10 things you should know when traveling to Israel for medical treatment

Dear friends,

If you travel to Israel for a medical treatment, please review the following list as it can save your time and decrease expenses. Besides, this will allow our medical experts to have a complete information about your problem in order to provide the optimal treatment.

1. 1. Medical reports. Please have with you all your medical documents, media disc with images (MRI, CT, PET CT, US, scintigraphy, endoscopy tests, etc.) and their interpretation reports. If you have been hospitalized, please bring the release letter from the hospital. You can ask it at your hospital.

1. 2. Samples. If you underwent a biopsy taking, please bring slides and paraffin blocks containing samples. In many cases our doctors require to perform a revision of the tissues. This is also mandatory in case you will be recommended genomic analysis and precision (personalized) treatment.

1. 3. Flight ticket. If you are sure that you will stay in Israel for a known period you can purchase a ticket with closed dates which is usually cheaper. However, if there is a chance that you may be asked to extend your stay for additional tests or consultation please buy a ticket with the option to extend/change its return date without or with a minimal penalty.

1. 4. Hotel / apartment stay in Israel. If you would like to book a hotel please check alternatives through the web sites such as www.booking.com. If you prefer to book an apartment for your stay, please check alternatives at www.airbnb.com. Before you book any of the alternatives, please consult us. We will be happy to give you the right information to enable you to enjoy your stay and maybe combine your medical treatment with travel in Israel.

1. 5. Currency. You can pay for medical services in US dollars or Euro, or you can exchange to local currency called Shekel (marked as NIS) any type of money. Changes from other currencies could be costly or impossible at each change location. International credit cards will be accepted in shops and restaurants, however, not all the medical institutions will accept credit cards. You can pay via bank transfer (SWIFT) in advance as well.

1. 6. Transportation. If you plan driving a car in Israel, please bring an international driving license.
2. Taxi: prices to/from airport Tel Aviv are fixed in advance by a published list and should be announced to the passenger before the travel. They are also displayed at the taxi station at the airport. Besides, you can find taxi tariffs from the Ben Gurion airport to different cities using this calculator:
3. https://www.iaa.gov.il/en-US/airports/bengurion/Pages/TaxiFareCalculator.aspx
4. You should always ask the taxi driver to operate the meter. This is required by the law. All prices are in local currency.

1. 7. Clothing. In order to check weather in Israel you can use this site: www.accuweather.com.
2. You should specify the city you travel (for example: Tel Aviv). You will be able to see the forecast for the next days (up to 30 days in advance).

1. 8. Cellular phone. Wi-Fi is spread in Israel. It will allow you using applications such as Viber, Telegram or WhatsApp for calling. Using your country sim card for regular calls in Israel will be not cheap. You can also buy a local sim, however, our recommendation is using the Wi-Fi as the best alternative. Please do not forget closing the roaming for data before arrival to avoid high cost.

1. 9. Tipping in Israel. It is common in Israel to add 10-12% to the bill as a service charge in restaurants and coffee shops only. No need to taxi, for example.

1. 10. Updates:
2. ⇒ Сoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 and medical treatment in Israel
3. ⇒ Test for tuberculosis (TB) before surgery in Israel

1. If you have any additional questions before your departure, please always feel free to contact us for more information.

Bon voyage!

Sincerely,
ResultMed Team