Aliyah documents and status

The key points

• Eligibility is set by the Law of Return. The Jewish Agency approves aliyah; from North America you apply together with Nefesh B'Nefesh.¹²
• At the airport you get a temporary ID valid for 3 months; apply for the biometric ID within that time. The first one is free.⁵
• A passport (darkon) only 1 year after aliyah; in the first year you get a 5-year travel document (teudat ma'avar). This rule applies since 10 July 2023.⁶⁷
• Absorption basket 2026: single ₪21,694, single-parent family ₪35,071, couple ₪41,359.⁸

Who approves aliyah

• Under the Law of Return, every Jew has the right to make aliyah. The right extends to the child and grandchild of a Jew, to the spouse of a Jew and to the spouse of a child or grandchild of a Jew.¹
• The Jewish Agency is the body that authorises aliyah under the Law of Return. Its process: an online questionnaire, a personal aliyah account manager, an online file for documents (birth and marital-status certificates, police clearance, passport, proof of connection to Judaism), an interview with the originals and an approval letter. It usually takes 3 to 6 months, mainly depending on the documents.¹
• From North America: a joint online application of Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency, started 8–10 months before the planned aliyah date. Civil documents need apostilles; criminal background checks must be valid for 6 months. Nefesh B'Nefesh provides services and support; the Jewish Agency approves.²³
• From the UK: the Nefesh B'Nefesh application is for North America, so UK applicants start with the Jewish Agency.³
• Already in Israel? You can apply directly to the Population and Immigration Authority, with the same documents and benefits.¹
• Not ready to become a citizen? Someone eligible under the Law of Return can get an A/1 temporary resident visa for up to 5 years, then choose citizenship or an A/5 visa.⁴

Teudat zehut (ID card)

• An oleh registered at Ben Gurion Airport gets a temporary ID valid for 3 months. Within that time, book an appointment at a Population and Immigration Authority office and apply for the biometric ID.⁵
• Bring originals: foreign passport, birth certificate, Law of Return eligibility documents and marital-status documents. They need an apostille or consular authentication; documents not in Hebrew, English or Arabic need a translation notarised in Israel. The first permanent ID is free.⁵

Passport and travel document

Population and Immigration Authority procedure 3.3.0001 (updated 22 January 2025, in Hebrew), explained in English by Nefesh B'Nefesh. The 2017 rule that gave a passport at once was cancelled on 10 July 2023; the Authority's English PDF from July 2021 is out of date.⁶⁷

• In the first 3 months you may travel on your foreign passport together with a Population and Immigration Authority document. From the 4th month, enter and leave Israel only on an Israeli document.¹⁶

Absorption basket (sal klita)

• Cash assistance for the first 6 months, with no income test, in the first year after receiving status. The first payment is made at the airport, then monthly payments go into your Israeli bank account.⁸
• 2026 totals: single ₪21,694, single-parent family ₪35,071, couple ₪41,359. Pre-retirement age, retirees and child supplements have their own tables.⁸
• Couples need a joint account in both names at a commercial bank, and both must be present. Don't change the account number in the first years without telling the Ministry at once.⁸

Netanya's absorption department

• About 70,000 immigrants have settled in Netanya since 1990, about 33% of the city's population. The municipal Absorption Department's staff help in most immigrants' languages, including English, French, Russian and Amharic.⁹
• The municipality's New Immigrants Unit helps olim who have been in Israel for up to 10 years.¹⁰

How I help

Netanya neighbourhood guides (in Hebrew and Russian) →

Frequently asked questions