For olim, the State front-loads the machinery into Day 1 at Ben Gurion — your job in the next 30 days is the bank account, the biometric ID and the ulpan place.
Overview
Israel is unusual in that the core registration machinery for new immigrants runs at the airport. At the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (Misrad HaKlita) desk at Ben Gurion, arriving olim receive the Teudat Oleh (immigrant booklet), a temporary Teudat Zehut (ID card) with an address annex valid for about three months, registration with a health fund (kupat holim), and the first Sal Klita (absorption basket) payment — typically part in cash, part by bank transfer once an account exists. The 30 days that follow are about completing the chain: open an Israeli bank account so the remaining six monthly Sal Klita instalments can be paid, book the biometric Teudat Zehut appointment with the Population and Immigration Authority, meet your personal klita counsellor at the local Misrad HaKlita branch, and register for the free 500-hour ulpan (the entitlement must be used within 18 months of aliyah). Foreign workers on B/1 visas follow a different track centred on the employer's obligations. Verified against gov.il (Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, PIBA) as of June 2026.
Day 1 at Ben Gurion — What the Klita Desk Actually Issues
- Teudat Oleh: The immigrant booklet recording your aliyah date and family members — the key that unlocks Sal Klita, customs rights, tax benefits and ulpan. Keep it; agencies ask for it for years.
- Temporary Teudat Zehut: A temporary ID with an address annex (sefach), valid for roughly three months. It must be replaced with the biometric Teudat Zehut at a Population and Immigration Authority office — book the appointment in week one, as slots fill.
- First Sal Klita payment: Paid at the airport, typically split between cash and a bank transfer that requires an Israeli account — one more reason the bank account is the first errand.
- Health-fund registration: You are signed up for a kupat holim (Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit) at the airport under the National Health Insurance Law 5754-1994. You can switch funds later through the National Insurance Institute.
- Exceptions: Former A/1 temporary residents and second-time olim (oleh b'sheinit) do not get the airport package — their Teudat Oleh/Zakaut, payments and registration are handled at PIBA and Misrad HaKlita offices afterwards.
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly do I walk out of Ben Gurion with on aliyah day?
Four things, issued at the Misrad HaKlita desk in the airport: your Teudat Oleh (immigrant booklet), a temporary Teudat Zehut with an address annex valid for about three months, registration with the kupat holim (health fund) you chose, and your first Sal Klita payment — typically partly in cash and partly by transfer once you have an Israeli bank account. Exceptions: if you previously held A/1 temporary-resident status or are making aliyah a second time, the airport package does not apply and you complete these steps at PIBA and Misrad HaKlita offices afterwards.
How is Sal Klita paid and how much will I get?
The absorption basket starts with the airport payment and continues as monthly instalments over your first six months, paid into an Israeli bank account — which is why opening the account is the first post-arrival errand. Amounts depend on family composition (singles, couples, children, pensioners all differ) and are updated by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, so check the ministry's current published rates rather than older blog figures. Olim studying in ulpan can also be eligible for income-assurance payments from the National Insurance Institute during months seven to twelve, after Sal Klita ends.
When do I get the real (biometric) Teudat Zehut?
The airport issues only a temporary ID, valid for roughly three months. You must book an appointment at a Population and Immigration Authority bureau to be photographed and fingerprinted for the biometric Teudat Zehut. Appointment slots in the big cities fill quickly, so book in your first week even if the appointment lands weeks later. Bring the temporary ID and Teudat Oleh. The biometric card matters beyond formality: banks, mobile providers and government online services (including your Misrad HaKlita personal account and later digital ID services) work much more smoothly once you hold it.
How does healthcare work in my first month?
You are registered with one of the four health funds — Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit — at the airport itself, and coverage operates under the National Health Insurance Law 5754-1994. In your first weeks, visit a local branch to get your membership card, choose a clinic and register children. New olim who are not yet working benefit from an initial exemption from health-insurance contributions; confirm the current exemption period with the National Insurance Institute. Foreign workers on B/1 visas are outside this system entirely — their employers must provide private medical insurance under the Foreign Workers Law.
Do I have to start ulpan in the first 30 days?
No, but you should register in the first 30 days. The free ulpan entitlement — roughly 500 hours over about five months, for olim aged 17 and up — is granted once and must be used within 18 months of aliyah. Registration goes through your personal klita counsellor at the local Misrad HaKlita branch or the ministry's online personal account, and your assigned ulpan generally follows the address on your Teudat Zehut. Starting early also aligns the money: Sal Klita covers your first six months, and ulpan students may qualify for income-assurance payments in the following six.
Can I keep driving on my foreign licence?
For up to one year from your entry date. After that, driving on the foreign licence is illegal. Olim get an extended window — five years from aliyah — to convert to an Israeli licence, and applicants who held a full foreign licence for two or more years before arrival are generally exempt from the practical conversion test, subject to the Ministry of Transport's conditions. Start the paperwork (green form, eye test, licensing-bureau appointment) well before the one-year mark; if you wait past five years from first arrival, a driving test becomes unavoidable.