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Immigration & Aliyah

How much does the absorption basket (sal klita) pay a new immigrant?

The absorption basket (sal klita) is a cash grant the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration pays every new immigrant who arrives under the Law of Return 5710-1950, to cover the first months of living costs. A single adult typically receives on the order of NIS 17,000 to 28,000 spread across roughly the first six to seven months, beginning with a payment handed out at Ben-Gurion Airport. The exact sum depends on family size, age, and status, and it is paid on top of the customs and tax benefits in the oleh certificate. The grant is not a loan, is not repayable, and does not depend on finding work or attending ulpan.

The sal klita is an absorption benefit administered by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (Misrad HaAliyah VeHaKlita) for immigrants who arrive under the Law of Return 5710-1950. The payment structure is a small lump sum handed over at the airport on the day of Aliyah, followed by a series of monthly installments paid into the new immigrant's Israeli bank account over the initial absorption period. The Ministry sets the rates by household, so a couple, a family with children, and a single adult each receive different totals, and the figures are updated by the Ministry from time to time. This grant sits alongside the tax and customs reliefs described in the guide to oleh benefits and tax breaks, and the two are entirely separate entitlements that do not reduce one another.

To start receiving the basket, a new immigrant completes the Aliyah registration, opens an Israeli bank account, and provides the account details to the Ministry so the monthly transfers can begin. Certain groups receive enhanced rates, including single-parent families, lone soldiers without parents in Israel, and older olim, reflecting their higher absorption needs. The payments are time-limited to the early months of absorption and are designed to bridge the gap before the immigrant finds work, so they are not conditional on attending an ulpan or taking a job. Because the Ministry revises the amounts periodically, an immigrant planning a budget should confirm the current rate for their exact household with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration or the Jewish Agency before arrival.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing framework: absorption benefit administered under the Law of Return 5710-1950 framework (rates set by Ministry procedure rather than a fixed statute section)
  • Competent authority: Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (Misrad HaAliyah VeHaKlita); payments to the immigrant's Israeli bank account
  • Amount: a lump sum of roughly NIS 1,300 on arrival plus monthly installments, totaling on the order of NIS 17,000-28,000 per adult over the first 6-7 months (2026), varying by family size, age, and status
  • Enhanced rates: single-parent families, lone soldiers, and older olim receive higher amounts
  • Timeline: first installment at Ben-Gurion Airport; remaining monthly payments across the first six to seven months
  • Separate benefit: the sal klita is additional to the customs and tax breaks in the oleh certificate and is not repayable

From the full guide: Oleh Benefits and Tax Breaks: A Complete Guide for New Immigrants

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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