Your First Month in Jerusalem: A Checklist for New Arrivals

Most of what goes wrong in a first month in Jerusalem is not hard; it is done in the wrong order. You cannot open a bank account without an ID number, you cannot register for a health fund without Bituach Leumi, and you cannot get the arnona discount you are entitled to without the rental contract in your name. This checklist puts the steps in an order that works, with a link to the full guide where we have one.

It is written for English-speakers arriving to live here: new olim, returning residents, people on a work or study visa. Where a step applies only to olim we say so. If something has changed since you read this, tell us and we will fix it.

Week one: identity, phone, money

Get your ID sorted first

Everything else keys off your Teudat Zehut (identity card) number. New olim receive it, together with the Teudat Oleh, through the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, usually as part of the arrival process; everyone else deals with Misrad HaPnim (the Interior Ministry). Book the appointment online before you go, bring your passport and every document you have, and photograph the ID and the appendix (sefach) the moment you get them. You will be asked for the number constantly.

A local phone number

Get an Israeli SIM in the first days. Banks, health funds and the municipality all send verification codes by SMS, and a foreign number will not always receive them. Our mobile phone guide compares the providers and plan types; for the first month a prepaid or month-to-month plan is fine, and you can switch later.

Open a bank account

Israeli banks require the ID (or passport plus visa for non-citizens), and many branches now let you start the application online and finish it in a short branch visit. Ask for the account details in writing on day one: the bank number, branch number and account number are what every landlord, employer and health fund will ask for. If you do not read Hebrew yet, ask whether the branch has an English-speaking banker and take the first slot they offer.

Sal klita: what arrives when

New olim receive the sal klita (absorption basket), the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration's cash support for the first months. The first part is paid on or soon after arrival; the rest comes as monthly transfers to the Israeli bank account you register with the ministry, for roughly the first half-year, as long as you are living in Israel and keep your details current. The amounts depend on family size and age and are published by the ministry, so check the current table rather than a forum post.

• The bank account unlocks it. Until the ministry has your account number, the monthly payments wait. Open the account in week one and send the details through your absorption counsellor (yoetz klita) or the ministry's online portal.
• Ulpan can be part of the deal. Some support is tied to ulpan attendance; ask your counsellor before skipping a course. Our ulpan guide explains the options.
• Keep every letter. The ministry, Bituach Leumi and the health fund all confirm things on paper; you will be asked to show them.

Week two: Bituach Leumi and a health fund

Israel's national insurance and health system runs through Bituach Leumi. Register (olim are usually registered automatically, but check), then choose one of the four health funds, called kupot cholim. Your health cover starts with that choice, so do not leave it for later. Our Bituach Leumi guide explains what the institute covers and who pays; the health fund guide explains how to choose between Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet and Leumit and how to switch if you get it wrong.

• Bring: ID, bank details, and for working people your employer's details.
• Ask for: your Bituach Leumi number and written confirmation of the health fund you joined.
• Then: download the health fund's app and find the clinic nearest your apartment before you need it.

Week three: the apartment and everything attached to it

Sign, then register

If you have not signed yet, read the renting guide first: it covers deposits, guarantees, agent fees and the clauses that catch newcomers. Once you have a contract, three registrations follow from it.

• Arnona (municipal tax). In Israel the tenant usually pays arnona. Register the apartment in your name with the Jerusalem Municipality (the Iriya) and ask about discounts — new olim and several other groups are entitled to one for a period, but only from the date you apply.
• Electricity. Move the account at the Israel Electric Corporation into your name so the bills, and the meter readings, are yours.
• Water. Jerusalem's water and sewage are run by Hagihon; the account also needs transferring, and the number of registered residents affects the tariff.

Gas is either piped or delivered in balloons depending on the building; the landlord or the outgoing tenant will know which company serves the address. The va'ad bayit (building committee fee) is usually paid by the tenant too — ask who collects it and how.

Internet

Home internet in Israel is sold as an infrastructure line plus a service provider, sometimes bundled and sometimes not. The internet guide walks through the combinations so you are not paying for two things you thought were one.

Week four: children, getting around, daily life

• Gan and schools. Registration for gan (preschool) and municipal schools runs through the municipality and fills early. The gan guide covers the types, the registration windows and what to ask on a visit.
• Rav-Kav. Get a personal Rav-Kav transit card as soon as you have an ID; it is the only way to pay on the light rail and buses. The getting-around guide explains the card, the light rail and what happens on Shabbat.
• Groceries. Where to shop, what is cheaper at the shuk and what is not, and how delivery works: the grocery guide.
• A car, if you need one. Many Jerusalem residents do not. If you do, read buying a car and car insurance before you visit a dealer.
• People. Neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, synagogue and school communities and the English-speaking networks are where the practical answers live. Understanding Jerusalem's local community is the place to start.

Keep these in one folder

Physical or on your phone, but in one place. You will be asked for a surprising number of them again.

• Passport and Teudat Zehut (with the sefach)
• Teudat Oleh, if you have one
• Rental contract and the landlord's ID number
• Bank account details on bank letterhead
• Bituach Leumi number and health fund confirmation
• Arnona registration confirmation
• Children's vaccination records and previous school reports

The vocabulary you will meet

Every office in this list has its own Hebrew, and most forms are Hebrew-only. Hebrew words you need for daily life in Jerusalem lists the terms above, with the script and how to say them, so you can recognise them on the door and on the form.