IDF medical profile numbers explained — 97, 82, 77, 72, 70, 64, 45, 35, 24, 21 and which units each unlocks
Your medical profile (פרופיל רפואי, “profil”) is a number assigned by an army doctor at the Tzav Rishon. It describes your physical and mental fitness and is the single biggest gate on which units you can serve in. The numbers are labels, not percentages — 82 does not mean “82% healthy”.
The profile is separate from your kaba (overall quality score) and DAPAR (psychotechnical test). Combat eligibility is mostly about the profile; job quality inside a track is mostly about kaba/DAPAR and Hebrew.
The numbers
| Profile | Meaning | Typical unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 97 | Fully healthy, no restrictions | Everything — including special forces (Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet 13, Shaldag, 669, Duvdevan, Maglan, Egoz, Yahalom), pilots’ course, Paratroopers |
| 82 | Fit for combat with a minor issue (glasses, mild color blindness, minor allergies) | All infantry brigades (Golani, Givati, Nahal, Kfir, Paratroopers), Combat Engineering, Magav, Caracal/Bardelas/Arayot HaYarden, Navy ships. Some special forces accept 82 for specific roles (Shaldag, 669 list 82–97) but most gibushim in practice want 97 |
| 77 | Combat-fit with a moderate issue (e.g. hyperhidrosis, rhinitis, some allergies) | Armored Corps, Artillery, Combat Intelligence Collection, Search & Rescue, and all non-combat roles |
| 72 | Limited combat — e.g. mild asthma, back or knee issues, some vision limits | Armored Corps (tanks), Artillery, Search & Rescue (Home Front Command), Combat Intelligence Collection (Isuf Kravi), Air Defense; plus all non-combat |
| 70 | New — Sept 2026. Intermediate profile for recruits who would previously have been 64 | Artillery, Air Defense Array, Air Force ground-combat and support roles, and “other units” the IDF opens case by case. Applies only to new recruits at screening, not to serving soldiers |
| 64 | Not fit for most combat — e.g. significant asthma, height/weight outside limits | Magav (Border Police) in some cases, Air Force combat-support, combat-support roles (driver, logistics in a combat unit), all non-combat |
| 45 | Significant medical or psychological condition needing accommodations | Non-combat only; some courses and roles are closed. Still a full draft |
| 35 | Chronic condition such as celiac, diabetes, epilepsy | Non-combat jobs only |
| 30 / 25 | Volunteers whose original low profile was raised under special arrangement | Case by case |
| 24 | Temporary unfitness (injury, surgery, pending tests) | Re-examined later and given a permanent profile |
| 21 | Unfit for service — exempt | Can request to volunteer for certain non-combat roles via appeal |
Ranges quoted by unit sites are guidance, not law. The IDF grants individual exceptions, and thresholds move with manpower needs — 2024–2026 saw several loosenings (profile 64 admitted to some combat roles by exception, then the new profile 70). Always confirm the current minimum for a specific unit with Meitav (1111) or on Mitgaisim (mitgaisim.idf.il).
How the profile is decided
- You fill out the medical questionnaire sent with the Tzav Rishon; your family doctor completes the second part. Return it within 14 days.
- At the Lishkat Giyus an army doctor examines you — height, weight, blood pressure, vision, color vision, hearing, joints, a full physical — and reviews your declared history. You may be sent to an outside specialist and asked to submit reports.
- The result appears in your Mitgaisim personal area about 5 days later.
Be honest on the form. An undeclared condition discovered later can lower your profile mid-service and remove you from a unit you already trained for.
Common conditions and what they usually do
- Glasses / contact lenses — usually 82 (mild) or 72 (stronger prescription). Rules out Shayetet 13 and pilots; fine for infantry.
- Color blindness — usually 82; rules out pilots, Shayetet 13, some Air Force and Navy roles.
- Asthma — mild/childhood asthma often 72; active asthma 64 or lower. Bring spirometry results and a specialist letter if you have outgrown it.
- Back / knee history — typically 72.
- ADHD / learning disability — does not lower the profile by itself; bring the diagnosis so accommodations (e.g. extra time on DAPAR) can be arranged.
- Mental-health history — assessed by a mental-health officer (kaban); can result in 45 or 21.
- BMI outside limits — can drop to 64; re-examination possible after change.
Appeals and changes
- You may appeal within 30 days of receiving the profile, with medical documentation. Appeals go through the Lishkat Giyus; ask for a “va’adat irur”.
- Wanting a higher profile (e.g. 72 → 82 after recovering from an injury) is a normal request — submit updated specialist reports.
- Wanting a lower profile is also possible but is examined more sceptically.
- If your health changes at any point, you must report it to the draft board.
- During service, injuries lead to a temporary 24 and later a new permanent profile (a 65 is the in-service equivalent of 64).
For olim
- Olim take the same exam as Israelis; bring translated medical records (English is generally accepted, other languages should be translated).
- A high profile does not by itself get you into a special-forces gibush — Hebrew level (a 7+ on the Tzav Rishon Hebrew test) matters just as much. Olim sent to the Michve Alon Hebrew course are usually not invited to Yom Sayerot, regardless of profile.
- Olim who arrive at 22+ and volunteer for combat must commit to at least 24 months, whatever the profile.
- Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Lone Soldiers Program (army@nbn.org.il) can review your medical file before the Tzav Rishon and advise on what to bring.
Contacts
- Meitav (draft information): 1111
- IDF Medical Hotline: *6690
- Mitgaisim: mitgaisim.idf.il
- NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il, 02-659-5800