Israel's bureaucracy is front-loaded: get the documents apostilled before you fly, then run the Teudat Zehut → bank → Sal Klita chain in your first weeks.
Overview
Moving to Israel splits into two very different tracks. Olim under the Law of Return do the heavy lifting before departure — proving eligibility with apostilled civil documents, a recent apostilled police clearance and a self-completed health declaration, then receiving the oleh's visa through the Israeli consulate (or changing status in Israel via PIBA) — because on arrival the state hands them the machinery at the airport: Teudat Oleh, temporary Teudat Zehut, health-fund registration and the first Sal Klita payment. The post-arrival sequence is a dependency chain: bank account (needed for Sal Klita instalments), biometric Teudat Zehut appointment at PIBA, klita counsellor, ulpan registration within 18 months. Around it sit hard deadlines: foreign driving licences are valid only one year from entry (olim get five years to convert), oleh customs rights cover three tax-free shipments of household goods, and — new for 2026 arrivals — Amendment 272 requires reporting of foreign income and assets despite the continuing 10-year tax exemption. B/1 workers follow the employer-driven permit track instead. Verified against gov.il as of June 2026.
Pre-Departure Checklist
| Item | Why | Where / who |
|---|---|---|
| Civil documents proving Law of Return eligibility (birth, marriage certificates across the qualifying generations) | Core of the aliyah file under sections 1–4A of the Law of Return | Origin-country registries; apostilled in the issuing country |
| Recent police clearance from your country of residence, apostilled | Examined under the Law of Return s.2(b) criminal-past test | e.g. FBI Identity History Summary (US), ACRO (UK) |
| Health declaration per adult and child | Self-completed form; doctor's letter only for declared conditions | Completed within the aliyah application |
| Oleh's visa in the passport | Authorises aliyah-day processing at Ben Gurion | Israeli consulate after Jewish Agency / aliyah-file approval |
| Notarised Hebrew/English translations where documents are in other languages | PIBA and absorption authorities work in Hebrew (English widely accepted in aliyah contexts) | Notary under the Notaries Law; apostille the notarial translation via a court registrar |
| For B/1 workers: employer's PIBA permit approved, visa issued at the Israeli mission, mission-recognised medical tests | The employer applies first; the worker's visa follows the permit | PIBA + the Israeli embassy handling your file |
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
What documents must be ready before I fly?
For aliyah: the civil documents proving your Law of Return eligibility — birth and marriage certificates linking you to the qualifying Jewish parent or grandparent — each apostilled in the issuing country; a recent apostilled police clearance from your country of residence; the completed health declaration for each adult and child; and the oleh's visa issued by the Israeli consulate once your file is approved. Add notarised Hebrew or English translations for documents in other languages. For B/1 workers the sequence is different: your employer's PIBA permit comes first, then your visa at the Israeli mission with its required medical tests from recognised institutions.
What's the right order of errands in the first month?
Follow the dependency chain. Day 1 is done for you at Ben Gurion: Teudat Oleh, temporary Teudat Zehut, health-fund registration, first Sal Klita payment. Week one: open the bank account (temporary ID plus Teudat Oleh suffice) so the monthly Sal Klita instalments can flow, and book the biometric Teudat Zehut appointment at PIBA — slots fill fast. Weeks one to two: the family appointment with your klita counsellor at the local Misrad HaKlita branch. Weeks two to three: ulpan registration (the free entitlement expires 18 months after aliyah), school registration via the municipality, phone and kupat holim branch. The driving-licence decision can wait, but not past month twelve.
How do the oleh customs rights actually work?
A Teudat Oleh holder can import household goods and appliances free of customs duties and purchase tax in up to three shipments under Israel Tax Authority rules. Mind the details: a postal parcel containing household items counts as one of your three shipments, while items you carry as accompanied luggage do not; and everything imported tax-free must be kept for six years — selling or gifting earlier triggers the exempted taxes. The rights run for a limited eligibility period from aliyah (generally three years, with defined extensions, e.g. for students), so plan late shipments against your personal window, which the Tax Authority can confirm. Vehicle import is a separate, more conditioned benefit.
How long can I drive on my foreign licence, and is conversion hard?
You may drive on your foreign licence for one year from your entry date — after that it is not valid in Israel. As an oleh you have five years from aliyah to convert to an Israeli licence, and if you held a full foreign licence for two or more years before arrival you are generally exempt from the practical conversion test, subject to Ministry of Transport conditions (forms, eye test, licensing-bureau appointment). Two traps: waiting past the one-year mark leaves you driving illegally and can void insurance; and letting five years pass from first arrival makes a full driving test unavoidable. Start the paperwork around month six.
I'm making aliyah in 2026 — what changed about taxes?
The exemption survives; the silence doesn't. Olim still enjoy the 10-year exemption from Israeli tax on foreign-source income and gains. But Amendment 272 to the Income Tax Ordinance, in force from 1 January 2026, repealed the parallel reporting exemption: if you become an Israeli tax resident on or after that date, you must report your foreign income and assets to the Israel Tax Authority even though they remain tax-exempt. Those who became residents before 2026 keep the old regime. Practically: keep clean records of foreign accounts, holdings and income from day one, and have an Israeli accountant set up the reporting in your first tax year.
What should B/1 foreign workers check before and after the move?
Before: confirm your employer's PIBA permit is actually approved — the employer applies, and the permit precedes your visa; complete the medical tests at institutions recognised by the Israeli mission handling your case; and keep copies of the contract and permit. For experts, verify the offered salary meets the 2026 threshold of NIS 27,132 gross monthly (double the published average wage) — an under-threshold offer means refusal. After arrival: check the private medical insurance your employer must provide under the Foreign Workers Law, read PIBA's foreign workers' rights booklet for wage-deduction caps and the complaints hotline, and never surrender your passport — confiscation is unlawful.