FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions

The benefits vary based on the candidate’s status, the number of family members making Aliyah together and their age. In general, olim chadashim receive the so-called Sal Klita (financial assistance), health insurance for six months, Hebrew ulpan, and various tax benefits. A chronological overview of the benefits including the period of time that they are valid, you can find here.

In order to receive your benefits, you first need to have an active bank account. How to open a bank account, you can learn here. Once your bank account is active, you can go to Misrad HaKlita. There you will get information about your benefits and status as an Oleh Chadash. After your first visit at Misrad HaKlita you will start receiving the monthly Sal Klita payments.

You are most probably eligible for the Sal Klita if you:

• spent less than 24 (consecutive or cumulative) months in Israel within 3 years prior to your Aliyah
• spent less than 3 years in Israel within 7 years prior to your Aliyah

A Katin Chozer gets the Sal Klita only if he spent less than 1 year in Israel prior to the Aliyah (exceptions might be made for recognized study programs).

If you are eligible to get Sal Klita, a monthly payment will be transferred to your Israeli bank account for 6 months.

The Sal Klita is paid in 6 monthly payments to your Israeli bank account. Olim Chadashim and Ezrachim Olim will get their first portion partly as an initial cash payment upon their arrival at the airport, partly wired to their Israeli bank account. A Katin Chozer or someone who received shinui status won’t receive the first payment at the airport, they get all the payments via bank transfer.

During the first 6 months, a certain amount of money will be transferred directly to your Israeli bank account. The amount varies based on your age and the number of family members. In order to get an indication, you can calculate the amount you will probably get here. If you are not an Oleh Chadash, but possess a special status (e.g. Ezrach Chozer, Katin Chozer, etc.) your benefits might differ. You can find here more information on the eligibility for benefits.

Do not book and pay the flight on your own, since you won’t get a refund. Speak to your shaliach or Jewish Agency office instead and they will arrange it for you.

Upon your arrival at the airport, you will get a temporary Israeli SIM card with free minutes to call and internet data allowance. This gives you enough time to choose your preferred phone company and plan.

If you don’t have an income, you will get the basic health insurance for free during the first 6 months after Aliyah. If you are unemployed after the first 6 months and receive income support from Misrad HaKlita (Dmei Kiyum), you can get free health care for an additional 6 months. For this you must notify Bituach Leumi.

Yes, but they do get a significant discount. See more details about benefits in general here.

There is a tax discount on income earned in Israel in the first 3.5-4.5 years after Aliyah. In Israel the tax reduction is determined by a point system. 
The discount changes over time as follows:
Olim who came on Aliyah after 1.1.2022 receive tax discounts for 4.5 years from the date of Aliyah:

First 1 year: 1 point 

1 – 2.5 years: 3 points 

2.5 – 3.5 years: 2 points 

3.5 – 4.5 years: 1 point 

Olim who came on Aliyah before 1.1.2022 receive tax discounts for 3.5 years from the date of Aliyah:

First 1.5 years: 3 points 

1.5 – 2.5 years: 2 points 

2.5 – 3.5 years: 1 point

New Olim or returning Israelis who have resided abroad for at least 10 full years (and for whom the center of life was abroad during those years), receive 10 years of tax concessions and benefits. For a period of 10 years, eligible new Olim and returning residents are exempt from tax on all income that originates outside Israel. The exemption covers all passive income, such as interest, dividends, allowances, royalties and rent from properties. Income, whether derived from the realization of assets and investments abroad or from current passive income abroad, is tax-exempt. See also here.

Olim are exempt from declaring and paying taxes on their pension in the first 10 years after their Aliyah. See also here.

If you earn a passive income abroad, you are probably eligible for tax breaks within the first 10 years of your Aliyah. There might be restrictions if you have lived in Israel prior to Aliyah.

In order to be eligible to receive the benefit of reduced property purchase tax, you must meet the following conditions:

• The purchase must be completed within 10 years after Aliyah
• You must use the property personally, i.e. as your home or as your business
• The benefit can be used only once for a residential property and once for a commercial property

In the first 15 years, you might be eligible for low interest rates when buying your first own property in Israel. If your spouse owns or owned a property in Israel, you won’t be granted the discount.
It is in any case recommended to check the interest rates, since some places might give even better rates regardless of the Aliyah benefit.

Starting from the 8th month of your Aliyah, you will get rental assistance for up to 5 years from the date of your Aliyah. The amount depends on your family status and the number of years you have resided in Israel. More information and a table of amounts you can find here (Hebrew only).

You might be entitled to a reduction in daycare costs for Maon or Mishpachton in the first 2 years. The Maon or Mishpachton has to be recognized by the Ministry of Economy (Tamat). To check if your Maon or Mishpachton is recognized, click here. In order to receive the benefit, each parent must fulfill one of the following criteria:

• Learning in an Ulpan (minimum 24 weekly hours each)
• Being registered with Misrad HaKlita or Sherut HaTaasuka as unemployed and seeking a job

Besides the discount for Olim, an additional reduction can be applied for based on the parents’ income.

Based on your age, tuition assistance is available for different study programs if the institution is recognized by the Student Authority:

• Up to age 23: Mechina (preparatory year course)
• Up to age 27: BA
• Up to age 30: MA
• MA students might get up to 1 year of Hashlamot (prerequisite classes) paid.

The first Ulpan must be attended within 18 months of your Aliyah. In order to receive full reimbursement, you must attend at least 80% of the lessons. To get a certificate at the end of the course, you must take the final exam. There is an option for a second Ulpan within 10 years of your Aliyah, only one of the two can be a private Ulpan though. For more details click here and/or contact us. Children in grades 1 through 12 can receive additional Hebrew lessons in the first year of Aliyah.

If you are younger than 55, you might be eligible. If you want an absorption in a Merkaz Klita, you need to request it early in the Aliyah process, since the spots are limited. You can do that when filling out the questionnaires from the Aliyah portal.

There are no absorption programs provided by the Jewish Agency for that age group. But you can get in touch with us for other options tailored to your personal situation.

You can bring 3 shipments of appliances and household goods tax-free to Israel. This benefit applies up to 3 years after Aliyah. Extensions are granted in exceptional cases, such as military service, full-time study or a 6 months absence from Israel. If you are a former A1 temporary resident, you first need to open a file with the Customs Authority in order to clarify your status. Don’t bring in any shipments before you receive that clarification.

You get a small tax discount in the first 3 years after Aliyah. However, consider the following limitations:

• The discount applies only to buying a brand-new car
• You are not allowed to sell the car for 5 years (unless you sell it to another Oleh Chadash)
• Only you and your spouse can drive the car, you can’t add other drivers to the insurance

New Olim who want to either import a car themselves or buy it through a car dealer (importer) are exempt from Purchase Tax (מס קנייה) but must pay Import Tariffs (מכס) of 50% + VAT (17%). Please note: The discount is on the taxes only, not on the price of the car itself! The VAT is paid for the value of the car + the Import Tariffs. So if a car costs NIS 100,000 the Import Tariffs are NIS 50,000 and VAT of 17% is charged for NIS 150,000 = NIS 25,500. The total paid tax would be the Tariffs + VAT = 75,500, making the price of the car NIS 175,500. More information can be found here. So all in all, unlike regular Israelis, as an Oleh you pay taxes of ca. 75% of the car's value. These percentages are not exact, but serve as an approximate point of reference. The exact discount can be determined by an official car dealership only.

If you left Israel within the first 10 years after your Aliyah, you probably have some benefits left. You can check this with Misrad HaKlita (once you are back in Israel) or by calling and opening a file for Arachat Zakaut with the Jewish Agency.

The benefits vary based on your status and other factors. If you make Aliyah from within Israel, you will not receive the Aliyah flight ticket, the free SIM card and the taxi from the airport. An overview of the benefits you can find here. Please note that only Misrad HaKlita can give advance ruling on your personal benefits.

We advise you to first check here if you meet the criteria of a Toshav Chozer. In order to determine what benefits you are entitled to, you must apply for your first year of the so-called adaption benefits by filling out this form. Please be aware that an Israeli bank account is required in order to receive financial assistance.

You start to lose some of the Aliyah benefits if you stay in Israel for:

• more than 2 cumulative years in the last 3 years, or
• more than 3 years in the last 7 years