The steps below will guide Ezrachim Olim through their first few weeks after Aliyah.

Below find a list of what to expect, which offices to visit, and which documents to bring as you obtain your Israeli documentation and begin their lives in Israel.
For more information on the Aliyah Rights & Benefits for Ezrachim Olim, click here.

 

Your Israeli passport will be stamped by the passport control official upon arriving in Israel.

You will be processed by two different government offices. The first office will be Misrad Haklita (Ministry of Absorption and Integration) where you will be processed as an Ezrach Oleh, and Misrad Hapnim (Ministry of Interior).

Here you will receive your Teudat Zakaut (Teudat Oleh for Israeli citizens) as well as your first payment of Sal Klita (if you are eligible). You will also receive your free taxi voucher.


*Note:
If you were issued a Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card) prior to your Aliyah, you will not receive a Teudat Zakaut at the airport, and instead will need to issue it at your local branch of Misrad Haklita.


Important notes:

  • Misrad Haklita does NOT deal with changing your name (e.g. from Elliot to Avraham). This is done at Misrad Hapnim.

Misrad Haklita in the Airport: 03-975-4422

You will be directed from the Misrad Haklita office to the Misrad Hapnim office to issue your temporary Teudat Zehut.

At Misrad Hapnim, Ezrachim Olim with an Israeli Teudat Zehut number will be issued a temporary Teudat Zehut ONLY if they make Aliyah on a Nefesh B’Nefesh group or charter flight. Otherwise, they must schedule an appointment with Misrad Hapnim to issue a biometric Teudat Zehut. The Misrad Hapnim appointment can be booked in advance (pre-Aliyah) as long as the TZ holder has access to an Israeli cell phone number to receive SMSes. Please make sure to visit both offices and to bring all the relevant documents to each.

If you are on a Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight your temporary Teudat Zehut will be distributed shortly after arrival, according to the instructions given to you by Nefesh B’Nefesh.

If you are on a designated flight and therefore will only be applying for your Teudat Zehut in Misrad Hapnim (with an appointment), you must make sure to bring Proof of Address in order to be processed. For example: rental contract, arnona bill, etc.


What you need:

  1. Israeli passport.
  2. All documents relating to your personal status, including marriage or divorce certificates with apostille certification.

Note: If you obtained Israeli citizenship through your father (and your mother is not Israeli) you will be required to present a valid proof of Judaism (a letter from a rabbi abroad stating that you are Jewish and born to a Jewish mother, written on synagogue letterhead) to Misrad Hapnim.

Please make sure to set up an appointment with your local branch of Misrad HaPnim after receiving your temporary Teudat Zehut, which is valid for 3 months, in order to apply for your permanent biometric Teudat Zehut.

In order to open a bank account, both spouses must be present (if applicable). If you are married, you must open a joint account in order to receive Sal Klita payments as a family. You must make an initial deposit; Misrad Haklita is unable to transfer Sal Klita payments to an inactive account.


What you need:

  1. Your Teudat Zakaut.
  2. Your Teudat Zehut.
  3. Israeli Passport.
  4. Cash, credit card or check to make a deposit into your new account.
  5. “Note of Future Bank Account” received at the airport.
  6. US citizens will be requested to provide their Social Security number and complete a W-9 form

What you get:

  1. Bank account number.
  2. Instructions for online banking.
  3. “Note of Future Bank Account” gets stamped; retain this paperwork for Misrad Haklita.

What to expect:
Checks from abroad usually take 3 to 4 weeks to clear.

UPDATE RE: LETTER OF CLARIFICATION, July 2017

Ezrachim Olim DO NOT need to report to the IDF at the Lishkat Hagiyus before going to Misrad Haklita to obtain their letter of clarification. Misrad Haklita will report directly to the IDF about their arrival in Israel.

Based on their age and according to the rules, a decision about their army duty will be made by the IDF.


PRIOR TO JULY 2017

You will need a letter of authorization from the IDF that you have reported to the “Lishkat HaGiyus” or that you have received an exemption from the Israeli Army.

Males over the age of 40, married women, and single women over the age of 25 are not required to get an authorization from the IDF and may skip this step.

You may clarify your status at the “Lishkat HaGiyus” at one of the following addresses:

Tel Aviv – Machane Tel Hashomer 03-738-8888
Jerusalem –  Rashi 103, 02-500-7000
Haifa – 12 Rechov Omar Kayam, 04-860-0700
Beer Sheva – 22 Rechov Yad Vashem, 08-665-0060
Tiberias –  Rechov Natzeret, 04-671-7506

Call your local branch of Misrad Haklita (Ministry of Immigrant Absorption) Offices to schedule an appointment in advance with a personal Klita counselor. You must visit Misrad Haklita in the city listed on your Teudat Zehut. Please note that you will register with a Kupat Cholim at this meeting.


What you need:

  1. Teudat Zehut (or valid Israeli passport)
  2. Teudat Zakaut (received at the airport)
  3. Bank account details

What you get:

  1. Sal Klita information: Confirm on what dates the payments will be deposited into your bank account.
  2. Registration vouchers for Ulpan.
  3. Password for online account. This account can be used to view your Sal Klita payments, update personal information and learn about your benefits.
  4. Advice on resources in your neighborhood.
  5. Information regarding tuition assistance, if applicable. Contact the Student Authority ( Minhal Hastudentim – מינהל הסטודנטים ) at Misrad Haklita for more information. Applying for Assistance from the Student Authority

Misrad Haklita General Information:03-973-3333
Misrad Haklita Branches: Click here

Register with the Kupat Cholim (health fund) of your choice. This step takes place at Misrad Haklita (step 5).


What you need:

  • Israeli ID card (Teudat Zehut)
  • Teudat Zakaut (received at Misrad Haklita)
  • Transcript of entry and exit from Israel (can be issued at Misrad Hapnim)

At Misrad Haklita, you will have to fill out 2 forms:

  • Declaration of settlement in Israel
  • Request for health insurance registration “Kupat Cholim”- (Form 666)

Olim are entitled to ship appliances and belongings for personal use from abroad, without incurring customs fees. In order to release your import by using your Customs benefits you will need an open file with the Customs authority. A file will be opened for you automatically by the Customs authority within 3 days of your Aliyah.
For more info: [email protected]

Find the complete Nefesh B’Nefesh Shipping Guide here.


If you are releasing your shipment ‘door to door’ please provide your shipping company agent with the following (in addition to the above):

  1. Foreign passport with your Aliyah visa stamp or Israeli passport (if applicable).
  2. Teudat Zehut or Teudat Zakaut (for Ktinim Chozrim and Ezrachim Olim).
  3. An apartment contract (ownership or rental) for proof of maintaining a household.
  4. Shipment number.
  5. Inventory list.

If you are not shipping ‘door to door’ you will need to provide the above documents directly to the customs office.


What to expect:

  1. When sending your shipment, be sure to find out its estimated date of arrival.
  2. There may be additional costs involved in releasing a shipment, unrelated to customs fees. Please check with your shipper.
  3. Depending on the arrangement you have with your shipper, you may have to go to the port, meet the customs agent and arrange release of the shipment. Your shipment may be opened by customs to verify its contents.
  4. Remember that your final status will be clarified only after opening a file with the Customs Authority. We recommend that you NOT ship a container from abroad before there is a final decision about your status.

If you were an A-1 temporary resident in the past you may be asked to present the following documents:

  1. Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card).
  2. Old or new Teudat Oleh.
  3. Current passports.
  4. All original documents provided to your Shaliach (old Teudat Oleh and all passports since you left Israel as a temporary resident).
  5. Tamzit Rishum Murchav from Misrad Hapnim.
  6. Transcript from Misrad Hapnim with entries and exits.
  7. Signed declaration from the Beit Mishpat HaShalom (Courthouse) that you did not use car benefits in the past.
  8. Your spouse’s passport and Teudat Zehut (if applicable).

Customs Authority website.
Customs Inquiries: [email protected]

To convert your foreign driver’s license to an Israeli driver’s license, you will need to take a Mivchan Shlita, a practical driving test. The conversion process entails obtaining a Tofes Yarok (green form) from an optometrist approved by the Ministry of Transport, visits to your family doctor and your local Misrad Harishui and taking at least one lesson with a driving instructor before taking the actual driving test.

If you have 5 years of driving history leading up to your Aliyah, you may be eligible to a quick license conversion.
For more info: Converting your Foreign Driver’s License.

The total cost of this process is approximately 1,100 NIS.


Note:
Olim must present a valid foreign driver’s license issued at least 3 months prior to entry into Israel.

Misrad Harishui: *5678
Misrad Harishui website: www.mot.gov.il
Licensing information and Misrad Harishui locations: www.nbn.org.il/license

If you plan to work in the public sector, for example in the government or the school system, you must first have your diploma(s) accredited officially by Misrad Hachinuch (משרד החינוך – Ministry of Education). This accreditation process will also determine the salary and rank appropriate to your degree.


What you need:
Bring originals and copies of the required documents to Misrad Hachinuch. A complete list of the required documents can be found on our website.

Misrad Hachinuch website: www.education.gov.il
NBN Information Regarding Degree Recognition: www.nbn.org.il/klita/degree

CLICK HERE for detailed information about registering your child for school.

Misrad Haklita helps you become acclimated to life in Israel by offering 5 months of free Ulpan (Hebrew immersion classes). You are eligible to receive the subsidy for Ulpan within the first 18 months following your date of Aliyah.


What you need:

  1. For a list of recognized Ulpanim in your area, please see the Nefesh B’Nefesh Ulpan Directory.
  2. At Misrad Haklita, you will receive a voucher for an Ulpan in your area. Bring the voucher to the office of your chosen Ulpan and register. The Ulpan staff will inform you when classes start. You will be given a placement exam at the Ulpan.

A minimum number of students must register for a class before it can open. If the course you need is not available locally, you have the option to attend Ulpan in another community.


NBN Ulpan Directory: www.nbn.org.il/ulpan
Misrad Haklita website: www.moia.gov.il

Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) is the main instrument of social security in Israel. It subsidizes the different Kupot Cholim and provides child allowances, income support, pensions and workers’ compensation.

Child Allowance – קצבת ילדים – For Kitzvat Yeladim
Kitzvat Yeladim is a monthly stipend received by all residents of Israel from the government based on the number of children you have up to age 18 who are living in Israel.Once you visit Misrad Haklita, your child allowance should automatically be deposited into your Israeli bank account.Please make sure to check your account two months after Aliyah. If you have not received your child allowance, please check with Bituach Leumi.For any children born after Aliyah, submit the claim for child allowance in the hospital in which they are born.


What you need:

  1. Teudat Zakaut.
  2. Teudat Zehut.
  3. Birth certificate for each child.
  4. Bank account number and a letter confirming that you and your spouse share a joint account.

Bituach Leumi website:
www.btl.gov.il

All cities and towns in Israel charge Arnona. Tenants are obligated to make these payments which are calculated based on the size of the residence. Olim are granted a discount on Arnona (for up to 100 m2) during one of their first two years in Israel. The rate of the discount is determined by your local municipality.


What you need:

  1. At the municipality, present your Arnona bill, rental contract, Teudat Oleh and Teudat Zehut
  2. Bring a reading of your water meter, since the previous tenant will be charged for past usage.
  3. Purchase receipt.
  4. Foreign passports for both spouses.
  5. An apartment contract (ownership or rental) for proof of maintaining a household.

Important notes:

  1. The request for an Oleh discount may have to be repeated after January 1st.
  2. The Arnona reduction is not granted to Ktinim Chozrim, or if you spent a significant amount of time as an A/1 temporary resident in the past and do not have a new Teudat Oleh.
  3. It is important to deal with the Arnona bill soon after your arrival, since the discount is not retroactive.

NBN Listing of Arnona Reductions by Citywww.nbn.org.il/klita/arnona

For further assistance, please contact the Nefesh B’Nefesh Government Advocacy Department at 02-659-5800 or [email protected].

Good luck and B’hatzlacha!

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