IsraelStatus

New immigrant status in Israel

New immigrant status is the legal position granted immediately to a Jew and their relatives on arrival in Israel on an immigrant visa. Together with the status the person becomes an Israeli citizen, receives an immigrant certificate and becomes entitled to state payments and benefits during the initial settling-in period.

Source: Ministry of Aliyah and Integration of Israel, gov.il

Who receives the status and on what conditions

Entitlement to the status

First entry into Israel on an immigrant visa (ashrat oleh)
Full entitlement to new immigrant status recognised by the Population and Immigration Authority
Entitlement to the absorption basket does not depend on the immigrant's level of income
A person who has lived in Israel for no more than 24 months in a row, or in total over the three years before receiving new immigrant status

Who else goes through the same procedure

A citizen-immigrant (ezrach oleh) who has confirmed entitlement to the status
A returning minor who meets the same conditions
A citizen-immigrant who could not be processed at the airport for technical reasons is registered at the office of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration for their place of residence, once their status has been settled with the Population and Immigration Authority

What it costs

Absorption basket for the year — a couple, standard age (2026)	41 359 ILS
Absorption basket for the year — a single person, standard age (2026)	21 694 ILS
Absorption basket for the year — single-parent family, standard age (2026)	35 071 ILS
Supplement for a child aged 0-4 (per year)	+12 831 ILS
Supplement for a child aged 4-18 (per year)	+8 521 ILS
Supplement for a child aged 18-21 (per year)	+11 300 ILS
Supplement for a family of 6 or more (per year)	+5 918 ILS

Documents to gather

What must be presented at the airport when the status is granted.

Valid passport with the immigrant visa (if the passport in which the visa was placed has expired, the new passport is presented together with the old visa)
Original birth certificate with an apostille (for those born in the countries of the former USSR before 1998 an apostille is not required)
A current document on marital status issued within the past six months: a marriage certificate, a divorce certificate, a spouse's death certificate or a status document for those who are not married
A criminal-record certificate from the country of origin issued no more than six months earlier
Original documents confirming Jewishness and entitlement to repatriation under the Law of Return
A letter from the aliyah emissary (shaliach), if there is one, and other documents confirming the circumstances of the repatriation

How the process runs

How the status is processed on arrival at Ben Gurion airport.

1
Meeting at the airport
Officials of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration meet the immigrant at the entrance to Ben Gurion airport and accompany them through passport control to the ministry's office for the initial registration.
2
Submitting the documents
The immigrant presents the passport with the immigrant visa, apostilled birth and marital status documents, the criminal-record certificate and the documents confirming Jewishness or entitlement to repatriation under the Law of Return.
3
The first part of the absorption basket
Part of the first absorption basket payment is issued in cash or on a prepaid bank card at the airport itself; the remainder is transferred to a bank account once the immigrant has opened one and given the details to the ministry.
4
Issue of the new immigrant certificate and the temporary identity card
3 months
An official of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration authorised by the Population and Immigration Authority issues the new immigrant certificate (teudat oleh) and a temporary identity card valid for three months, together with a form for opening a bank account and a certificate for registering with a health fund.

Timelines and rights

Work

An immigrant is an Israeli citizen and works without a permit.

Who you can bring with you

How the status procedure and the absorption basket apply to the family.

Spouse and children arriving with the immigrant on an immigrant visa

The absorption basket is paid at the higher rate for a couple or for a single-parent family, and a supplement to the basket is calculated separately for each child: 12,831 ₪ a year for a child aged 0-4, 8,521 ₪ for a child aged 4-18 and 11,300 ₪ for a child aged 18-21 (2026)

Citizen-immigrant (ezrach oleh)

Goes through the same procedure as a new immigrant if they arrive at the airport with confirmed entitlement to the status; if the status could not be processed at the airport for technical reasons, registration is carried out at the office of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration for their place of residence, once the status has been settled with the Population and Immigration Authority

A family of six or more people

A supplement for a large family is added to the standard absorption basket payments — 5,918 ₪ a year (2026)

Renewal and the grace period

Once the six months of absorption basket payments have ended, the immigrant may apply for the income support benefit (havtachat hachnasa) through the National Insurance Institute, provided they are registered with the employment service or are studying on courses recognised by the ministry. Rent assistance for those who received the absorption basket starts to arrive in the bank account automatically from the seventh month after repatriation; those who did not receive the basket file a separate application for housing assistance with the registration companies.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

No separate permanent residence is needed: new immigrant status comes together with citizenship.

Route to citizenship

Citizenship is granted by the Law of Return itself; there is no need to naturalise separately.

Frequently asked questions about New immigrant status

Who receives new immigrant status?

The status is granted to a person entering Israel for the first time on an immigrant visa (ashrat oleh) who has full entitlement to new immigrant status. The same procedure is used for a citizen-immigrant (ezrach oleh) and a returning minor who meet the same conditions.

How much is the absorption basket?

According to the 2026 payment table, for the first year the absorption basket for a single person of standard age is 21,694 ₪, for a single-parent family 35,071 ₪ and for a couple 41,359 ₪. A separate supplement is calculated for each child.

Does the size of the absorption basket depend on the immigrant's income?

No. Entitlement to the absorption basket is not linked to the immigrant's level of income.

What happens once the absorption basket payments end?

After six months, when the absorption basket payments end, the immigrant may apply to the National Insurance Institute for the income support benefit (havtachat hachnasa).

What is issued to the immigrant at the airport when the status is granted?

At the airport the immigrant receives the new immigrant certificate (teudat oleh), a temporary identity card valid for three months (or an appendix to it, if the card is not issued immediately), a certificate for registering with a health fund and a form for opening a bank account.

What happens if the immigrant leaves the country during the first year after repatriation?

Leaving Israel stops the absorption basket payments. They are resumed only for those who return within a year of the date of repatriation.

Who receives rent assistance and when does it start?

For those receiving the absorption basket, rent assistance starts to arrive in the bank account automatically from the seventh month after repatriation. Those who did not receive the basket file a separate application for housing assistance with the registration companies.

Other ways to move to Israel

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Israel.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.