Your first week in Netanya: what to do, in what order

Netanya has absorbed a lot of people: the city says about 70,000 olim have settled here since 1990, roughly a third of residents, from the former USSR, France, the US, Italy, South America and Ethiopia (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)). That means the system is used to newcomers, and there is help in English, French, Russian and Amharic. Here is the order I would do things in.

Before anything else: the city's own checklist

The municipality runs an olim portal, olim2netanya.co.il, with a step-by-step arrival checklist in English, French, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian and Amharic, updated September 2026 (olim2netanya (opens in a new tab)). It also names a staff member who accompanies English-speaking olim. Keep it open alongside this guide. See the listing.

Step 1: address and bank

• Register your Netanya address on your Teudat Zehut through myVisit at the Population Authority branch, 18 Ben Zvi Blvd. Bring your rental or purchase contract (olim2netanya (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.
• Open an "oleh hadash" bank account so your sal klita can be paid into it.

Step 2: Misrad HaAliyah

Book your klita counsellor at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, also at 18 Ben Zvi Blvd (1599-500905 or myVisit). Bring your ID with the Netanya address appendix, your immigration certificate and the bank-account confirmation, and ask for your ulpan voucher (olim2netanya (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

Step 3: arnona, and the paper you need for school

Olim get the arnona discount once, for one year, within the first two years after aliyah. Apply at the Revenue Division, 4 HaTzoran St, Elevator 7, 2nd floor (Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu 08:30-13:00; Wed also 16:30-18:00; closed Tuesday) or online (olim2netanya (opens in a new tab)).

On the same visit, ask for the property-holder confirmation. School and gan registration both require it. If you can't get it, a lawyer's declaration that you live in Netanya is accepted, and the Magistrates' Court at 57 Herzl St offers one at a subsidised price (same source). See the listing.

Step 4: health fund

Choose a kupat cholim at the airport, or later at a Postal Bank branch, within 90 days of aliyah. After 90 days you register at the Bituach Leumi branch, 68 Herzl St (olim2netanya (opens in a new tab)). More in the health guide.

Step 5: ulpan

The Netanya International Ulpan has run for about 30 years and is one of the largest in Israel: a roughly 500-hour programme over two levels, mornings for about 5 months or evenings for about 10, a 60+ track, and professional Hebrew for medical staff and psychologists. The office is at the Neot Herzl Community Center, 12 Shimon Bracha St, Tue and Thu 09:00-10:00 and 10:30-12:30 (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)). See the listing.

Who helps, in your language

• Municipal Absorption Department, 4 Yoel Salomon St, 1st floor, by appointment, Sun-Thu. Staff speak English, French, Russian and Amharic (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)). Listing.
• French speakers have their own municipal call centre and office at 2 Yoel Salomon St (09-8341110): education, water, the resident card, arnona, welfare, Bituach Leumi (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)). Listing.
• Netanya AACI, 28 Shmuel HaNatziv St, is the English speakers' hub: counselling, lectures, trips, Hebrew classes and an English library (AACI (opens in a new tab)). Listing.
• CASIFAN, 11 Kikar HaAtzmaut, helps French-speaking olim with paperwork and runs activities and trips (CASIFAN (opens in a new tab)). Listing.

Numbers and groups worth saving

• The 24/7 municipal hotline is 106, also on WhatsApp (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)).
• The Resident Service Center at 2 HaTzoran St works by appointment: public inquiries, parking permits and the resident card, but not arnona (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)).
• The city has official absorption WhatsApp groups for French and Russian speakers, and neighbourhood WhatsApp groups (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)).
• There is also a "new residents" hub, newres.digitanya.co.il, for arnona and water registration, school registration and resident benefits (City of Netanya (opens in a new tab)).

The newcomer checklist on this site turns all of this into ticks you can save on your phone.