It is well known that for foreign citizens to be eligible for health insurance through Bituach Leumi, they must endure a 183-day waiting period that always started from the day they obtained their student or toshav arai visa. As of January 1, 2018, even days spent on a tourist (or working) visa before obtaining a student or toshav arai visa will be counted toward the 183-day total.
On behalf of the English-speaking community, Chaim V’Chessed thanks R’ Gershon Ungar of MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler’s office, who championed this helpful policy revision.
While it is still important to ensure that foreigners obtain a student or toshav arai visa as soon as possible, slight delays will no longer have such critical implications, as long as they are in possession of any type of valid visa throughout all their time spent in Israel.
