Making Aliyah (Hebrew: עֲלִיָּה, literally “ascent”) is the immigration of Jews to Israel under the Law of Return. For UK residents, this represents not just a geographical move but a profound journey back to the Jewish homeland. Despite more than a year of war in Israel, the nation took in over 30,000 Jewish immigrants in 2024, demonstrating the continued appeal of starting a new life in Israel.
There is a fairly large British community in Israel and in 2015 Aliyah from the UK rose by about 25% from the previous year, with this trend continuing as more UK Jews seek opportunities in Israel’s thriving economy and vibrant Jewish community.
Understanding the Law of Return
Who Is Eligible?
The Law of Return, enacted in 1950, grants every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and obtain Israeli citizenship. The law extends not only to Jews but also to the children and grandchildren of Jews, as well as their spouses, regardless of their Jewish status.
Eligibility categories include:
Jews by Birth: Those with a Jewish mother are automatically considered Jewish according to Halacha (Jewish law)
Converts to Judaism: Individuals who have undergone an Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform conversion
Extended Family: The law covers:
- Children and grandchildren of Jews
- Spouses of Jews
- Spouses of children of Jews
- Spouses of grandchildren of Jews
Legal Framework
Three laws provide the legal framework for immigration to Israel: the Law of Return (1950), the Citizenship Law (1952), and the Entry to Israel Law (1952). The Law of Return is the primary legislation from which the right to make aliyah to Israel stems.
The Application Process
Timeline and Initial Steps
About 8 to 10 months before your desired arrival date, you should begin your Aliyah paperwork by completing the application. The process usually takes between 3 to 6 months, depending largely on your ability to supply all the requested documents and on the necessity to supply additional documents or information.
Key Organizations
The next step is to contact organizations that specialize in Aliyah to guide you through the process. The two primary organizations are: The Jewish Agency for Israel: This body facilitates Aliyah and supports Jews throughout the process. They work directly with the Israeli government and have representatives in the UK. Nefesh B’Nefesh: A non-profit organization that assists olim from English-speaking countries, providing support with the bureaucratic process, employment, and social integration.
Required Documentation
Therefore, you will need to present legalized original documentation, including birth certificate, family status documents, criminal background check, valid passport, and proof of your connection to Judaism.
Essential documents include:
Civil Documents:
- Valid UK passport
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Divorce or death certificates (if relevant)
- Criminal background check: Israel requires proof of a clean criminal record from your country of origin. In the UK, you can request this from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Religious Documentation:
- To prove your connection to Judaism you must present a letter written by an affiliated rabbi of an affiliated Jewish Community
- Proof of Jewish community involvement: While not always required, letters from a local synagogue or community leaders can help support your application
Document Preparation: All documents must be notarized and officially translated into Hebrew where necessary
Application Steps
1. Initial Assessment The first step in making Aliyah to Israel is our online questionnaire. This questionnaire will help us to better understand your status, and how we can assist you in making Aliyah. Once you have completed your questionnaire online, we will assign you a personal account manager who will contact you within 2 business days.
2. File Opening Your account manager will send you a link to your portal, to open your Aliyah file. You will have to fill in your personal details and your family’s, and upload the requested documents. You will have also to pay the nonrefundable file fees.
3. Interview Process A Jewish Agency representative will conduct a personal interview with you and your family members. This interview aims to understand your needs and expectations and to better help and advise you in your Aliyah process. During the interview, you will have to present all the original documents you have already uploaded.
4. Eligibility Review Your case will be reviewed by our eligibility staff. If your file is validated, you will receive an email with the eligibility approval. Please consider that you may have to supply additional information or documentation.
Arrival and Initial Settlement
Airport Arrival
Once you arrive in Israel, the absorption process begins. It’s a structured system designed to help new olim integrate into Israeli society. Your first stop after landing in Israel is at the Aliyah desk at Ben Gurion Airport, where you will receive your Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card). This card is essential for accessing all government services, including healthcare, education, and employment.
Ministry of Absorption Registration
Next, you’ll visit your local Misrad Haklita (Ministry of Absorption) office, where you’ll register for Aliyah benefits.
Financial Benefits and Support
Sal Klita (Absorption Basket)
The Sal Klita allows Olim to spend the first year of their stay in the Promised Land without financial problems. It is important to remember that the absorption basket is due to Olim of all ages, wherever they come from. Only the amounts of benefits differ depending on three factors: Age of children, adults and pensioners.
This package provides new olim with essential financial support during their first few months in Israel. It covers costs like temporary housing, Hebrew language courses (Ulpan), and basic living expenses. The funds are distributed in monthly installments, giving you the financial stability needed as you adjust to your new life.
Key characteristics:
- When assigning benefits, the Ministry of Aliyah is not at all interested in the monthly or total income of the Olim or his family. All future Israeli citizens staying in the country under the repatriation program are in the same conditions and will receive what they are entitled to by law
- Monthly payments are credited to the card in the same amounts
Health Coverage
Basic health coverage through the health plan of your choice is provided at no cost to unemployed Olim for up to 12 months. Employed Olim pay for coverage through salary deductions.
Housing Support
Rental Assistance Misrad Hashikun (Ministry of Housing) offers monthly rental assistance to Olim Chadashim, Ezrachim Olim, and Ktinim Chozrim who do not own a home (or part of a home) and do not live in public housing.
Recent Changes to Housing Benefits:
- For Olim who made Aliyah on or prior to February 29, 2024, the payments will automatically begin from the 8th month after Aliyah. The period of eligibility is up to five years from the date of receiving Oleh status
- For Olim who made Aliyah on or after March 1, 2024, the payments will automatically begin from the 7th month after Aliyah month and continue until the 30th month from the date of Aliyah. The period of eligibility is up to four years from the date of receiving Oleh status
Property Purchase Benefits
Purchase Tax Reductions Aliya benefits apply to someone who made Aliyah within seven years of purchasing their property. This seven year period does not include time spent in military service in Israel. And, the Aliya benefits are only eligible, provided it is their first property. When purchasing land zoned for residential construction and/or an existing residential house or apartment with aliya rights, the tax is 0.5% on the first 1,928,220 shekels spent. Above that amount, the purchase tax is 5%.
Government Loans The Israeli government gives olim (whether new immigrants or Israeli citizens born abroad), within 10 years of making aliyah, an entitlement in the form of a subsidized loan. The interest rates are between 4-4.5% for a term of 20-28 years. The loan size is approximately 200,000 shekels so additional financing may be necessary.
Additional Financial Benefits
Tax Exemptions Property purchase tax, municipal Arnona taxes, and income taxes are all subject to exemptions or reductions of varying amounts for varying lengths of time.
Customs Exemptions New Olim may bring appliances and other personal items from any country without paying customs fees at the time of Aliyah. Olim may bring up to 3 shipments of imported goods during the first 3 years. Appliances imported during the first three years are exempt from customs fees. Olim receive a discount on customs fees for up to up to $36,000 worth of equipment for establishing a business.
Education and Language Support
Hebrew Language Instruction (Ulpan)
Adults are given up to 18 months of free Hebrew instruction at regional public and participating private language schools. The benefit is measured in classroom hours, and a variety of schedules allows the benefit to be consumed over different durations. Instruction must take place in the region determined by the address associated with your Teudat Zehut.
Children in grades 1 through 12 are eligible to receive additional Hebrew instruction for the first year after Aliyah.
Higher Education Benefits
Students who begin studying for their first BA degree by the age of 17, or their first MA degree by the age of 30, and begin their studies within 3 years of Aliyah, are eligible for tuition reductions. Students under the age of 23 can receive reductions for a one-year preparatory course.
Childcare Support
Reductions in fees at child care facilities recognized by the Ministry of the Economy are offered to working mothers and may be increased based on income.
UK Tax Considerations
Informing HMRC
So, how do you go about informing HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs – the UK tax authority) that you have left? For those people who are not otherwise filing tax returns (e.g. pensioners, employees), this can be done by submitting form P85. If you were employed, attach your P45 to the form so that the tax man can give you a refund for any overpaid tax in the year in which you are leaving.
Capital Gains Planning
The exemption applies provided that you remain non-resident for 5 years post-emigration. And I would therefore normally suggest that you hold off from selling assets (commercial property, share portfolios etc.) until the start of the UK tax year after Aliyah (i.e. wait until 6th or 7th of April post Aliyah).
Inheritance Tax Considerations
An important issue facing many is that of Inheritance Tax (IHT). This is payable on all UK assets regardless of status – but for UK domiciles, is also applied to offshore assets at the time of death. Domicile is a much more undefined concept, and relates more to where you see your ultimate "home.’
UK Residence Tests
90 day test – if you were present in the UK for at least 90 days in either of two preceding tax years. This is inevitably relevant in the first two years post-Aliyah. Country test – if the country in which you were present for the most midnights during the year was the UK.
Practical Considerations
Cost of Living and Housing
Cost of living: Housing prices, utility costs, transportation, and general lifestyle costs vary greatly between cities like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and smaller communities.
Most olim rent accommodation initially, either in Absorption Centers (Merkaz Klita), where services are available to help with integration, or in private rentals. Cities like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Ra’anana are popular choices, though housing costs in these cities can be higher than in smaller towns.
Employment Opportunities
Work opportunities: While Israel has a booming tech industry, understanding job availability in your field is crucial. Some professions require licensing or requalification.
Healthcare System
Healthcare system: Israel offers universal healthcare, but understanding how to navigate its system is important.
Education for Children
Schooling and education: If you have children, familiarize yourself with the Israeli education system.
Support Networks and Community
British Community in Israel
A great resource for Brits in Israel is H.O.B., the British Immigrants’ Association, a voluntary organization that aims to help British immigrants from the UK and Ireland and further their integration by various means throughout the country. They have branches in Jerusalem, Rehovot, Netanya, Tel Aviv, and ‘FiveTowns’ (Binyamina, Caesaria, Hadera, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Zichron Ya’akov).
Professional Support
For financial planning and ongoing support, many UK residents making Aliyah benefit from professional guidance. Over the years we have helped thousands of Olim to optimise their savings when making Aliyah, giving us a deep understanding of both the benefits and practical challenges of moving to Israel.
Current Trends and Global Context
Rising Numbers
In 2024 alone, we helped more than 32,000 Jews start new lives in Israel—with crucial information and support systems for the time before, during, and after making Aliyah.
Global Jewish Movement
Jewish Agency chairman Gen. Doron Almog has forecasted a potential wave of immigration of up to one million Jews in coming years, largely driven home by the rising global antisemitism. The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors has set a target of bringing 300,000 olim in the next five years, building on the successful absorption of over 200,000 immigrants between 2019 and 2023.
Factors That May Affect Eligibility
Although, making Aliyah is a process open to many Jewish people, some factors can affect obtaining citizenship. First, having a criminal background can cause a lot of speculation when immigrating to Israel. Other factors that may cause immigration difficulty include; affiliation with a religion other than Judaism, possessing a contagious disease, and also having mental health issues.
An immigrant visa will be granted to any Jew who has expressed his desire to settle in Israel, except if the Minister of the Interior is present that the applicant – 1) acts against the Jewish people; or (2) may endanger public health or state security; or (3) Has a criminal record that may endanger public peace.
Alternative Routes
Tourist to Immigrant
Israeli immigration regulations allow people to enter Israel on a tourist visa and apply for Aliyah while in Israel. However, it’s also possible to apply for Aliyah in advance, before moving to Israel.
This is a personal decision. In either case, you will need to supply the same documentation and you will be entitled to the same benefits. The difference between the two processes is the right for a free flight to Israel.
Preparation and Final Steps
Pre-Departure Planning
Before committing to Aliyah, it’s important to understand the implications of living in Israel. Life in Israel can be vastly different from the UK, with its own culture, language, and political environment. Many prospective olim (immigrants) spend time in Israel beforehand to experience daily life.
Financial Planning
Consider engaging with financial professionals who specialize in Aliyah transitions, particularly for:
- Pension transfers and tax optimization
- Property transactions
- Investment management across currencies
- Long-term financial planning
Conclusion
Making Aliyah from the UK is a significant life decision that involves careful planning, documentation, and understanding of both Israeli benefits and UK tax implications. The Israeli government provides extensive support through the Sal Klita, housing assistance, healthcare, education benefits, and tax exemptions designed to ease the transition.
With a fairly large British community in Israel and established support networks, UK residents making Aliyah have access to comprehensive assistance throughout the process. Whether driven by religious conviction, economic opportunity, or the desire to contribute to Israeli society, the path from the UK to Israel is well-supported by both governmental programs and community organizations.
The current global climate has led to increased interest in Aliyah, with the Israeli government prepared to welcome and support new immigrants with some of the most comprehensive immigration benefits available anywhere in the world. For eligible UK residents, the opportunity to make Aliyah represents not just a change of address, but a chance to participate in one of history’s most remarkable national projects.
This guide provides general information and should not replace professional legal, financial, or immigration advice. Individual circumstances vary, and it’s recommended to consult with qualified professionals and official sources for personalized guidance.
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