the Nursing Licensure Registry in Israel according to the Public Health Protection Regulations (Nursing Staff in Clinics) of 1981, and the Public Health Protection Regulations (Nursing in Hospitals), of 1988 (HE).
Prerequisites for credential evaluations in order to practice nursing in Israel for internationally educated nurses
To qualify for credentials evaluation, you must:
- Be a citizen or resident of Israel.
- Be proficient in Hebrew.
- Have no criminal record.
- Have normal health condition.
The steps below must be followed in order to be allowed to practice nursing in Israel and to be listed on the Nursing Licensure Registry:
See instructions of use of the Ministry of Health's Healthcare Professionals Portal
- Submit an application for credential evaluation
The credentials evaluation aims to verify and keep the high level of professional quality of registered nurses in Israel.
You must provide documentation of your overseas education and meet the licensure prerequisites in order to be allowed to practice nursing in Israel.
Information on prerequisites and documents required to be submitted to apply for evaluation of credentials and licenses - Pass the transition-to-practice program
The program is designed to fill up your knowledge gaps in specific professional subjects pertaining to the practice of registered nurses in Israel. You can complete it in one of the six languages, provided you have permission from the nursing administration to do so. For your convenience, you can use it anytime and anywhere. Enrollment to the state licensure exam is conditioned upon completion of the program.
Information about the transition-to-practice program on the Ministry of Health website - Enroll to the licensure examination for registered nurses
After you nurse credentials are endorsed by the Nursing Division, you will receive a notice to take the State Nursing Board Licensure Examination for registered nurses. Enroll via the Healthcare Professionals Portal. You can select one of the 6 available examination languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian, French, or Spanish.
More information on how to enroll to the licensure examination - Prove Hebrew proficiency
If you have taken the Israel State Nursing Board Licensure Examination in a language other than Hebrew, you will have to prove you know Hebrew language in order to receive a temporary work license and be added to the Nursing Licensure Registry (HE). You can submit proof of Hebrew proficiency up to three years from the day of the State Nursing Board Licensure Examination. Proof of basic knowledge of the Hebrew language can be provided in several ways.
How to prove Hebrew proficiency - Issuance of a temporary permit
After passing the Israel State Nursing Board Licensure Examination and proving your proficiency of Hebrew, you will be required to pay a fee for a temporary license according to the instructions sent through the Healthcare Professionals Portal. The temporary license is valid for 18 months, during which you must work full-time as a nurse under supervision in the Israeli Healthcare System for at least 12 months.
More information on the temporary license - Issuance of a permanent license
At the end of a full year of work with a temporary license, you will be asked to send, through the Healthcare Professionals Portal, reference letters from the head nurse and the director of nursing at the facility where you worked. These references will form the basis for the Nursing Division decision whether to issue a permanent license.
More information on the permanent license
Note
If at any stage during evaluation and after it, there is any indication that the documents are inaccurate or provide false information, your application will be denied.
The Ministry of Health's "Mithadshim" Project for integrating immigrant registered nurses, in collaboration with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration
Learn about the Nursing Administration's "Mithadshim" project, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption. This project is intended for immigrants with accredited international nursing programs. The goal is to facilitate integration into Israel and help with the licensure and review processes until you obtain a license to practice as a registered nurse in Israel. In addition to professional and individual support, the project offers a course that prepares participants for the State Nursing Board Licensure Examination. The project opens twice a year nationwide.
You Might Find Interesting
- The Program for Integrating Immigrant Registered Nurses
- Applying for Professional Credentials Evaluation of Internationally Educated Nurses
- Knowledge Supplementation Program for Registered Nurses in Israel
- Enrollment to the State Licensure Examination
- Hebrew Language Proficiency
- Interim or Permanent License for Internationally Educated Nurses
You Might Find Interesting
- The Program for Integrating Immigrant Registered Nurses
- Applying for Professional Credentials Evaluation of Internationally Educated Nurses
- Knowledge Supplementation Program for Registered Nurses in Israel
- Enrollment to the State Licensure Examination
- Hebrew Language Proficiency
- Interim or Permanent License for Internationally Educated Nurses