How to immigrate and work in Israel as a pharmacist?

Israel has become a popular destination for skilled workers and immigrants. The high quality of life, great Mediterranean weather, and the need for skilled workers make it an attractive destination. This Visa Library page will explain how you can immigrate and work in Israel as a pharmacist.

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How to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist?

If you get your degree from a foreign country and not in Israel, you must pass a few steps and receive a license to work as a pharmacist in Israel. This section brings you the stages you have to follow and the documents you have to gather.

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Immigrate to Israel as a Pharmacist

Gathering the documents and submission to Israeli authorities.

You have to gather this list of supporting documents and submit them to the Israel Medical Professions Licensure Division:

Two photos of yourself (passport sized).
Two copies of your ID card or citizenship or residency card. It must state your Address Appendix and status ins Israel as well.
If your status in Israel is not included in the ID card, you need a copy of Israeli Passport or certification from the Ministry of the Interior.
Tourists in Israel: a copy of your passport and a valid residency permit.
Questionnaire for healthcare workers (HE)
A request to take the government licensing examination for pharmacists (HE)
Your high school diploma.
Your graduation degree or certificate from a foreign university. It must state that you have completed all of your studies and passed all the qualification principles of the university to get your diploma as a pharmacist.
The certificate that states the start and finish dates of your studies and the classroom instruction.
A certificate indicating you have completed the internship plus:

The place you took the internship.
Starting and completion dates.
The total number of hours of the internship

A certificate indicating that you have worked as a pharmacist for at least one year and the starting and completion dates of the places you have worked.
The certificate or license to work as a pharmacist in your home country or the country you have worked.
A certificate of integrity from the competent authority of the country you have worked as a pharmacist. It indicates that you have obeyed the national law and rules and regulations regarding practicing pharmacy in that country.
Apply to be tested in pharmacology law. You should enclose an official approval of professional practice abroad, and it must be under license for at least two years in the 3 years duration before applying to Israeli officials.

Note: you should not send any original documents. Only a copy of your document and translate it into Hebrew if they are not in this language. The copies must be verified by the Notary Public (with the red ribbon)

You have to send your documents by registered mail to this address:

The Medical Professions Licensure Division, the Ministry of Health, 39 Yeremiyahu Street, P.O.B. 1176, Jerusalem 9101002.

Assessment and approval.

After the Israeli official and the Ministry of Health assess your degree and approve them, they will inform you. If you have an Israel ID card, you will receive an email and a password to your SMS to access the Healthcare Professions Portal.

If you are a foreign national, you will receive an SMS with the Israeli official’s approval to take the examination and your internship.

Internship in Israel and work under supervision.

One of the stages you have to pass is to take an internship in Israel. It’s up to your conditions and whether you have passed an internship in Israel or abroad.

Pharmacists who have completed an internship abroad.

If you have completed a recognized internship abroad for at least six months after getting your degree, and it was in the fifth or later year of your studies, the officials will refer you to Government Licensing Examination in Pharmacy. There is no need for you to take an internship in Israel.

Pharmacists who have not completed a recognized internship abroad.

If you have not completed a recognized internship in a foreign country by Medical Professions Licensure Division, or it was not complete, you need to take an internship course in Israel.

You will receive authorization for an internship if you are eligible from Medical Professions Licensure Division. A copy will be sent to the District Pharmacist (HE). You need to find a pharmacy in Israel that is ready to take you as an intern. Then you need to get permission from District Pharmacist to take and complete the internship. You have to receive approval from them before you begin the internship.

Pharmacists who have worked as professional pharmacists abroad.

If you have worked as a licensed pharmacist legally in a foreign country for at least 3 years during the past 4 years or for 4 years during the last 5 years at the time of applying to Israeli officials, you will be referred to Licensing Examination in Pharmacy Law. You will not have to take an internship in Israel. At this stage, you will receive a temporary license that permits you to work under the supervision of an employer in Israel.

One year of continuous work experience in International Practice.

If you have worked as a pharmacist for at least one year or more after completing the internship without any break or intervals, you might be exempted from an internship in Israel. The Director of the Medical Professions Licensure Division has the right to exempt you from the internship.

The Director of the Medical Professions Licensure Division is responsible for determining the duration of your internship in Israel.

Completing pharmacy internship in Israel.

After you complete your internship in Israel, You will gain access to the Healthcare Professions Portal. You can report to them the start and end dates of your internship. You need to attach a certificate in this portal from your pharmacist employer that you have completed the internship. After the District Pharmacist (HE) verifies that you have completed the internship in the portal, you can register for the Government Examination in Pharmacy at the portal.

The Government Examination in Pharmacy.

You might need to pass the Government Examination in Pharmacy to get a temporary license to work as a pharmacist in Israel.

If you have full-time work experience as a pharmacist for at least 3 years during the past 4 years before applying to Israel officials or you have 2 years of work experience during the past 3 years before your application, and your pharmacy licensing exam has been valid and never been failed or revoked, you can apply to pass the Government Examination in Pharmacy. If you pass the exam, you will receive a temporary license which allows you to work in Israel temporarily under the supervision of a licensed pharmacy or pharmacist.

You need to register for the exam, and the Israeli officials will inform you of the date. You can not register for the exam later than 60 days before the date. You should visit the Healthcare Professions Portal to register for the exam. If you are eligible to pass the exam and you have applied to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist, there is no need for registration. You will be registered according to the preferences you filled out in your application form.

If you are asking when the examination is, it’s held twice a year, in summer and winter. It’s a theoretical examination, and you can take the exam in one of these languages:

Hebrew,
Arabic,
English,
Russian,
Spanish
French

If you take a translated version of the exam, you should know that it might contain examples of prescriptions in Israel and have some basic words in Hebrew.

The result of the examination.

The Israeli officials will send the result of the exam by your nationality. You will receive the results through SMS if you have an Israeli ID card. You have passed or failed the exam and can receive a license or not. You will receive the eligibility to receive a license in the Healthcare Professions Portal.

If you are a foreign national and have a foreign passport, you will receive the results through the Ministry of Health Hotline.

In case you do not agree with the result of the exam and think it was unfair, you can appeal to Israeli officials through the regulations to appeal the results of the government theoretical examination.

How to enter and stay in Israel to take the Government Examination in Pharmacy.

You should know about visa policy and entrance rules if you are a foreign national and want to enter Israel to take the exam. Israel has signed a visa waiver program with some countries. It means the nationals of these countries can enter Israel and stay for some time with their passport. You can find the list of them in the Visa Library article. If you are not a national of these countries, you need a tourist visa to enter and take the Government Examination in Pharmacy. You can mention your intention in your application and provide proof to receive the tourist visa. If you want to learn more about the Israeli tourist visa, you can visit the Visa Library article from the link a few lines back.

The tourist visa allows you to take a state licensing examination. If you pass this exam successfully, it will be valid for 3 years. In case you can not assume the civil status that is needed to have a professional certificate or license by the Ministry of Health, you will need to take the exam again.

In order to register for the state examination with a tourist visa, you need to sign a statement that is in the Hebrew language in the presence of a licensed Israeli attorney. You have to submit the statement to the Profession Licensure Division 30 days before you take the exam.

A temporary license to work as a pharmacist in Israel.

If you take a temporary license, you can work as a pharmacist in Israel. It will be issued in the following cases:

You have not done an internship in Israel.

If you have not completed an internship in Israel, you must take a one-year internship to get a temporary license. It must be at an authorized pharmacy and under the supervision of an Authorized, Responsible Pharmacist.

The Medical Professions Licensure Division is responsible for issuing the temporary license. Then it will be issued to the Medical Professions Licensure Division. The Responsible Pharmacist that you will work under his/her supervision will send an evaluation form that includes the details of your employment.

Pharmacists with international work experience who have passed the licensing examination in Pharmacy Law will have to work under the supervision of a registered pharmacist in Israel. The duration of the internship is up to the period they have worked abroad. You need a one-year internship if you 3 years of work experience during the previous 4 years of application. You need 2 years of internship if you have 2 years of work experience during the past 3 years of application.

You need to find a pharmacy to take the internship. You will have to contact the District Pharmacist to get permission to take the internship with this pharmacy before you begin your work.

There is a fee with the temporary license that you have to pay with the Government Payments website.

After you pay a license fee, the temporary license will be sent to you via registered mail to the updated address at the Ministry of Health.

Israel work visa and work permit.

After you get your pharmacy license, you can work legally in Israel. At this stage, you need a work permit to work in Israel and a work visa if you are abroad to enter the country.

First, you need to find a job as a pharmacist with an Israeli employer. The future employer who agrees to hire you will apply for a work permit, and after it is issued, you can apply for a work visa to enter the country. But if you are already in Israel, you might not need a visa and can change your status to a work permit.

You can find more information about Israel’s work visa, its work permit, the requirements, and the procedure you have to follow through the Visa Library article.

These Israeli visas help you enter the country and stay to fulfill your purpose.

Immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist requirements

You need these items to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist:

A valid degree from your home country
Passing the recognition
Get a license from Israel officials.
Find a job
Apply for and receive a work permit.

Israel visa for immigrant pharmacists.

These Israeli visas help you enter the country and stay to fulfill your purpose.

Israel tourist visa

Israel has signed an agreement with some countries. It lets nationals of these countries enter Israel with their passports and stay for up to 90 days. You can find the list of them on this page. If you are not on this list of the visa-waived countries that can enter Israel with their passport, you need an Israel tourist visa. It lets you enter the country and complete the recognition process. You need it to pass the Bar exam. But to take the internship, you’d better contact the Israeli embassy/consulate in your home country to know the right visa option.

You can learn more information about Israeli tourist visas from the Visa Library article.

Israel work visa

After you complete the registration with the Israel Bar Association, you need a work visa to work there as a foreign person. Every foreign person who wants to work In Israel needs a work visa.

The prerequisite to get a work visa is a work permit. It’s permission to work as a foreign person in Israel, and only the Israeli employer can apply for it. This is why you should find a job offer with an Israeli employer.

There are various ways to find a job. You can find a job position through websites that advertise job positions or recruiters that connect employers and employees.

You can learn more information about Israel’s work visa from the Visa Library article.

Israel student visa

There is another way to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist. It’s to study for a law degree there. First, you must find a university or law school that offers such a course to international students. Then, you must fulfill the requirements and apply to them:

Hebrew language fluency.
Latest educational degree
Transcripts.
Application fee.
Cover letter or SOP
Etc.

The university admission department will assess your application and decide about it. If they agree and grant admission, they will send you an acceptance or admission letter. Now you can apply for an Israeli student visa.

You must gather the supporting documents and apply to the Israeli embassy/consulate in your home country.

You can learn more information about Israel’s student visa from the Visa Library article.

The required qualifications to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist

You need a pharmaceutical degree to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist. You can get it from Israel or a foreign country. But if you study abroad, you need to pass the recognition process. You will have to send your diploma and documents to the Israeli official; they will evaluate them and decide whether you can work in Israel or not. If their decision is positive, you need to take the examination and take an internship in Israel.

How long does it take to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist?

If you study a pharmacy course in Israel, it takes 4 years to complete it. Then you need to take an internship which is six months to a year. After that, you will have to look for a job offer and persuade an employer to hire you. The required time to find a job is up to you and your skills to find a job offer.

When you find him/her and sign an employment contract, the employer applies for a work permit. It could take up to a few months for the work permit to be issued. Then you can work in Israel. If you are outside of Israel at the time of application, you need a work visa to enter the country again.

If you get your degree abroad and want to immigrate to Israel, you need to pass the examination. It could take one year to pass it as it is available only two times a year. Then you need to take a one-year internship in Israel. Then you need to find a job offer and persuade the employer to hire you. After that, your employer applies for a work permit. It could take a few months.

Related jobs for an immigrant pharmacist in Israel

You might end up working in any of the following positions. You’d better keep an eye out for them in your research and gather work experience:

Position
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Regulatory Affairs Manager
Pharmacist assistant
Pharmacist
Pharmaceutical Products Manager
Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technician

Study for a pharmacy degree and immigrate to Israel.

There is another way to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist, and it’s to study for a degree in this country. This section will bring you how to immigrate and work in Israel by studying a course.

Find an Israeli university or school offering a pharmacy course.

The first step is to find a Pharmacy degree or university that offers a course to international students. There are various universities or schools, and you need to find out which one is appropriate for you. This is a list of them:

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Tel Aviv University
Weizmann Institute of Science
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Bar-Ilan University
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

You have to visit the university’s website to know if the university offers a degree to an international student and the requirements. The sample requirements are like this:

Application fees.
Application form.
A copy of your passport page.
Latest educational degree.
English language fluency certificate.
Hebrew language fluency certificate (if required).
Tuition.
Etc.

You need to determine the requirements and eligibility principles and whether you can fulfill them. For instance, you might need a Hebrew language fluency certificate, and it takes time to learn and reach the required degree. You should also find out about the tuition and cost of studying at this university. You must be able to afford it and pay the tuition. If not, can you get funds or scholarships? There might be a chance, so you’d better try it.

The other point you need to determine is the cost of living in the city you will land. The cost of living in a large city like Tel Aviv is a bit higher than in other small cities. So you need to figure out whether you can afford it or not. Weather conditions are different in the Middle East and Israel, so determine if you can stand it or not.

You need to apply to the university and get admission. If the university agrees and grants you admission, they will issue you the admission letter or acceptance letter. This is the most important requirement to get a student visa and study for a pharmacy degree in Israel.

Apply for an Israel student visa.

After you receive the admission letter or acceptance letter, you can apply for an Israeli student visa. You need a visa to study in Israel as a foreign person. The beginning of a student visa application is to get the admission letter.

After that, you need to gather the visa supporting documents. This is a list of the documents you have to gather:

Application form
Photos
Acceptance letter
Financial independence
Passport
Paid visa fees
Consent letter

The above list is a sample of the documents you have to gather, and you might have to submit further documents on your nationality and the Israeli officials’ request.

After you are done with the requirements, you need to schedule an interview or meeting with the Israeli embassy/consulate in your home country. You have to visit them in person and bring all the supporting documents.

You have to submit the documents to the officials and answer their questions during the interview. You have to be honest with them and give true answers. So you should prepare yourself for the interview.

After h the meeting is over, you need to wait for processing. It takes time until the embassy processes your application and decides about it. They will inform you of the results. When your visa is ready and issued, the embassy informs you to get it. Now you can move to Israel and begin your studies.

Take the internship.

After you complete your education, you need to take an internship as a pharmacist in Israel. You do not need to take the government licensing examination of you get your degree in Israel.

You do not need to send any documents to the Medical Professions Licensure Division. The university you attended will take care of everything. After the Ministry receives your information, you will receive a username and password to access the Healthcare Professions Portal. You will find a form Declarations Form there that you need to print, complete and sign out. You need to attach a copy of your passport to your form and then scan it.

After you complete the internship, you will receive your Permanent License to work as a pharmacist in Israel. At this stage, you need to find a job in Israel and apply for a work permit.

Immigrant pharmacists’ salaries in Israel.

Your salary as a pharmacist in Israel depends on many factors:

Education
Work experience
The place you work with.
The city you work in.
Tasks and responsibilities.
Work experience with the center you work with.
Etc.

Sources have mentioned different figures for your salary as a pharmacist in Israel. According to Salary Expert, the average salary is about 271,356 (ILS) per year. This source says that a pharmacist with 1-3 years of work experience can earn about ₪186,942 per year, while a pharmacist with +8 years of work experience can earn about ₪ 346,547.

According to Economic Institute Research, the average salary is about ILS 271,533 per year.

Countries with the highest salary for pharmacists.

This section brings you the list of the countries that pay the highest salaries to pharmacists. You might want to know and consider moving to one of them. The choices are yours.

US
Iceland
Australia
Switzerland
Canada
Sweden

You can learn how to immigrate and work in one of the above options from the Visa Library menu. There you will find a comprehensive guideline for the occupations that want to move to the above countries.

How to become a pharmacist in Israel?

There are two ways to immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist. The first one is to get admission from a university or school in Israel, study for a pharmacy degree, and get a degree. After you get your degree, you need to pass an internship, and then you will get your license. You do not have to pass the national exam to become a pharmacist if you get your degree from Israel.

The second way is that you get your pharmacy diploma from a foreign country. In this case, you need to apply to the Israeli officials and send them your documents. If they approve you are eligible, you need to take an exam and pass the internship. Then you will receive a temporary license to work as a pharmacist.

Let’s sum up…

This Visa Library page explains how you can immigrate and work in Israel as a pharmacist. When you get your degree abroad, you need to pass the examination and take an internship then, you will be able to work as a pharmacist. You can also study for a degree in Israel and immigrate to Israel as a pharmacist. This article brought you everything and answered all of your questions.

If you have questions regarding the process and requirements, write them down in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them.