After You Arrive

Your First Week in Israel

Most students land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Here is what to do in your first day, your first three days and your first week.

Israel Arrival Timeline

Check in to your housing: Dorm students get their room and roommate details on arrival day.
Get an Israeli SIM card: The international office at TAU gives new students a free SIM card.
Photograph your blue entry slip: Keep the slip safe for your whole stay.
Buy food for Shabbat: Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest. Most supermarkets close from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.

Priority
Your First 24 Hours

Get through the airport, reach your housing and keep your papers safe.

Reach your housing: If you are not in university housing, book a place to stay before you fly and keep the address with you.
Get online: Get a SIM card so you can use maps and WhatsApp.
Check your blue entry slip: It must say Student Visa (A/2) and show the same end date as your visa.
Buy basics: Sheets, towels and kitchen items are not given in TAU dorms.

Emergency contacts to save

Police: 100
Ambulance and first aid, Magen David Adom (MDA): 101
Fire and rescue: 102
Embassy of India in Tel Aviv, emergencies only (for Indian students only): 035226748

First Day Advice

Get a phone, a transport card and a bank appointment.

Visit the international office: The international office at TAU gives a free Israeli SIM card from the company 019. You buy your own plan.
Activate your university email: At TAU, your login works across all university systems.
Open a bank account: Bring your passport, visa or blue slip, another ID from home and a study letter. It takes about 30 to 50 minutes.

Walk your area: Find your nearest supermarket, pharmacy and bus stop.
Get a Rav-Kav card: For the student price, bring your passport and proof of studies to a Rav-Kav office.
Find shops open on Shabbat: In Tel Aviv, chains such as Super Yuda and AM:PM are open all week.

Finish the paperwork and learn your way around.

Student ID card: At TAU, international degree students get an email when the card is ready. Research students (MSc and PhD) fill in an online form.
Indian embassy sign-up: Indian students register on MADAD, the Indian government website where Indians abroad register.
Note your visa end date: Student visas last up to one year and are renewed each year inside Israel. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), start about four weeks before your visa ends.

Install WhatsApp: Almost everyone in Israel uses it, including many businesses.
Learn the transport apps: Moovit and Google Maps show bus and train routes, times and fares.
Find your clinic: At Technion (Technion - Israel Institute of Technology), a Clalit Health Services clinic is on campus. Clalit is an Israeli health fund.

Save these numbers in your phone on your first day.

Service	Number
Police	100
Ambulance, Magen David Adom (MDA)	101
Fire and rescue	102
Embassy of India in Tel Aviv, emergencies (for Indian students only)	035226748

When you look at a flat, ask whether it has a mamad (a safe room) or a shelter in the building.
Wear a helmet on a bike or scooter. Riding without one can bring a fine of at least NIS 250.
Do not ride bikes or scooters on the pavement.