Request a Paternity or Family Relationship Test

According to the circular Medical Administration 38/2010 (Hebrew), a paternity test (or any other family relationship test) must be done based on a family court order or an order from an authorized religious tribunal (if it has jurisdiction). This is in line with the Genetic Information Law, 2000 (Hebrew). A test cannot be conducted without such an order, even if all parties agree to the test.

Who can request

• Paternity tests are usually done for mothers and their children to determine the child's father.
• People request a family relationship test to establish first-degree relationships, such as sibling connections.

What you need to attach

You'll need:

• An ID document (ID card, passport, or driver's license) for each person being tested
• 2 recent passport photos for each person being tested
• One of the following:
  • An original court order from a family court or a religious court with jurisdiction to approve testing
  • A copy of the order that has been certified by a lawyer or the court as a genuine copy of the original

Cost

• This service is not free of charge
• The person requesting the test will pay for it
• The cost of the test depends upon the number of people being tested and the type of sample
• You will get a quote after applying and submitting a copy of the court order
• You can check the fees on the Ministry of Health's services price list (service code L1133)

How to request a test

An appointment to get tested can be made as part of a legal proceeding only and includes the following steps:

1. Get a court order to perform the tests
2. Contact an authorized laboratory to obtain a price quote
3. Pay the fees
4. Make an appointment for testing
5. Fax the court order for testing to the Forensic Biology Laboratory at 03-5127835

Which labs can do the testing

There are laboratories that have been approved by the Ministry of Health to conduct paternity and family relationship test (Hebrew).

Processing

• Applicants will be invited to be tested only after a court order is issued for the test and after such order is presented to the laboratory and is reviewed in accordance with the law.
• In accordance with the Genetic Information Law, 2000, the results of the test will only be submitted to the family court or to the court that issued the order.
• Results will not be provided to tested persons, their attorneys, or any other person on their behalf.

Notes

• You can do genetic testing on someone who has died by testing a biological sample taken at any medical institution or under other circumstances.
• In special cases, the court and the relevant health bureau may be asked to issue an exhumation order to take a sample.

How tests are conducted

A sample from each subject is tested for genetic markers at 15 or more independent chromosomal loci, known as STRs. These tests determine whether the subjects are related.

A person's biological traits are inherited equally from both the biological father and mother. Therefore, the test results rely on a comparison between the child's genetic markers and those of the alleged biological parent.

• If a person has genetic markers that do not exist in their alleged biological parent (mother or father), that individual cannot be the child of the alleged parent. Such a mismatch conclusively rules out any familial relationship.

• Conversely, if all the markers present in a person are also found in their alleged biological parent, there is a high probability that they are parent and child. This match serves as significant evidence in court for a "most probable" familial relationship. It is important to note that the likelihood of a false positive in indicating a family relation is very low.

How samples are taken

• A sample of oral mucosa is collected from the mouth of each living subject. DNA is extracted from this sample. The process is painless and non-threatening, even for young
  children.

• For deceased subjects, a usable biological sample should be obtained, such as a pathological sample collected during medical treatment or surgery. In extreme cases, a court may order the exhumation of bodies to obtain a sample.