How to validate your diploma in Israel

Confirming a foreign diploma is an important step. To do this, you’ll need to make all the documents legally valid. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the process.

Why you need to validate your diploma in Israel at all

If you have a qualification from outside Israel, there are two main ways you can use it here:

• First, you may continue the academic pursuits of yours. Just at a different institution. Thus, you can present your diploma to a local college or university – seconds in Israel have full academic freedom in this regard, and aren’t bound by the criteria set by Misrad Hachinuch (Israel’s Ministry of Education, that is).
• Second, there’s the matter of salary. This isn’t as straightforward because salary adjustments here are heavily influenced by academic degrees – a thing that doesn’t apply uniformly across all countries. However, if you work in Israel’s public sector, your salary will likely increase – based on your degree.

Diploma recognition system

Misrad Hachinuch provides two types of recognition:

1. First, the so-called “equivalence” confirmation. This one is required for individuals seeking to have their foreign qualifications assessed for both ranking and salary purposes. In such cases, the application is to be submitted through the designated system, as per regulations. Once processed, the employer must provide confirmation using the same form.
2. Second, the recognition of foreign diplomas. This applies to individuals who aren’t yet employed or just seeking opportunities in the public sector. This is a basic recognition of the academic degree and doesn’t constitute an official equivalence for ranking or salary determination. The foreign degree will not be assessed against academic qualifications awarded in Israel.

Validation process

The process is broken down into a few steps:

1. First, you need to put together an online application.
2. Then, you have to make a request to verify your degree.
3. Next, you need to upload the documents, which are Teudat Zehut, Teudat Oleh, repatriation certificate (if any) and the degree itself.
4. Finally, you’ll also need documents showing your grades and a list of the subjects you’ve studied along with the number of hours spent on each. The documents can be submitted in the following formats: PNG, JPG, PDF, DOC, or DOCX. Please note that a school certificate isn’t required – its mention can be found in many sources (even on official representative websites, which is somewhat odd), yet it has no basis in reality.

One important thing to remember is that each document must be certified by an Israeli notary. You may request so through the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration as well. It’s a government agency that assists Jews and their families with the adaptation. More information is available here – be sure to check it out, as it’s very helpful: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_aliyah_and_integration/govil-landing-page

The typical processing time for an application is around 45 days, though it may vary. Submitting the paperwork in Israel usually leads to faster processing.

Diploma validation by profession

If one intends to work in a profession that requires a specialized license (e.g., medicine, law, engineering, psychology, and so on), he or she must apply for licensure through the relevant state authority.

Please note that certain authorities, such as the abovementioned Ministry of Health, don’t recognize online degrees in fields like medicine. By the way, it’s still worth noting that there are several professions in the Promised Land that simply don’t exist in many other jurisdictions. And vice versa. In such cases, one would need to complete retraining courses to validate their degree.

A few key things to consider

Back in 1961, a group of countries in Europe and beyond signed the Hague Convention on the Mutual Recognition of Educational Documents. In any of these countries, the diploma must be translated into the required language and have an Apostille.

Apostille is a certification that verifies a few things: the authenticity of the signature, that the person who signed the document had the authority to do so, and, if applicable, that any official seal on the document is genuine. Essentially, papers with an Apostille are automatically valid in all countries that are part of the Hague Convention, without needing further legalization – just as we said before. However, there’s a major thing to note: Israel didn’t sign this exact agreement. So, if you need to use your documents there, you’ll have to go through a more complex process called Nostrification.

Nostrification is a literal process of recognizing a foreign higher or secondary education diploma for its legal use in this or that country. The difference is that while other documents may require Apostillation, in this case, only educational documents are Nostrified.

Regarding the process, we do believe that it’s essential to clarify that you’ll receive an email from the Ministry of Education confirming whether your diploma and attachments are approved. Then, they’ll compare the courses you took at your university with the current ones – at Israeli universities, as well as the number of study hours.

After that, they’ll issue their final decision regarding your degree. And in some cases, the Ministry of Education may even downgrade the it. For instance:

• If the courses completed were less comprehensive than those required at Israeli universities.
• If certain disciplines are lacking, a master’s degree may only be recognized as a bachelor’s.

Nevertheless, there’s an option to complete supplementary studies in Israel to obtain the originally intended level. It’s also important to note a one recent update: starting from first January of 2025, applicants have the opportunity to expedite the Nostrification process. Now, documents can be submitted directly to the assigned supervisor at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. To do this, one simply needs to make a notarized copy of their diploma and its appendix. A copy of their ID and repatriation papers is also required, but these must be submitted in person.