Quick answer: for your first move inside Israel after aliyah, have the lease checked before you sign, book the move around the date the keys change hands, write your box labels in Hebrew as well as English, photograph the apartment and the meters at handover, and update your address with each institution as soon as you move. The checklist below puts those steps in order. It is about the move itself, not about benefits or shipping from abroad.
Most new olim do not stay in the first place they land. You may start in an absorption center, with relatives, in a short-term furnished rental or in a first apartment, and a few months later move to somewhere that suits your family, your job or your ulpan. That first move in Israel feels different from moves back home. The contract is often in Hebrew, the utilities work differently, the neighbors speak a language you are still learning, and everyone around you seems to know a rule you have not heard about. This guide takes you through it step by step.
What this checklist covers, and what it does not
MovingIL works inside Israel. We do not ship household goods from abroad, and we do not clear shipments through customs or the port. If a shipment is still on its way to you, that is a separate job for a specialist international shipper. For benefits and entitlements, such as what the state provides to new immigrants, use the official sources: the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and the aliyah organization that helped you. We do not give legal or benefits advice, and the rules change, so do not rely on a moving guide for them.
Before you sign the lease
The move starts with the contract. If the lease is in Hebrew, have it translated and reviewed by a lawyer or a trusted Hebrew speaker before you sign. Ask about:
- The start date, the length of the lease, and whether you can extend it.
- How and when you can end it, and the notice you must give.
- What belongs to the apartment: appliances, air conditioners, light fixtures, curtain rails and built-in closets, and what you will need to buy.
- Who pays for what: the monthly building fee (vaad bayit), the municipal property tax (arnona), electricity, water, gas and internet.
- The deposit and guarantees. Israeli leases commonly use guarantors, checks or a bank guarantee. Read what each one means for you before you agree to it.
- The condition of the apartment. Agree on a list of repairs, in writing, before you move in.
This is general information, not legal advice. If anything in the lease is unclear, ask a lawyer.
Eight weeks to moving day
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Eight weeks | Check the notice clause in your current rental and tell the landlord in writing. Decide the date for the keys. |
| Six weeks | Sort and sell or give away what you will not need. Ask the building about the moving rules and the elevator. |
| Four weeks | Send the moving company the details: addresses, floors, elevator, and what you are moving. Summer and the weeks around the holidays tend to book up, so ask early. |
| Two weeks | Start packing the rooms you use less. Prepare the Hebrew labels. Ask about the date for the final meter readings. |
| One week | Confirm the date, the time window and the contact on both sides. Pack the open-first box. |
| Moving day | Take final meter readings at the old home, hand over keys, and be at the new home for the handover. |
Label the boxes in Hebrew too
The movers will usually read Hebrew faster than English, so write the room name in both languages on each box. Use big letters and put the label on the top and on two sides. Here are the words you need:
| English | Hebrew | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | מטבח | mitbach |
| Living room | סלון | salon |
| Bedroom | חדר שינה | cheder sheyna |
| Children's room | חדר ילדים | cheder yeladim |
| Bathroom | אמבטיה | ambatya |
| Balcony | מרפסת | mirpeset |
| Storage room | מחסן | machsan |
| Safe room | ממ״ד | mamad |
| Fragile | שביר | shavir |
| Heavy | כבד | kaved |
| Open first | לפתוח ראשון | liftoach rishon |
Number each box and keep a list. If you are not sure the movers will read your handwriting, use a printed label.
Ask about stairs and floors before the quote
In many Israeli buildings, especially older ones, there is no elevator, and a fourth-floor walk-up is not unusual. The number of floors, and whether there is an elevator at each end, changes how long a move takes, so give those details when you ask for a price. Photos of the stairwell and the entrance help. Also say whether the street is narrow, whether the truck can get close, and whether you have a parking arrangement. Floors in Israeli apartments are often tile or stone, and heavy furniture scratches them, so mention it to the movers and use felt pads for the legs of tables and chairs.
Handover day: protocol, photos and meters
When you get the keys, do a walk-through with the landlord or their representative, if possible before the movers arrive. Then:
- Go through every room and write down what you find in a handover protocol (protocol mesira): marks on walls, broken tiles, door handles, windows, shutters, taps, air conditioners.
- Take dated photos of everything, including the inside of cupboards and the balcony.
- Photograph the electricity, water and gas meters, with the numbers legible, and send the photos to the landlord.
- Test the appliances, switches and sockets, and the air conditioner if there is one.
- Both sides sign the protocol and each keeps a copy.
Keep it in a safe place for the end of the lease. It is the best proof of how the apartment looked on the day you moved in.
Accounts and utilities
Open or transfer the accounts that your contract puts in your name. Typically that includes electricity, water, the municipal property tax, gas if relevant, and internet and television. Ask the landlord for the details of the previous account holder, and have your identity number, the lease and the meter readings ready. Some of these can be done online, others by phone or at a counter, and the process differs by provider and by city. Close the accounts at your old home with a final reading on the day you leave. Do not leave an account open in your name for a home you no longer live in.
Change your address
After the move, update your address with the institutions that need it. Start with the Population and Immigration Authority, then:
- Your health fund.
- Your bank and credit card companies.
- The National Insurance Institute and the Tax Authority.
- Your employer, your ulpan and your children's school or gan.
- The municipality, for the property tax and for any resident services.
- Any program or office that tracks your address as part of your aliyah.
Deadlines and procedures vary, so use the official sites and confirm what applies to you.
Appliances you brought from abroad
Israel runs on 230 volts and 50 hertz. Many appliances made for North America are built for 110 volts and can be damaged, or can be unsafe, if you plug them in here without the right equipment. Before you move anything electric into the new apartment, read the label on the back or the power supply. If it says 100-240V, it is made to work on both. If it says only 110-120V, ask a qualified person before you plug it in, and do not rely on a cheap travel adapter. Large appliances with motors, such as a fridge or a washing machine, are the ones people most often replace locally. Decide this before moving day, so the movers are not carrying a machine you will never use.
Moving with children
If your children are starting at a new gan or school, the move date matters. Registration is handled through the municipality, and the procedure and the timing differ from city to city, so ask the education department of the municipality you are moving to as soon as you know the address. Try not to move in the middle of an important week at school or ulpan. If you can, pack the children's rooms last and set them up first at the new home, with the beds made and the favorite toys in their usual place.
Keep one folder for the paperwork
Put everything in one folder, physical or digital: the lease, the handover protocol, the photos of the meters, the moving quote and confirmation, the receipts from the utilities, and any messages with the landlord. You will need pieces of it for the municipality, for the return of your deposit at the end of the lease, and for any disagreement about the condition of the apartment. It takes ten minutes to organize and can save you weeks later.
Common surprises for new olim
A few things can catch you out in a first move. First, Friday afternoons, Shabbat and the eve of holidays are difficult to schedule, so choose a day between Sunday and Thursday if you can. Second, a rental can be handed over without light fixtures, appliances or air conditioners, so check what stays. Third, building rules can include moving hours and a booking system for the elevator. Fourth, forms and signs are in Hebrew, so photograph anything you cannot read and ask someone to translate it before you act on it. Last, give yourself more time than you think you need, and plan for an easy first night, with the bed made and the kettle ready.
How to get a closed price in English
Send a message on WhatsApp with:
- Where you are moving from and to, with the floor and whether there is an elevator at each end.
- The number of rooms and the large or heavy items, such as a piano, a large wardrobe or a washing machine.
- Whether you want packing, furniture assembly and unpacking.
- Your preferred date and any flexibility.
- A few photos or a short video of each room.
You get one closed price, in writing, before anything is booked. MovingIL coordinates the move, and the carrying is done by independent moving companies we work with.
For a move of olim between homes in Israel, see moving for new olim. If you are moving a studio or a few rooms, small moves may be the right size, and if you want help with the boxes, packing services can take the packing off your hands. Good luck with the move, and welcome home.