OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT

A few days after making Aliyah you should schedule a meeting with Misrad HaKlita where you will need to hand in documentation from an Israeli bank showing your account details, so they can start to deposit monthly payments as part of your Sal Klita (Absorption Basket). Thus, you have to open a bank account before going to Misrad HaKlita.

What You Will Need:

Documents of Identification

Bring your Passport, Teudat Zehut and Teudat Oleh.

Note of Future Bank Account

Bring the “Note of Future Bank Account” that you’ve received at the airport.

Declaration of Taxes

You will be signing forms concerning tax declaration in your country of origin and money ownership. All account owners must have their foreign tax identification numbers/social security numbers.

The Process Step by Step:

Visit at the Local Branch

For convenience sake, choose a bank close to where you live or work. Each person that will appear on the bank account (i.e. your spouse) must be present with his/her documents.

Deposit Money

Use cash or a check to make a deposit into your new account and thereby activate it (1 Shekel is enough). Misrad HaKlita cannot transfer Sal Klita payments to an inactive account.

Important Notes:

Note of Future Bank Account

The “Note of Future Bank Account” gets stamped. Keep this document for your visit at Misrad HaKlita.

Currency

If you are depositing a small amount of cash, it is recommended to deposit NIS. It can be expensive to deposit small sums of foreign currency and the bank will also charge you to convert it to NIS.

Time

There are many forms to sign. It is highly recommended to allow extra time and not to arrive later than an hour before the bank closes.