Opening an Israeli bank account as a new oleh

• Teudat Oleh. Bring your Teudat Zehut too if you have it. The Teudat Oleh alone should be enough.
• Note of Future Bank Account. The form from the airport. The bank stamps it for Misrad HaKlita.
• A first deposit. Cash or a cheque, so the account is active.
• Foreign tax ID. Your Social Security number if you are a US citizen, or your tax number from your home country.

At the branch you also sign forms that say where you pay tax and that the money is yours. US citizens fill in a W-9 form.

1. 1

   Choose the bank and branch

   We compare

   Pick a branch near your home or work. You deal with that branch, so it matters more than the bank's name.

2. 2

   Book the meeting

   We book it

   We book the meeting and send you the document list. If you go without a meeting, arrive at least an hour before the branch closes.

3. 3

   Open the account

   You go

   You sign the forms yourself and make the first deposit. Ask what fee benefits the bank gives new olim, and for how long. Ask for it in writing.

4. 4

   Tell Misrad HaKlita

   We check it

   Give the stamped form to Misrad HaKlita so your sal klita payments start. We check that the details reached them.

5. 5

   Set up the rest

   We follow up

   Online banking, a phone code for calling the bank, standing orders for rent and bills, cards and a cheque book.

• Olim benefits. Banks often cut or waive fees for new olim for a set time. The time and the terms differ by bank.
• Basic track (maslul basisi). A simple account with a price capped by the Bank of Israel at ₪10 a month. A 2026 reform adds more actions for the same cap, in full by July 2027.

To receive a wire, give the sender your IBAN (in Hebrew, mispar zahav). A transfer can take several days. For a large sum, tell the bank before you send it. Banks can ask where the money comes from, and a transfer can wait until you answer.