Teudat Oleh, Teudat Zehut, bank, health fund, the absorption basket, tax rules for new immigrants and the one-year driving window: what to do in which order, and what changes if you are not making aliyah.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first month in Israel depends on one fact: are you a new immigrant (oleh) under the Law of Return, or do you stay on another status? Olim get a certificate at the airport, a biometric ID, a health fund and an absorption basket within weeks; others have far fewer rights. Reported 2026 basket totals are about NIS 21,694 for a single person and NIS 41,359 for a couple, from third-party sites, and free basic health cover for new olim is reported as six months or longer. This is general information, not legal advice.
First, find your status
Everything below splits in two. A new immigrant is someone admitted as an oleh and given an immigrant certificate (Teudat Oleh). Everyone else, a temporary resident, a worker or a visitor, follows different rules, and for them the guides we found say very little. If you are not sure which group you belong to, check it with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration or the Population Authority before you sign a lease or a work contract.
This article is mainly a checklist for olim, because that is where the Russian-speaking community is largest and where the order of steps matters most. Where something applies to non-olim, we say so. For the general version of this list, see the first 30 days after moving abroad.
Days 1 to 3: the airport and the first papers
On arrival an oleh receives a Teudat Oleh, a certificate issued for the whole family. Keep the original and make copies, because every office asks for it. A representative of the ministry is reported to contact you afterwards to start the transfer of the absorption basket.
Several guides say many olim are registered with a health fund automatically at the airport. Do not assume it. Check which fund you were registered with in the first week, because the next steps depend on it.
Practical points for the first days:
- Keep your passport, the Teudat Oleh and the documents you brought from your country (see documents from Russia and the CIS for how they are usually certified).
- Buy a local SIM, because offices and banks send codes and messages by phone. We did not research the rules for SIM cards.
- Choose where you will live for the first months before you start paperwork: your address is needed for the ID, the health fund and municipal taxes.
Week 1: ID, bank and health fund
Teudat Zehut. The Israeli ID is the key to almost everything. One guide says the first biometric Teudat Zehut is free and needs passport photos and copies of documents. It is issued by the Population Authority; book the appointment early, because the wait is the usual bottleneck.
Bank account. Guides say that holders of a Teudat Oleh can often open a bank account without a Teudat Zehut during the first 30 days after arrival, and the bank gives you the form for the health fund. This is useful because the absorption basket is paid into a bank account. Whether a particular bank will do it for you, and which documents it wants for a Russian or Ukrainian passport, we could not confirm. Ask the branch. Our guide to a resident bank account abroad covers what banks usually ask.
Health fund. Every resident is covered under the National Health Insurance Law and must belong to one of four health funds: Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit. One national organisation says new olim without income get up to six months of free basic health insurance from the National Insurance Institute; other guides say six to twelve months. Treat six months as the safe assumption and confirm the end date. Former holders of an A-1 visa are reported not to get free cover. For a general comparison of systems, see health insurance after moving abroad.
Weeks 2 to 4: money, tax and everyday services
Absorption basket (sal klita). This is the government cash support for new olim, paid in instalments. Third-party sites list 2026 totals of about NIS 21,694 for a single oleh and NIS 41,359 for a couple, with a supplement for each child that depends on age, and one site says it is not income-tested. The payment breakdown on one site does not add up to the headline total, so rely on the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration for the schedule that applies to you.
Tax. Sources describe a ten-year exemption from tax on foreign-source income for olim and for long-term returning residents, and a reporting exemption that is reported to have been removed from 2026: the income stays untaxed, but it has to be declared. One source mentions an Israel Tax Authority circular numbered 07/2026 about Israeli earned income; we did not read it. Olim also get income tax credit points for roughly the first three and a half years, according to one source. If you own a business, rental property or investments abroad, talk to an Israeli accountant in the first month, before your first filing. For the principles of where you are taxed, see tax residency when relocating.
Housing and local tax. You will receive a municipal tax bill (arnona) for the home you rent or buy. We did not find a reliable source on arnona discounts for olim, so ask your municipality.
Children. Enrolment in school or kindergarten is by municipality and by age; see schools and education for children when relocating abroad for the usual questions.
Driving
An oleh can usually drive in Israel on a foreign licence for one year from the date of entry; after that the licence has to be converted. Reports from 2017 say that those who held a licence for five years or more can exchange it without a driving test, and that others have up to three years to pass a short control test. Whether a Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian or Kazakh licence is recognised for exchange is something we could not confirm, and the rules may have changed since. Check the current Ministry of Transport list before the one-year window ends, and read the driving licence article.
If you are not making aliyah
Entitlement to the public health system is based on residency, not on citizenship. One secondary source says that visitors and people working in Israel only temporarily cannot use the public system, so people on temporary visas buy private cover. We did not find the rules for B/1 or B/2 visa holders, for the role of the Population Authority in registration, or for the status of non-Jewish family members. Do not copy the oleh steps above if you are not an oleh: ask the Population Authority which papers you are entitled to.
Mistakes that cost a month
1. Treating the airport registration with a health fund as final without checking which fund it is. 2. Waiting for the Teudat Zehut before asking the bank about the 30-day window. 3. Forgetting the end date of free basic health cover. 4. Not declaring foreign income because it is exempt (reporting is now reported to be required). 5. Letting the one-year driving window run out. 6. Signing a lease before you know the arnona. 7. Assuming that the rules for olim apply to a temporary visa.
One-page checklist
- Day 1: keep the Teudat Oleh and copies; local SIM; decide the address.
- Days 2 to 3: check which health fund you were registered with; ask the ministry about the basket.
- Week 1: book the Population Authority appointment for the Teudat Zehut; open a bank account within the 30 days.
- Week 2: confirm the date free health cover ends; collect documents for the children's school.
- Week 3: talk to an accountant about foreign income and reporting.
- Week 4: check the driving window and the exchange rules; note arnona.
FAQ
Do I need the Teudat Zehut before I can open a bank account? Guides say a Teudat Oleh is often enough during the first 30 days, but it depends on the bank, so ask the branch.
How long is health cover free for new immigrants? Reports differ: up to six months for olim without income, and some guides say up to twelve months. Confirm the end date with the National Insurance Institute.
Do I have to declare foreign income if it is exempt? Sources say the reporting exemption was removed from 2026, so you should expect to declare it even if it is not taxed. Check with a tax adviser.
Can I keep driving on my home licence? An oleh can usually drive on a foreign licence for one year from entry; after that it must be converted. Whether your country's licence is recognised for exchange was not confirmed.
What if I am not an oleh? Then the oleh steps do not apply, and sources are thin. Ask the Population Authority which status you hold and which papers you are entitled to.