Immigration (Repatriation) to Israel
As soon as you arrive in Israel with a repatriate visa, you can be met at the exit of the plane (if you are on an organized flight), or you have to find the office of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration yourself. To find the office yourself, see our vlog, as we flew to Israel ourselves.
At the office of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration they give you a SIM-card, part of the repatriation basket, information materials, health insurance (you have to choose which one) and order a cab to wherever you want to go. So it is advisable to know in advance where you will live in Israel. It is important to keep in mind that this place you bureaucratically bind through registration, which then will not be so easy to change. And many issues in Israel are resolved at the place of residence.
And the office at iarport issue a new repatriate identity card (called teudat ole – a blue book, common to the family). Keep it for the duration of its validity, as with it you can use the benefits of new repatriates. We were given contacts where you can call with any questions: *2994/03-9733333, www.klita.gov.il and gov.il/ru
The first four steps
- Get an old-style Teudat Zehut (internal passport, it is called an ID card here). To do this you have to go to the nearest branch of the Ministry of the Interior (msrAd apnim). You need to take all your documents, photos and what you were given at the airport. Theoretically, you can sign up through MyVisit (an application for queuing), but in fact we were advised to arrive early at 7:30 and take a live line, show your new immigrant blue book and ask to be signed in on the spot.
- Open a bank account – for a couple to make a joint account. Any bank is chosen, and you have to bring the papers from the airport there. The account must be activated, sometimes you need to put a few shekels into the account. If you plan to rent a flat for a year, you probably need a checkbook, it can be ordered at the bank. The bank card and checkbook arrive in a week’s time by mail.
- Make an appointment with your personal supervisor at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration to arrange an absorption basket (also called an absorption coordinator or advisor, and the ministry itself is called MsRad KlitA). The appointment is made by telephone, which you will be given at the airport (the number is in your teudat ole). At the meeting, you need to bring your bank account number, all your documents, the documents from the airport, your educational and work experience documents and copies of them (to be certified free of charge to confirm your education, academic degrees and work experience).
- Receive a magnetic card from a member of the Health Insurance Fund (14 days after arrival in Israel). For six months after repatriation, free basic health insurance is provided. When we came to apply for the medical card, they offered various additional options, but until you figure it out, you can not take anything extra, so that you do not get charged more money.
Once you have your first documents and go to the supervisor at the Ministry of Absorption – you will begin to have your basket listed and you can generally take a little break from the bureaucracy. But don’t relax, there are still a few things to do or add yourself a reminder on your calendar so you won’t forget to do them in the future.
Next steps in Israel
The to-do list is in no particular order, as everyone will have different priorities. Some of these things have deadlines, so it’s best to go through the whole list and add to your personal calendar those things that are relevant to you.
Biometric documents – Teudat Zehut of the new type and Darkon (passport). Instead of a dakon, you can apply for a Lesser Pass (Teudat Maavar). You need to sign up at any Ministry of Interior via MyVisit, and the documents will be mailed to any address (not necessarily your address of residence).
To transfer your cell phone number to yourself (within 3 months after repatriation). So that you can keep the number of the SIM-card you were given at the airport. A bank account number will be required, everything can be done online.
The confirmation of diplomas is done online – see www.cms.education.gov.il – when you first visit your supervisor at the Ministry of Absorption, it is advisable to immediately put stamps on copies of your educational documents and to clarify how to proceed to confirm your education.
At the end of the first six months of your stay in Israel, you need to contact your advisor (absorption counselor) to find out your eligibility for benefits. This can be done online in the personal office of the new repatriate – make a request to the counselor and you will receive an answer within 5 days.
Eight months after your arrival in Israel, apply to the Ministry of Absorption for a subsidy from the Ministry of Construction for rental housing. This can be done online in the personal office of the new repatriate.
Change your driver’s license to a local driver’s license. It is possible to confirm a driver’s license without an exam if the new repatriate has been in the country for no more than 3 years and his driving experience exceeds 5 years. The fee is 440 shekels. You must obtain a Tofes Yarok – green form from the MEMSI office. The information is on the website www.mot.gov.il , and you begin by filling out the form, if you don’t have any special health conditions, we write so, if you do – you’ll need to attach a doctor’s note. Then you will receive an SMS on a local number, which will say that you can go to be photographed at one of the special opticians. In this optic make the picture on the rights and offer to check the eyesight (the price of a question – from 50 shekels). There you get your green form, and probably it will be immediately uploaded into the online system, and not handed to you. Then you can submit your request in person to the Ministry of Transport or order a call through MyVisit – the telephone line in the district where you are registered. If you go to the Ministry of Transport office yourself, you will be issued a temporary license on the spot, and your 10-year permanent license will arrive in the mail within a month. For more information, call the Ministry of Transport hotline *5678 (then press 1).
When buying a car, go to the tax office (beit mekes) to get a discount.
Get a referral to an Ulpan – a language school (Hebrew studies). New returnees are entitled to two tuitions free of charge – one at a public and one at a private Ulpan. You must obtain an ulpan exemption within the first 18 months of repatriation (check with your counselor).
In the municipality of your city (Iria):
- apply for an arnona benefit (tax credit, processed at the municipality after you have a standard rental agreement)
- enroll your children in school or kindergarten
If you are a pensioner or have children under the age of 18, you need to contact the National Insurance Service (Bituach Leumi) to apply for benefits.
For those who want to set up their own business, there is a program to support business initiatives. You can get free consultations with an accountant, a loan on favorable terms and business consulting.