Choose and join a kupat cholim (health fund) as a new oleh
Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit, via Bituach Leumi
The short answer
Applies to every new oleh. You can register at the airport desk straight after passport control, or later at any Israel Post branch by appointment. We track no fixed deadline for this step: do it once what it depends on is done.
Checked on 2026-07-21 against the sources below. Confirm with Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit, via Bituach Leumi before you rely on it.
Checked Confidence: medium, confirm before acting
Deadline
We track no fixed deadline for this step: do it once what it depends on is done.
Steps
- 1
Finish what this depends on
Complete first: Collect your Teudat Oleh at the airport.
- 2
Apply
Handled by Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet or Leumit, via Bituach Leumi. Expect to go in person: it cannot be done fully online.
- 3
Avoid a known trap
This is community consensus rather than an official designation, so weigh it against which fund actually has a clinic near you.
Why: Meuhedet and Maccabi are the funds most often recommended to English speakers.
Costs and figures
What it costs
- Registering with a health fundרישום לקופת חוליםAbout ₪0 to ₪15Checked 2026-09-10
What it depends on, and what it unlocks
Do these first
Sources
- Kupot cholim · Nefesh B'Nefesh · primary source · fetched , page undated
- Guide for the New Immigrant, 15th Edition · Ministry of Aliyah and Integration · primary source · fetched , page dated 2022-01-01
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