|
|
|
| Israeli residents traveling abroad |
 |
|
|
If you are an Israeli resident who is temporarily living abroad, you are required to pay national insurance and health insurance contributions to the National Insurance Institute during your residence abroad. If you are in arrears on the payments of your health insurance contributions during your residence abroad, you may lose your right to receive health care services for several months; therefore, it is important that you do not fall into arrears on these payments.
If you are an Israeli resident and you were sent to work abroad by your Israeli employer, your Israeli employer is responsible for payment and must deduct your insurance contributions from your salary.
An Israeli resident who works for a foreign employer in a country that is a signatory to a social security convention with Israel, and who pays social insurance contributions in that country is exempt from payment of national insurance contributions to the NII, and is required to pay only health insurance contributions.
If you have been residing abroad with your family for a lengthy period of time or if you have immigrated to another country and are in effect no longer an Israeli resident, you must notify the NII so that the possibility of the termination of your NII coverage can be looked into.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Who is an Israeli resident? | |
| A person is considered an "Israeli resident" if the center of his life is in Israel, if he declared his intention to reside in Israel and if he gave this intention a concrete, external expression. One's "center of life" is examined both objectively – checking the actual place of residence – and subjectively – according to one's personal view of the place that is the center of one's life.
A person can continue to be considered an Israeli resident even if he is living abroad, on condition that his stay abroad is a temporary one (for example, for purposes of studies, a trip, a temporary job, etc.) – as long as the center of his life remains in Israel. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| How do you pay? | |
Before leaving Israel, go to the local NII branch nearest you and report your upcoming trip.
The staff of the NII will be happy to provide you with a comprehensive explanation of your rights and obligations and will also make your payment arrangements.
When you go to the local NII branch, don’t forget to provide the NII with your precise address in Israel through which you can be contacted and to which payment instructions can be sent.
You can pay your national insurance contributions to the NII through the payments website, by check, through a standing bank order or by means of a power of attorney.
Please note: Any arrears in the payment of your insurance contributions to the NII will entail fines and linkage and could jeopardize your rights and the rights of the members of your family to receive benefits. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| How much do you pay? | |
| If you have income that is subject to insurance contributions, you pay your insurance contributions to the NII in accordance with your income and, generally speaking, on a monthly basis.
If you do not have income that is subject to insurance contributions, you pay a minimal amount of both national and health insurance contributions to the NII, and do so once every three months, in the same way of does someone who is neither an employee nor a self-employed person, who resides in Israel and who has no income.
If you are an Israeli resident who has retired early and who lives abroad, your national insurance and health insurance contributions are deducted from your pension by the payer of your pension, even during your residence abroad. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| If you are an employee of an Israeli employer and reside abroad | |
If you have been sent abroad by your Israeli employer, and your employment contract was signed in Israel, you are considered an employee to all intents and purposes, and your employer is therefore responsible for payment and must deduct insurance contributions from your salary.
If your Israeli employer wishes to continue to employ you abroad after five years have passed from the time you began working abroad, he contact the NII and request suitable authorization. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Residence in a country that is a signatory to a social security convention with Israel | |
| If you are reside in a convention country and pay social insurance contributions in that country, you should present the National Insurance Institute with documentation attesting to such contributions. The NII will look into your case in order to determine whether or not you are required to pay national insurance contributions for that period.
Even if you pay social insurance contributions in the country in which you reside abroad, you are still required to pay health insurance contributions in Israel at the minimum rate determined by law: NIS 100 (as of 01.01.2012) .
Further information can be obtained under Rights of Israeli residents under international conventions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Israeli Resident Residing Abroad for Two or More Years and whose payments of health insurance contributions are in arrears | |
An Israeli resident who have been living abroad after March 1, 2001 for a period of two or more consecutive years and who do not pay health insurance contributions to the National Insurance Institute or who are in arrears in the payment of their health insurance contributions for a period exceeding 12 months lose their eligibility for receiving health care services in Israel, in accordance with the law governing state health insurance coverage.
In order to renew their eligibility for receiving health care services in Israel, they will be subject to a waiting period of one month for every “year of absence” from Israel after November 1, 2008 (and a waiting period of two months for every year of absence before November 1, 2008).
A year of absence from Israel is defined as any year during which an Israeli resident lived abroad for at least 182 days, even if not consecutively.
A waiting period of one month is defined as residence of at least 25 consecutive days in Israel during that month.
As of November 1, 2008, the minimum waiting period is 2 months and the maximum is 6 months.
For persons who were in a waiting period before November 1, 2008, the remainder of their waiting period after November 1, 2008 will not exceed 6 months.
Please note: Payment of an outstanding debt for health insurance does not exempt you from being subject to a waiting period.
Please pay your health insurance contributions on time so that you will be able to receive health care services immediately on your return to Israel.
Redeeming the waiting period
You can redeem the waiting period with a single payment, whereupon you will be eligible for health care services following this payment. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Persons who have ceased to be Israeli residents | |
Persons who have ceased to be Israeli residents, who have returned to Israel in order to once more become Israeli residents and who have been recognized as an Israeli resident by the National Insurance Institute are eligible to receive health care services in Israel only after a waiting period of one month for every year they resided abroad after November 1, 2008 and a waiting period of two months for every year they resided abroad before November 1, 2008.
A year of absence from Israel is defined as any year during which an Israeli resident lived abroad for at least 182 days, even if not consecutively.
A waiting period of one month is defined as residence of at least 25 consecutive days in Israel during that month.
As of November 1, 2008, the minimum waiting period is 2 months and the maximum is 6 months. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Waiting period for receipt of health services | |
| An Israeli resident who has lived abroad for two or more consecutive years and who has not paid health insurance contributions for a period of at least 12 months, or an Israeli resident who has lived abroad and who has ceased being an Israeli resident, is eligible for health services in Israel only after a waiting period, in accordance with the rules described below.
There is the possibility of redeeming the waiting period with a special payment; once the payment has been made, the returning resident can receive health services immediately.
Calculation of the waiting period
-
If you lived abroad prior to November 1, 2008, your waiting period will be calculated on the basis of two months for every year of your residence abroad.
-
If you lived abroad after November 1, 2008, your waiting period will be calculated on the basis of one month for every year of your residence abroad.
In any case, the maximum length of the waiting period is six months. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Special payment for redeeming the waiting period | |
| Persons whose eligibility for health care services in Israel is effective only after a waiting period (especially if it is long) - and who have been recognized as Israeli residents can redeem the waiting period with a special payment determined by law: NIS 9,990 (as of 01.01.2012) – in one payment or several (up to 6) consecutive and equal payments. After the NII receives of the payment or payments, these persons are immediately eligible for health care services in Israel. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| A tip for Israeli residents traveling abroad | |
If you are an Israeli resident who is temporarily living abroad, you are required to pay national and health insurance contributions to the National Insurance Institute during your residence abroad. If you are in arrears on the payments of your health insurance contributions during your residence abroad, you may lose your right to receive health care services for several months; therefore, if you are leaving Israel for a prolonged period abroad, please go to the local NII branch nearest you and arrange your national and health insurance payments. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|