National Insurance Institute

National Insurance is compulsory. Every Israeli resident must pay premiums from the age of 18, with the following exceptions in Hebrew and English. Eligibility for insurance benefits and the requirement to pay premiums is determined according to residency in Israel and not citizenship.

New Immigrants

• As of January 2024, if an Oleh, including a Katin Chozer -קטין חוזר – Returning Minor, and an Ezrah Oleh – אזרח עולה – Israeli citizen born abroad, earns less than 627 NIS per month in income, they are exempt from paying Bituach Leumi Insurance during their first 12 months in Israel.

Elderly Immigrants

• Elderly immigrants who make aliyah above a certain age are not eligible for a pension from Bituach Leumi unless they have no other source of income, in which case they may be eligible for a special pension.
• For more specific eligibility criteria click on the following links: for Men, click here for English and here for Hebrew  and for  Women, click here for English and here for Hebrew.

Israelis living abroad

• Temporarily: 
  An Israeli resident who temporarily lives abroad must continue to make monthly Bituach Leumi and Bituach Briut (ביטוח בריאות) National Health Insurance premium payments. A delay in payments while abroad could delay your eligibility to receive Kupat Cholim (קופת חולים) HMO healthcare services for up to six months upon your return. In order to avoid this, before you leave the country, you must fill out the following form and submit it to the Bituach Leumi branch nearest to your place of residence or submit it online. Bituach Leumi usually considers you an Israeli resident for the first five years abroad. After five years you will need to prove that your residence overseas is still temporary.

• Permanently
  If you move permanently to another country, you have to fill out the following form 627 and attach documentation proving that you have moved your primary residence out of Israel. This needs to be submitted to the Bituach Leumi branch nearest to your place of residence or submit it online (See above) within five years of leaving Israel.

Returning Residents

• To receive medical insurance coverage and services under the National Health Insurance Act, you may be required to wait a period of six months after entering Israel. Check here to determine your status. You can also pay a fee (14,520 NIS as of January 1, 2024) to cancel the waiting period. For more information click here.

Housewife

• A woman who is married to or the common-law wife of an insured person and who does not work outside her home and is not an Atzmai.

A person receiving a permanent 100% Kitzvat Nechut

• (קצבת נכות) work disability pension.

Soldiers in Sherut Sadir

• (שירות סדיר) regular military service.

An Israeli resident living in another country

• An Israeli resident living in another country with whom Israel has signed a social security convention and who has paid social security in that country. They must however make Bituach Briut payments.

For more general information, click here.

Bituach Leumi collects insurance premiums from all residents according to their income and insurance status and classification and pays benefits to all those eligible. Fines (and interest) are levied for failing to pay the required taxes.

Salaried Worker

• As a salaried worker who receives a Tlush Maskoret (תלוש משכורת) pay stub, registration with Bituach Leumi is performed automatically upon transfer of information from the employer. You can check the rates for insurance contributions.

Atzmai (עצמאי)

• As an Atzmai, a self-employed worker, you need to open a file in Bituach Leumi to be able to pay your monthly contributions. You can check the rates here.

Different sources of income

• If you have income from a source other than work, you must report it by filling out form 6101 here. For more information about what category you are in, check here. You can check the rates here.

Bituach Leumi pays benefits to those eligible, assisting people at times of personal crisis such as work termination, disability and work injury. You can view the main benefits here.

Some people are eligible to receive more than one benefit simultaneously. Check here to see if you are eligible.

Bituach Leumi may provide the unemployed person with funds for a limited time during his/her unemployment. You should report to the Sherut HaTa’asuka (שירות התעסוקה) Employment Service immediately upon termination of employment, and then report on regular days as instructed by the Service.

Check here for unemployment benefits.