Israel is an incredible country with so much history, beautiful beaches, and friendly people. We had a life-changing opportunity to move to Israel for a year. But, it took lots of planning, and many questions needed to be answered before making the big move. So, here are 11 critical things you need to know before traveling to Israel. And if you’re planning on staying for a while, check out our article about renting an apartment in Israel.
How Do You Report An Emergency While Traveling In Israel?
| Police | 100 |
| Police (Non-Emergency) | 110 |
| Ambulance [Magen David Adom] | 101 |
| United Hatzalah [Medical Response] | 1221 |
| National Fire and Rescue Authority | 102 |
| Home Front Command | 104 |
| Emergency [Mobile Phone] | 112 |
Is Israel Safe?
Israel is a Middle Eastern country with a long history of challenges with its neighbors. Even as I write this, the country is formally at war with Hamas in Gaza. Despite that, the majority of Israel is still very safe. They have an incredible rocket protection system known worldwide as the Iron Dome. The Home Front Command, the Israeli version of Emergency Management, has great resources and information to help keep people in Israel safe.
What you will see, which is likely surprising, is that people casually carry guns regularly. Many of them are in military uniform, but you’ll also see both men and women in shorts and t-shirts with a military-style weapons on their backs at the ice cream shop. Remember that all Israeli citizens are required to participate in military service, and they take their weapons home with them when they aren’t on duty. This shouldn’t scare you, but instead make you feel like you have somebody willing to protect you, nearly everywhere you go.
Home Front Command
Our first recommendation is to download the Home Front Command App before traveling to Israel; otherwise, as soon as possible after arrival in Israel. The app generally only allows for downloads in Israel. The app includes information about what to do when you hear the sirens, as well as the ability to set alert locations (including your current location) to get alerts directly to your cell phone. This is very useful when you’re inside and can’t hear the sirens as clearly. Or to monitor a location, such as where family or friends live.
Red Alert Sirens
When the sirens or the cell phone app alarms, you must head to a protected space. How long you have to get to the protected space varies depending on where you are in the country. For example, much of the country is 90 seconds, including the biggest cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Locations along the borders have a much shorter time to seek shelter but also significantly more protected spaces. The siren sounds for the amount of time you have to get to the protected space. That is to say, by the time the siren stops sounding, you should be safely within a protected space.
Protected Spaces
Most buildings in Israel have a protected space within them. There are three types of protected spaces: A Mamad (a protected room), A Mamak (a protected space on a floor), or A Mamam (a building protected space.) This means that it could be a room within an apartment, it could be a room on every floor or a basement shelter for the building. Take time to find the nearest shelter space to where you live, visit, or explore. There are lots of public shelters near popular areas, such as beaches, and inside buildings including malls. As a last resort, inside stairwells with no windows also can serve as protected spaces. You cannot use bathrooms as protected spaces. Learn more from the Home Front Command website. Find the closest shelters to you in the places that you’ll be traveling to within Israel.
Where Is Israel located?
Israel is located in the Middle East, technically in Asia. It’s located between Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. It’s bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, giving it miles of beautiful beaches. The center of the country is located at 31.0461° N, 34.8516° E.
We flew to Israel on El Al Airways. Read our full review of our experience here.
What Type Of Plug Do You Need While Traveling in Israel?
Israel uses the Type H plug but can also accept Type C plugs due to backward compatibility. Note that Israel uses 220 volts as a voltage, so many US products will not work (and may catch fire) if plugged into an Israel outlet. Check the plug to confirm that the item will work on 220 volts before plugging it in.
What Kind Of Cell Phone Coverage Does Israel Have?
Israel has good coverage in most places. Although we haven’t had 5G anywhere during our time in Israel. We have had pretty good data coverage, but it has been slow at times. There are a number of local cellular providers within Israel. If you are coming from the US and looking for English-speaking and US-based customer service, we recommend CellularIsrael.
Here are the five most common cell phone providers in Israel:
- Cellcom
- Pelephone
- Partner
- Hot Mobile
- Golan Telecom
What Language Do They Speak In Israel?
The primary language of Israel is Hebrew. Most signs, menus, and even business names are in Hebrew. English is also a very common language. Many street signs are in Hebrew and English, and sometimes Arabic. Google Maps has most business names in English, but once you click through to a website, there is a limited chance that it’s in English. We’ve luckily found that Google translate often works to make websites work for us.
When you go to a restaurant or a shop, expect most things to be in Hebrew, sometimes with a little bit of English. But most people speak English, even if they prefer not to. It has been a great chance for us to practice Hebrew, though, because if we start to struggle too much, people switch to English. Although having a good understanding of Hebrew will make it easier for you, you can survive in Israel with English and Google Translate.
What Are The Passports and Visa Requirements For Israel?
For US Citizens traveling to Israel, you only need a passport and can receive a 90-day visitor visa upon arrival. If you intend on staying more than 90 days, you will likely need to visit an Israeli Embassy and get a longer-term visa. In either case, your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond when you intend to leave. Note that Israel does have an elevated level of security, so you may be questioned more intensely than you are used to from most other countries. But that is all part of how they are keeping Israel safe.
What Kind Of Money Does Israel Use?
Israel uses the New Israeli Shekel as their primary currency, abbreviated as NIS or ILS, and uses the symbol ₪. They have paper bills of various colors for 200₪, 100₪, 50₪, and 20₪. Note that the size of the paper bill gets larger as the currency it represents gets larger. In addition to the five bills, there are five coins. Five of them are smaller denominations of shekels: 10₪, 5₪, 2₪, 1₪ and 0.5₪. And the final coin is a ten agorot coin. During our time here, we’ve used only bills and credit cards for our purchases, but we’ve seen places that accept the coins as well.
What Important Stores Should I Know About While Visiting Israel?
You may need to pick up some basic supplies when you first arrive in Israel. Being that most places are written in Hebrew, finding some of the local stores can be challenging. But, if all else fails, Wolt, either online or via an app (Apple or Android), can get you just about anything that you need delivered anywhere in the bigger cities.
Pharmacy (OTC Medications & Basic Medical/First Aid Supplies)
- Super-Pharm – With 290 stores within Israel, it is the largest in the country. They are commonly found in malls and shopping centers but also have various-sized standalone locations. The website is exclusively in Hebrew.
- Good Pharm – Exclusively within Tel Aviv, they have 12 branches with all of the pharmacy basics. The website is exclusively in Hebrew. Their website doesn’t allow for online ordering.
- BeStore – With online ordering and delivery, there are fewer stores than the others, but they have some specialty products. The website is machine-translated into English, but it doesn’t translate well. It may not be available outside of Israel.
Grocery (Food, Beverages & Groceries)
- Shufersal or Supersol – With 378 stores across Israel, the Shufersal is commonly reported as the most popular mid-range grocery store in Israel. At the time of this writing, the website is only available within Israel.
- Tiv Tam (aka “In the City“) – Operates 38 stores throughout Israel, with a combination of large supermarkets, but more commonly, local branch locations with grocery store necessities.
- AM/PM – Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the AM:PM stores are very common in Tel Aviv. The website also allows for online ordering and is in both English and Hebrew.
- Rami Levi – Operating 44 supermarkets throughout Israel, Rami Levi is Israel’s third-largest supermarket chain.
Pro Tip: many stores are closed during Shabbat in Tel Aviv! This is from sundown on Friday through Saturday. Learn all about it here.
Is Israel Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! I can say that confidently as I made the choice to move to Israel for an entire year. After being here for a month now, I have found it to be a place filled with passionate people, incredible sites, and lots of amazing food. Miles of beautiful beaches, and in normal times, lots of concerts and activities. If you have a religious background, this country is home to the beginnings and some of the most holy places of three different religions. My only recommendation is to check out the State Department Travel Advisories page to ensure that travel is safe to Israel. It is a country with a history of regional conflict, so there are times that there are escalated tensions that make visiting more dangerous.
Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, We earn a small commission if you make a purchase. We only recommend companies we've used and trust and the income goes to keeping our site running and ad free. Read our full disclosures and privacy policy here.
