Can a non-resident get their Israeli medical records from abroad?

Someone treated in an Israeli hospital — after an accident on holiday, a course of medical tourism, or surgery during a long stay — often needs those records months later, once they are back home and a foreign doctor asks what was done. The good news is that Israeli law gives you a clear right to them. Section 18 of the Patient Rights Law 1996 (Hok Zchuyot HaCholeh) entitles every patient to receive the medical information held about them, and being abroad does not strip you of that right. The records exist, they are yours, and a hospital cannot simply refuse to send them because you have left the country.

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Detailed Explanation

The right of access is statutory, not a courtesy, which is what makes it enforceable even from a distance.

The legal basis. Section 18 of the Patient Rights Law 1996 provides that a patient is entitled to receive information from their medical record, including a copy. The treating institution — a public hospital, a private hospital, or a clinic — is the data holder and the body you direct the request to. The Ministry of Health (Misrad HaBriut) supervises compliance, and a refusal or unreasonable delay can be escalated to it.

How a non-resident makes the request. Records requests go to the institution's medical records department (machleket rishumim refu'iim or archiyon refu'i). For a patient abroad, the practical route is a written, signed request — ideally accompanied by a copy of your passport to confirm identity — submitted by email or post, or filed by an authorised representative on your behalf. Where a lawyer or family member acts for you, the institution will require a signed authorisation (yipui koach) identifying the patient and the representative. For sensitive records, that authorisation may need to be notarised.

What you can obtain. The right covers the substantive medical content: discharge summaries (michtav shichrur), operative reports, imaging results, laboratory findings, and physicians' notes. There are narrow limits — information may be withheld in rare cases where disclosure could seriously harm the patient's health or another person's rights — but these exceptions are tightly drawn and do not apply to ordinary record requests.

In Practice: Under Section 18 of the Patient Rights Law 1996, an Israeli hospital must provide a patient's medical records on written request, and the medical records department typically responds within 14–30 days. Institutions may charge a copying and processing fee, commonly in the range of NIS 30–250 depending on the volume and whether imaging is included. A persistent refusal can be reported to the Ministry of Health's Patient Rights supervisor (Netzivut Kvilot HaTzibur), and an unjustified denial of access can found a complaint or claim.

For a non-resident the friction is rarely the legal right and almost always the logistics: requests in Hebrew, identity verification across borders, authorisations that need notarisation, and follow-up with a department that may not reply promptly to a foreign email. This is where an Israeli representative earns their keep — submitting the request correctly, supplying a compliant authorisation, chasing the medical records department, and, if needed, invoking the Ministry of Health supervisor. If your underlying issue is a dispute about the treatment or a bill rather than the records themselves, see our explanation of patient rights for non-residents in Israeli hospitals.

Key Considerations

• Section 18 of the Patient Rights Law 1996 gives every patient a right to their medical records, regardless of residence.
• Requests go to the treating institution's medical records department, in writing with identity proof.
• A representative acting from abroad needs a signed, sometimes notarised, authorisation.
• Institutions may charge a copying fee and have a window of roughly 14–30 days to respond.
• A refusal or unreasonable delay can be escalated to the Ministry of Health.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• The hospital ignores or refuses your request despite the statutory right.
• The records are needed to support a malpractice claim or a billing dispute.
• A notarised authorisation is required and you need it prepared correctly from abroad.

A qualified Israeli professional can submit and enforce the request, especially where the records support a legal claim.

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Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We obtain your Israeli medical records from abroad, prepare the authorisation the hospital requires, and escalate to the Ministry of Health if an institution stalls.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.