Rental Assistance (Sar Dirah)
Separate from סל קליטה (Sal Klita), the Israeli government offers a monthly rental assistance grant - known informally as "sar dirah" or housing assistance - to olim who do not live in an absorption center. This payment is designed to help cover rent during your first years, when earning an Israeli salary is often not yet possible.
For olim who made aliyah from March 2024 onward, the monthly amounts depend on your family status and, importantly, on whether you settle in a designated priority area. Unlike many assumptions, the larger payments go to olim in the periphery, not the center:
- Single adult, basic rate (most central locations): approximately 363 NIS/month
- Single adult, designated priority area (Negev, Galil, periphery): approximately 1,336 NIS/month
- Couple: approximately 659 NIS/month at the basic rate, rising to roughly 2,000 NIS/month in a priority area
- Single parent: approximately 739 NIS/month basic, rising to roughly 2,239 NIS/month in a priority area
For this March-2024-onward scheme, payments run from the 7th month after your aliyah month through about the 30th month. Olim who arrived earlier fall under a different schedule that can run up to five years from the date of receiving Oleh status. The grant is administered through the Ministry of Construction and Housing. You apply with your rental contract, Teudat Oleh, and bank account details, and payments go directly to your bank account monthly.
Can olim import personal belongings to Israel duty-free?
As a new oleh, you are entitled to bring your personal belongings to Israel duty-free. The customs exemption allows you to import household goods, furniture, and personal effects without paying customs duties or מע"מ (Ma'am (VAT)) (VAT).
The rules are:
- Three separate shipments are allowed within your first 3 years from aliyah
- Each shipment must be imported in your name and consist of used personal goods (not new merchandise for resale)
- You must apply for a customs exemption certificate (teudat patur) from the Absorption Ministry before each shipment clears customs
- Air shipments, sea containers, and personal luggage all qualify, within limits
The exemption covers furniture, electronics, clothing, books, appliances, and other household items. Commercial goods, new items bought abroad for resale, and vehicles (which have their own scheme) are excluded from this exemption.
How much does the oleh car tax benefit save you?
Buying or importing a car in Israel is expensive because the government levies a heavy purchase tax on vehicles, which is part of why cars cost much more here than in Europe. Olim receive a reduced rate on one car released to them within their first 3 years. This is a smaller benefit than it is sometimes described as: it lowers the tax rate rather than waiving most of it.
The oleh vehicle benefit works as follows:
- Reduced purchase-tax rate of about 80% instead of the standard 128% on the vehicle, which nets out to a saving of roughly 8–18% of the price depending on the model and engine type
- The benefit applies to one car only, which must be released to the oleh within 3 years of the aliyah date
- The מע"מ (Ma'am (VAT)) component (currently 18%) still applies, and fully electric vehicles are currently excluded from the oleh discount
On a car priced around 200,000 NIS, a saving of 8–18% works out to roughly 16,000–36,000 NIS versus paying the standard rate. The exact figure depends heavily on the model, so any single number here is only an estimate and the saving varies once a specific car is priced. The vehicle must be registered to the oleh and cannot be resold for 4 years from the purchase date without repaying the tax difference (a sale to another eligible oleh using their own benefit, known as a passport-to-passport sale, is the exception).
The benefit covers a new car bought in Israel under the oleh rate, or a car you own or buy abroad and import. It does not apply to buying an ordinary used car already on the Israeli market. Because the paperwork is detailed, it is common to work with a licensed customs agent (mekhes) or dealer who specializes in oleh purchases.
How to Claim Each Benefit
- Rental assistance: Apply through the Ministry of Construction and Housing once you have a rental contract. Bring your rental contract, Teudat Oleh, and bank details.
- Customs exemption: Before shipping, contact the Absorption Ministry to receive your customs exemption certificate. Present this to Israeli customs when the shipment arrives.
- Vehicle benefit: Arrange the oleh rate with the Absorption Ministry and a licensed customs agent or dealer before purchasing or shipping your car. The paperwork must be completed before the car is released to you.
All three of these benefits are time-limited and require proactive application. The Absorption Ministry website (in Hebrew and English) lists current rates and forms. If in doubt, the English-speaking staff at Nefesh B'Nefesh can walk you through each application.
Olim get three separate housing and import benefits. Monthly rental assistance (Siyua b'Sechar Dira), run by the Housing Ministry, pays a single oleh who arrived from March 2024 onward about 363 NIS at the basic rate or roughly 1,336 NIS in a designated priority area such as the Negev or Galil, with a couple at about 659 NIS basic or 2,000 NIS in a priority area; payments run from month 7 to about month 30. Through Misrad HaKlita you can also import household goods duty-free in up to three shipments within your first 3 years, using a teudat patur exemption certificate. And one car released within 3 years of aliyah gets a reduced purchase-tax rate of about 80% instead of the standard 128%, saving roughly 8 to 18% of the price; 18% VAT still applies, fully electric cars are excluded, and the car cannot be resold for 4 years. Each benefit is time-limited and needs a separate, proactive application.
For olim who made aliyah from March 2024 onward, a single adult receives about 363 NIS per month at the basic rate, rising to roughly 1,336 NIS per month if you settle in a designated priority area such as the Negev or Galil. A couple receives about 659 NIS basic or roughly 2,000 NIS in a priority area, and a single parent about 739 NIS basic or roughly 2,239 NIS in a priority area. Contrary to a common assumption, the larger payments go to the periphery, not central Israel. Payments run from the 7th month after your aliyah month through about the 30th month and go directly to your Israeli bank account. Olim who arrived before March 2024 fall under an older schedule that can run up to five years. This assistance is administered by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and is separate from Sal Klita.
Rental assistance is administered by the Ministry of Construction and Housing rather than the Absorption Ministry, so you apply through the Housing Ministry once you have signed a rental contract. Bring your rental contract, your Teudat Oleh, and your bank account details. Payments are then deposited directly to your bank account monthly. This assistance does not cover your full rent, but it reduces the gap during your first years, when earning an Israeli salary is often not yet possible.
Yes. As a new oleh you can import household goods, furniture, and personal effects without paying customs duties or VAT (maam). You are allowed up to three separate shipments within your first 3 years from aliyah. Each shipment must be imported in your name and consist of used personal goods rather than new merchandise for resale. Before each shipment clears customs, you must obtain a customs exemption certificate (teudat patur) from the Absorption Ministry. Air shipments, sea containers, and personal luggage all qualify, within limits.
The exemption covers furniture, electronics, clothing, books, appliances, and other household items. Excluded are commercial goods, new items bought abroad for resale, and vehicles, which have their own separate import scheme rather than falling under the household-goods exemption.
Cars in Israel carry a heavy purchase tax, which is part of why they cost much more than in Europe. The oleh benefit is a reduced purchase-tax rate of about 80% instead of the standard 128% on one car released within 3 years of aliyah. In practice this nets out to a saving of roughly 8 to 18% of the price, depending on the model and engine type, rather than a near-total waiver. The 18% VAT (maam) component still applies, and fully electric vehicles are currently excluded. As a rough illustration, on a car priced around 200,000 NIS a saving of 8 to 18% is about 16,000 to 36,000 NIS, though the actual figure varies by model and only becomes precise once a specific car is priced.
Yes. The car must be registered to the oleh and cannot be resold for 4 years from the purchase date without repaying the tax difference, unless the buyer is another eligible oleh using their own benefit (a passport-to-passport sale). The reduced rate applies to one car only, which must be released to you within your first 3 years, and fully electric vehicles are currently excluded. It covers a new car bought in Israel under the oleh rate or a car you own or buy abroad and import, but not an ordinary used car already on the Israeli market. Because the paperwork is detailed, it is common to work with a licensed customs agent (mekhes) or a dealer who specializes in oleh purchases.
All three benefits require active application and have distinct paperwork. Rental assistance is handled by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, so apply there once you have a rental contract, bringing your Teudat Oleh and bank details. For the customs exemption, contact the Absorption Ministry before shipping to receive your certificate, then present it to Israeli customs when the shipment arrives. For the vehicle benefit, arrange the oleh rate with the Absorption Ministry and a licensed customs agent or dealer before buying or shipping the car. All three are time-limited. The Absorption Ministry and Housing Ministry websites list current rates and forms in Hebrew and English, and the English-speaking staff at Nefesh B’Nefesh can walk you through each application.
