Emergencies and Health Care in Israel: A Visitor's Guide

In Israel, call 101 for a medical emergency, 100 for police and 102 for fire and rescue. Visitors can receive medical care, but payment and insurance arrangements depend on the service and their policy.

Save the emergency numbers and your accommodation address before you need them. Keep your insurer's assistance number, policy details, passport copy and medication list available offline. For a serious emergency, call for help immediately; contact the insurer once doing so will not delay care.

Calling for Help Without Hebrew

The Ministry of Tourism lists police as 100, Magen David Adom as 101 and Fire and Rescue as 102. Home Front Command information is available on 104. These are different services: a medical emergency needs 101, while rocket and missile alerts require the protection instructions issued for your location.

Start the call by asking for English or stating the language you speak. MDA describes multilingual support at its emergency operations center. Give the city, street, building number, floor and apartment, or a clear landmark. Keep the address in Hebrew on your phone so a nearby person can help communicate it.

MDA asks callers to explain briefly what happened, provide a callback number and answer the dispatcher's questions. Follow the instructions and, if another person is available, send them to meet the ambulance. For people with hearing or speech impairments, MDA lists emergency SMS or WhatsApp access on 052-7000101.

Ambulances and the Bill

An ambulance is medical transport, and a visitor may receive a bill. MDA publishes emergency transport tariffs; the charge depends on the applicable schedule, vehicle and service type, distance and timing, as well as whether another body is responsible for payment.

A regular ambulance and an intensive care unit can have different rates. The cost of transport is separate from hospital treatment. Ask your insurer whether ambulance evacuation is covered, whether MDA can bill it directly and which documents are needed if you must claim reimbursement.

Keep the transport record, invoice and receipt. Israeli health fund reimbursement rules apply to eligible insured members; tourists should check their own policy rather than assume the same entitlement. A life threatening emergency is the time to call 101, not to compare transport prices.

Hospital Emergency Room or Urgent Care

For a serious emergency, use 101 or a hospital emergency department, known in Hebrew as a miyun. The Health Ministry says emergency patients may go to any general hospital. Severe breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness or suspected stroke need emergency help.

For problems that need prompt attention but are not life threatening, urgent care networks such as Terem may be suitable. Branch services can include medical assessment, basic tests, wound care and X-rays. Confirm the branch's opening hours, available treatment and acceptance of foreign patients before traveling when your condition allows.

Terem's official Lod page, for example, explicitly includes tourists among its patients. Do not assume every branch offers identical hours or facilities. Ask about the private consultation price, additional test charges and whether your insurance is accepted. An urgent care clinician may send you to hospital if further assessment is needed.

Insurance and Hospital Paperwork

Bring identification, insurance details, relevant medical records and any referral. Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center's admissions guidance explains that patients can present an insurer's payment guarantee or arrange payment. Receiving treatment without that guarantee may leave reimbursement subject to the policy's terms.

Before a nonurgent visit, ask the insurer for an approved provider and whether it will arrange direct billing. Otherwise, you may need to pay and claim later. Request an itemized invoice, payment receipt and discharge or consultation summary, preferably in a language your insurer accepts.

Check coverage for existing conditions and the activities planned during your stay. Keep these documents with your arrival and departure travel paperwork. Local health fund exemption rules are not a general promise of free hospital care for foreign visitors.

Pharmacies on Shabbat and Holidays

For an open pharmacy outside ordinary hours, check the municipality's current duty pharmacy list and call before leaving. Tel Aviv publishes a monthly roster and says duty pharmacies remain open throughout their listed duty periods. Other locations may use an on call arrangement, so read the instructions for the particular pharmacy.

When planning around Shabbat, check the pharmacy counter's hours, not only the surrounding store's opening time. Ask whether the medicine is in stock and whether an Israeli prescription is required. Bring medication in its original packaging and a prescription showing the active ingredient, since brand names can differ.

Heat and Finding an English Speaking Doctor

The Health Ministry advises reducing unnecessary exertion in extreme heat, drinking water and spending time in cool spaces. Plan walking and outdoor activities for cooler hours. Confusion, collapse or severe deterioration in the heat require urgent medical help; move the person to a cool place and follow 101 instructions. Do not give fluids to someone who cannot swallow safely.

For routine care, ask your insurer for an English speaking doctor in its network. Hospital international patient offices and embassy medical provider lists can help identify options. Confirm the language, appointment time, consultation fee and payment arrangement directly with the clinic, and ask for a written summary before leaving.