Bituach Leumi in Jerusalem: Branches, Appointments and What New Residents Pay

13 Dec 2023 · 5 min · Updated 15 Oct 2026

Where the Jerusalem Bituach Leumi branches are, how to get an appointment, what you pay if you are not working, and the allowances new residents are owed, with the 2026 figures.

Every resident of Israel is insured by Bituach Leumi, the National Insurance Institute, and pays into it: employees through their payslip, the self-employed through their own reports, and people without income at a minimum rate. In return it pays the benefits that in other countries are split between several agencies, and it collects the health tax that funds your kupat cholim. Most things are done online or by phone; the Jerusalem branches see people by appointment only.

The Jerusalem branches

Jerusalem branch: 4 Ben Shetach St, off Jaffa Road near the city centre. Reception on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 08:30–13:00, by appointment only. Paid parking at Gan HaAtzmaut; the branch has no disabled parking of its own. Branch page.
Jerusalem North / East Jerusalem branch: 16 Bar Lev Blvd. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 08:30–13:00, by appointment, with a service point at 45 Ein Rogel St in Abu Tor. Branch page.
Nearby towns. Sub-branches in Mevaseret Zion, Ma'ale Adumim, Beitar Illit and Sha'ar Binyamin open on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Self-service kiosks for certificates and payments are at Safra Square (6 Kikar Safra, municipality building 1) and at the Employment Service, 217 Jaffa Rd.

Branches close to the public over the chagim and have closed at short notice during security alerts. Check the branch page before you go. Older guides give addresses on Ben Sira and Ibn Batuta streets that are no longer listed.

Appointments, phone and online

Book an appointment through the MyVisit system, linked from Bituach Leumi's appointments page, or by phone. You can also book a phone appointment, where a clerk calls you at the booked time.
Call centre: *6050 (or 04-881-2345 from abroad), Sunday to Thursday 08:00–17:00. Service is in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Amharic, not English. Outside those hours an automated line works with your ID number and secret code.
The personal area (ps.btl.gov.il) shows your status, payments and benefits, lets you download certificates (ishurim) and update details. Log in with your ID number and a user code and password (ordered online, from age 16), a one-time code by text message once you are registered, or the government's national identification login.
In English. The English site has guides, a chat with a representative and a way to ask for a translator. Write your question down in Hebrew before a call or visit, or bring someone.
Scams. Bituach Leumi never asks for card details by text message; a code you did not request is a phishing attempt.

What you pay in 2026

Employees. The employer deducts national insurance and health tax from the salary and pays it over. Check the payslip; nothing else to do.
Self-employed (atzmai). Register when you open your file, declare expected income, and pay monthly advances that are reconciled with the annual tax return.
Not working, no income: ₪266 a month from January 2026 (₪143 national insurance plus ₪123 health tax). Everyone over 18 owes it, by standing order, credit card on *6050 or in the personal area.
Students and yeshiva students who do not work: ₪171 a month. If you are charged the full rate, check that your status says student and send a study confirmation through the site.
New olim. Olim with no income are exempt from health tax for six months from aliyah, and for up to twelve months while they receive the Ministry of Aliyah's living allowance; the exemption is applied automatically. A married woman who does not work outside the home is also exempt. Health cover starts immediately either way.

Unpaid months build up as a debt with interest, and long arrears can reduce or block benefits later, sometimes from before a payment arrangement is signed. If you are leaving Israel for a while, set up a standing order or ask what keeps your status before you go.

What it pays

Child allowance (kitzvat yeladim). In 2026: ₪173 a month for the first child, ₪219 each for the second to fourth, and ₪173 for the fifth and after, paid to your registered bank account. For olim it starts from the day of aliyah and is set up automatically from the Ministry of Aliyah's data; if nothing has arrived after two months, file a claim at the branch. Bituach Leumi on olim's children.
Birth grant (ma'anak leida). In 2026: ₪2,103 for a first child, ₪946 for the second and ₪631 from the third, and ₪10,514 for twins. The hospital reports the birth.
Maternity pay (dmei leida). For mothers who worked and contributed for the qualifying period.
Unemployment. For employees dismissed after a qualifying work period, claimed together with registration at the Employment Service.
Work injury, disability, long-term care. Assessed by Bituach Leumi's own doctors and committees; the process is slow and worth doing with help from an organisation that knows it.
Reserve duty pay and the old-age pension are also paid through Bituach Leumi; olim who arrive older have special pension rules.

Residency: the status that decides everything

Benefits and health cover depend on being a resident in Bituach Leumi's eyes: someone whose centre of life is in Israel. Long stays abroad can suspend residency and, with it, health insurance; returning residents after years away go through a reinstatement process with a waiting period. If you plan to live between two countries, read the residency rules before you leave rather than after.

How it connects to the rest

Bituach Leumi collects the health tax, but your health fund provides the care: choosing a kupat cholim is a separate step. Benefits need an Israeli bank account registered with Bituach Leumi. The first-month checklist puts it all in order, and the Ministry of Aliyah's counsellors, Nefesh B'Nefesh and the AACI help with the paperwork.

Common questions

Where is Bituach Leumi in Jerusalem?

The Jerusalem branch is at 4 Ben Shetach St, off Jaffa Road, and the Jerusalem North / East Jerusalem branch is at 16 Bar Lev Blvd. Both receive the public on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 08:30–13:00, by appointment only.

How do I make an appointment at Bituach Leumi?

Book through the MyVisit system linked from Bituach Leumi's website, or call *6050 (Sunday to Thursday, 08:00–17:00). You can also book a phone appointment instead of a visit.

How much is Bituach Leumi if I am not working?

In 2026, ₪266 a month for an adult with no income (national insurance plus health tax), or ₪171 a month for students who do not work. New olim with no income are exempt from the health tax for their first six months, or up to twelve while they receive the living allowance.

Do new olim get the child allowance automatically?

Yes. It starts from the day of aliyah and is set up from the Ministry of Aliyah's data. If no payment has arrived after two months, file a claim at your branch.

Does Bituach Leumi have service in English?

The phone line *6050 works in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Amharic. The English website has guides, a chat with a representative and a way to request a translator.