Car Insurance in Israel: Chova, Third Party and Comprehensive Explained
Israeli car insurance comes in three layers, and only the first is compulsory. Here is what each covers, how to buy it, and what happens after a bump on a Jerusalem street.
Every car on the road must have compulsory insurance (bituach chova), which covers injury to people. Everything else is optional and layered on top: third-party property cover for the other car, and comprehensive cover for your own. Most owners of anything worth repairing carry all three; owners of an old runabout carry the first two. Premiums are set by the driver as much as the car, and a converted foreign licence counts as a new licence for a while.
The three layers
- Chova (compulsory): covers bodily injury to anyone, including the driver, in an accident involving the car. Required by law before the car moves; the certificate must be paid and in force, and police check it.
- Tzad gimel (third party): covers damage you cause to other people's property, chiefly the other car. Not compulsory, but driving without it is a bet you will never touch a parked car in Nachlaot.
- Makif (comprehensive): covers your own car for accident, theft and fire, on top of third party, with a deductible (hishtatfut atzmit). Usually required by a lender or lease.
Where to buy
Two routes: the direct insurers, which sell online and by phone at lower prices with everything self-service, and the traditional companies through an insurance agent (sochen), who costs a little more and answers the phone when something goes wrong. English-speaking agents exist in Jerusalem and are worth it for a first policy; ask in the community groups. Quotes are free, and prices for the same driver and car vary widely between companies, so get three.
What sets the premium
- Driver age and licence history: years since the licence was issued, and any claims. A foreign licence converted this year counts as new, so the first year is expensive; some insurers recognise foreign driving history with a no-claims letter from your previous insurer, which is worth bringing.
- Named drivers: policies cover named drivers or a class of driver (any driver over a certain age); adding a young driver raises the price sharply.
- The car: value, theft rate for the model, and safety features. Some models are near-uninsurable for theft without an approved immobiliser.
- Deductible: a higher deductible lowers the premium.
- Parking: where the car sleeps at night matters to the theft component.
After an accident
- Nobody hurt: exchange details, photograph everything including licence plates and the scene, and fill in the accident form from your insurer's app or glovebox. Police are not needed for property damage.
- Anyone hurt: call 101 for Magen David Adom and 100 for police; the chova claim needs the police report.
- Report to the insurer the same day; the assessor (shamai) inspects the car at an approved garage, and the insurer pays the garage directly minus the deductible.
- Keep a copy of everything; the no-claims record follows you to the next insurer.
Renewal
Policies run a year; the renewal offer arrives a month before and is rarely the best price. Requote every year, and check the licence-fee and test dates at the same time (see the car-buying guide).
Hebrew you will meet
- bituach chova — compulsory insurance
- tzad gimel — third-party property cover
- makif — comprehensive
- hishtatfut atzmit — deductible / excess
- sochen — agent
- shamai — assessor
- teuna — accident
More everyday words, with the situations they turn up in, are in our Hebrew vocabulary guide.
Common questions
Which car insurance is compulsory in Israel?
Only bituach chova, the injury cover. Third party and comprehensive are optional but standard for any car worth repairing.
Does my foreign driving history count?
Sometimes. Bring a no-claims letter from your previous insurer; some Israeli companies discount for it, others treat a converted licence as new for the first year or two.
Can anyone drive my car?
Only drivers covered by the policy: named drivers or a class of driver by age. Check before lending the car; an uncovered driver voids the property cover.
Do I call the police after a minor accident?
Not for property damage alone; exchange details and use the insurer's form. Call the police and Magen David Adom if anyone is hurt.
An insurer or rule that has changed? Tell us and we will fix it.
