Moving to Israel
5 ways to move to Israel in our guide: 4 work visas, 1 student visa.
No digital nomad visa. Tax for newcomers: Israel: 10-year exemption of foreign-source income for new and veteran returning residents, Tax relief. Checked against official sources on .
Israel runs on approvals: for most work routes, an Israeli employer or institution applies first and the Population and Immigration Authority decides. The visa is tied to that sponsor, so the role and the employer matter as much as your own paperwork.
Work · 4
Student · 1
Student visa A/2
First stay: 1 yr
Tax
The records for Israel do not set out tax rules for newcomers, including how foreign-source income is treated.
Standard rules
Israel: income tax of residents on worldwide income (Income Tax Ordinance)
Progressive rates
Details
Israeli residents are taxed on income accrued or derived in Israel or abroad, at progressive rates of 10%, 14%, 20%, 31%, 35% and 47% on employment income, with a 3% surtax on high income (and a further 2% on capital income) and a credit of two credit points for every resident; a person is presumed resident with 183 days in the tax year, or 30 days in the year and 425 days over the year and the two before it.
Taxed on
Income of an Israeli-resident individual from all sources, wherever accrued or derived (section 2); a non-resident is taxed only on income accrued or derived in Israel. Income from personal exertion (employment and professional work) and income of persons aged 60 or over use the reduced lower rates 10%, 14%, 20% and 31% (section 121(b)); other income starts at 31%, then 35% and 47% above the second band limit. The tax credit is two credit points per resident (section 34).
Who it applies to
- Resident: a person whose centre of life is in Israel, judged by family, economic and social ties, including permanent home, place of residence, regular place of work, active economic interests and organisational activity.
- Rebuttable presumption of residence: 183 days or more in the tax year; or 30 days or more in the tax year and 425 days or more in that year and the two preceding years (a part of a day counts as a day).
- Both the individual and the assessing officer may rebut the presumption.
Exclusions
- Reduced rates 10% to 31% do not apply to income from a business for which acceptable books are required but not kept.
- A person who was abroad at least 183 days in each of the tax year and the following year and whose centre of life was not in Israel is a foreign resident (section 1).
Days in the country
- At least 183 days in tax year · Presumption that the centre of life is in Israel when the person stayed in Israel 183 days or more in the tax year (Income Tax Ordinance s. 1, definition of Israeli resident, para. (a)(2)(a)).
- At least 30 days in tax year · Presumption of residence when the person stayed 30 days or more in the tax year and also the 425-day total over three years is met (para. (a)(2)(b)).
- At least 425 days in tax year and the two preceding years · Total stay in Israel in the tax year and the two preceding years of 425 days or more, together with at least 30 days in the tax year, gives the residence presumption.
Tax residence
Residence rests on the centre of life test; the day counts create rebuttable presumptions, and any part of a day counts as a day.
Visas
Tax residence is set by the centre of life and days of stay, not by the type of visa or permit.
Other taxes
Surtax of 3% applies on taxable income above a high-income threshold and a further 2% on taxable income from capital sources above it (section 121B); residential rental income can be taxed at a flat 10% (section 122). Bracket amounts and credit-point value are indexed under section 120B, and indexation is suspended for tax years 2025 to 2027 (amounts stay as at 1 January 2024).
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Special regime
Israel: 10-year exemption of foreign-source income for new and veteran returning residents; 5-year relief for returning residents
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Becoming an Israeli resident for the first time
A person who becomes an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, is exempt from tax for ten years on foreign-source income from the sources in sections 2, 2A and 3, unless they elect otherwise; a returning resident has a five-year exemption on certain passive foreign-source income.
Taxed on
Income produced or accrued outside Israel, or from assets outside Israel, of an individual who became a resident for the first time or a veteran returning resident, for ten years from the date of becoming resident (section 14(a)). A returning resident (abroad six consecutive years or more) is exempt for five years on foreign pension, royalty, rent, interest and dividend income from assets acquired abroad after ceasing to be resident, and on interest and dividends from qualifying listed securities held in a bank account (section 14(c)); business income is excluded from the five-year relief.
Who it applies to
- Becoming an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, meaning a person who became resident again after being a foreign resident for at least ten consecutive years (section 14(a)).
- Returning resident: became resident again after at least six consecutive years as a foreign resident (section 14(c)).
- The person may elect not to use the exemption for all or part of the income.
Exclusions
- Assets that reached the person exempt from tax under section 97(a)(5) from 1 January 2007 are not 'assets' for the exemption.
- The five-year returning-resident relief does not cover business income.
- The Minister of Finance, with Finance Committee approval, may extend the periods up to ten tax years for a significant investment made in Israel within two years.
Tax residence
The exemption runs from the date the person becomes a resident under the centre of life test. In a first adjustment year, a person who notifies the Tax Authority within 90 days of arrival is not treated as resident for that year, and the year counts toward the exemption period (section 14(b)).
Visas
Eligibility depends on tax residence history, not on the visa category; olim (new immigrants) also receive credit points over the first 54 months (section 35).
Other taxes
Israeli-source income of the same person is taxed on the ordinary resident scale.
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Checked against official sources on Change log
Israel in pictures
Arriving in Israel: first steps
- Keep your passport valid for the period required by your route, and for longer where the mission asks for it.
- Arrange medical insurance and have proof of it ready, as the student route requires it and it is sensible on any stay.
- Give a residence address in Israel where it is asked for, and keep it up to date.
- Hold your supporting documents, such as bank statements, acceptance letters, CV, diplomas and criminal clearance, in translated and certified form where required.
- Work only for the employer or institution named in the approval, and not at all on the student route.
- Track the validity period of your permit with your sponsor and start any renewal through them well before it ends.
Questions people ask
What work visas does Israel offer foreigners?
Israel has 4 work visas. Foreign expert B/1 gives a first stay of 2 years that can be renewed. Lecturer or researcher B/1 gives a first stay of 2 years that can be renewed. There is also Work visa B/1.
How do I get a student visa for Israel?
Israel has 1 student visa. Student visa A/2 gives a first stay of 1 year.
Does Israel have a special tax regime for new residents?
Yes: Israel: 10-year exemption of foreign-source income for new and veteran returning residents; 5-year relief for returning residents. A person who becomes an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, is exempt from tax for ten years on foreign-source income from the sources in sections 2, 2A and 3, unless they elect otherwise; a returning resident has a five-year exemption on certain passive foreign-source income. It is separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Compare with
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about Israel AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.