Misrad Harishui

The Ministry of Transport (Misrad Harishui) is the government body that looks after all modes of transportation (sea, air and land). It’s also responsible for developing and planning integrated transportation systems and infrastructure.

Services and procedures

Be more specific, this very department is responsible for the following:

Driver’s license issuance and renewal

Sure thing, moving to Israel is a great move, yet there are some organizational issues to deal with first, and getting a driving license is one of them. For returnees who already have driving experience, the process can seem particularly important and possibly complicated.

Anyways, in Israel one can learn to drive from the age of 16, but he or she can only get a license from the age of 18. And if there’s no driving experience at all, the person will need to complete a full course, including practical lessons and a test:

1. First, the theoretical part, which has 30 questions about the general rules of the road. One can make up to three mistakes.
2. Second, the practical part, which is done passing the theoretical one. An instructor will evaluate the driving skills during it, and if they think the person is ready, he’ll or she’ll get the document just within 24 hours.

The driver education system in Israel differs from the norm in many other states. The thing is, the local schools are private organizations that have been accredited by the relevant department, which maintains a register of instructors. Training and examination are conducted by one of them as well.

Be advised that if you are taking your permission for the first time, you are required to undergo a medical examination before commencing training.

New repatriates are permitted to exchange their foreign document for a new Israeli one within five years of repatriation. But to proceed, applicants are required to provide proof of their driving record prior to Aliyah.

Be advised that the application must be submitted online. And that the form is currently only available in Hebrew. Interestingly, not so long ago the form, known as the *Tofes Yarok* or *Green Paper*, was used instead. However, any application form must require the following:

(Please ensure that your phone is able to receive SMS messages to receive confirmation codes)

• License category – the options are as follows: B – passenger, C1 – commercial, A1 – motorcycle, A2 – bigger motorcycle, A3 – electric bicycle; 1 – tractor and other vehicles of a special kind.
• Medical declaration – one must provide a comprehensive and accurate account of all medications, including those that may potentially impact the driving ability. Incomplete information may result in delays to the process. For further details on the information required, contact one of the Misrad Harishui branches.
• This stipulation is purely optional, situational, and only relevant for individuals over the age of 70. In this instance, the person will also require the input of an ophthalmologist and a family doctor to ensure that an additional form is completed and sent by regular mail to the Hathbura branch.

Once the online application form has been submitted, a text message will be sent containing further instructions. However, there is more to it than that.

Don’t be miss leaded: the link refers to the right section, because these very *accredited optical stores* not only check eyesight, yet also take a photo for the document. Anyhow, the cost of all procedures here will be about NIS 100.

Next, you must visit one of the Ministry of Transport branches to obtain an Israeli driving permission. And you must make an appointment in advance. We’ll provide the contact details of all the main departments below, so you may scroll straight to the end of the article if you came here just for them. You must collect the following documents before visit:

• Teudat Zehut;
• Teudat Oleh (if applicable)
• A valid foreign driving permission (both original and copy).

Once you have submitted all the required items, you’ll receive a temporary permit that’s valid for six months. But it won’t be valid until you pay the fee. You can do it in following ways:

• Online;
• Through a payment terminal;
• At the post office.

Once you have paid, the permanent document will be sent to the address presented in Teudat Zeut. Please note that delivery times can take up to three months, although the gov aim to complete the process in just one. If you haven’t received the permission by the deadline, call 08-994-9700 for assistance.

Vehicle registration

This topic is somewhat extensive and requires a detailed examination of its various nuances. While we could describe and reveal them all, it would require more than one or two posts of a similar size.

So the simplest way to access this information is via the following link: https://www.gov.il/en/services?subject=automotive_and_transportation&subsubject=drivers_license_and_vehicle_registration.

There are 14 services available, each offering a specific car-related service. These include license renewal, de-registration and, well, the registration itself.

Contact information

Below is the contact info for all the main departments dealing with car registration and driving licenses. But before we get started, we want to note that from 2023, some structures have been transferred to another sources – GoVisit (myVisit). This includes the Ministry of Transportation as well. So, you should make an appointment through this service.

Misrad Harishui Haifa

• Address: Ha’Histadrot, 1 Way Center 271 Haifa;
• Types of Service: Driver’s license services, Driving school inspector’s reception, Mechanical Engineering Equipment services, Vehicle licensing services;
• Contact Information: *5678;
• Accessibility: Partial accessibility;
• Reception Hours: Sundays-Thursdays from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Sunday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Misrad Harishui Ashkelon

• Address: Katzenelson 9 Ashkelon, 5th floor, Government Campus;
• Types of service: Driver’s license services, Driving school inspector’s reception, Vehicle licensing services;
• Phone: *5678;
• Accessibility: Fully accessible;
• Reception hours: Sundays-Thursdays from 08:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Sunday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Misrad Harishui Jerusalem

• Address: Hasadnah 19 Jerusalem, Kaduri Building, Talpiot;
• Types of service: Driver’s license services, Driving school inspector’s reception, Mechanical Engineering Equipment services, Vehicle licensing services;
• Phone: *5678;
• Accessibility: Partial accessibility, the entrance accessible by elevator;
• Reception hours: Sundays-Thursdays from 08:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Sunday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Misrad Harishui Ashdod

• Address: Menachem Begin Blvd. Ashdod, Boarding house Center, entrance 2, 3rd floor;
• Types of service: Driver’s license services, Driving school inspector’s reception, Vehicle licensing services;
• Phone: *5678;
• Accessibility: Fully accessible;
• Reception hours: Sundays-Thursdays from 08:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Sunday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

FAQ