Chaim V'Chessed

Birth: Legalities

Published on December 29, 2025 Print this guide

Birth and Bituach Leumi

Generally, births in Israel are paid for by Bituach Leumi. 

Bituach Leumi is Israel’s national insurance institute, which provides insurance and social security benefits to residents of Israel. Members of Bituach Leumi access healthcare services through one of the four health funds (kupot cholim): Meuhedet, Maccabi, Leumit and Clalit.

Meuhedet and Maccabi allow foreigners to register on a “tourist plan” that provides limited coverage within the network. However, without Bituach Leumi, certain medical expenses such as childbirth are not covered.  These plans also do not cover most preexisting conditions. 

See here for information on registering for Bituach Leumi. 

Women who are pregnant and not eligible for Bituach Leumi should contact support@chaimvchessed.com for guidance. 

Registering at the Hospital

In the ninth month of pregnancy, a woman should ideally register at the hospital where she plans to give birth. This allows the hospital to prepare in advance and verify with Bituach Leumi that the birth will be covered. 

If a woman did not register (e.g. in the case of a premature delivery), registration can be done upon arrival, and Bituach Leumi can be arranged afterward. The hospital may require a postdated check if payment is not settled before discharge.

Note

Bituach Leumi will not cover the birth until all outstanding bills , even minimal ones, are paid.

Register in one of three ways: 

  1. In person: Go to the hospital with both spouses’ teudot zehut or passports and register at the kabalat leidah office.
  2. By email or fax: Call or email the hospital of choice, which will send you a registration form. Fax or email the form along with copies of both spouses’ IDs. 
  3. Online registration. 

For visa holders:

  • Sharei Zedek and Hadassah Har Hazofim will contact Bituach Leumi directly to arrange payment.
  • Hadassah Ein Kerem will give the woman the form to submit to Bituach Leumi herself. This can be done from the mother’s online Bituach Leumi account. 
Note

A woman who did not register in person will need to present both spouses’ ID at the time of birth or discharge.

Contact information for registration:

  • Shaare Zedek:
    • Phone 02 666 6491
    • Fax: 02 656 4371
    • Register online here and follow up with an email to leida@szmc.org.il
  • Hadassah Har Hatzofim: 
    • Complete this online form. 
    • Call 02 584 4381 for follow-up, Sunday – Thursday 8 am – 4 pm.
Tip

For English-speaking assistance at Hadassah Har Hatzofim, contact Tamara Boretzky or another volunteer at 050-894-6695.

  • Hadassah Ein Kerem: 
    • Complete this online form.
    • Call 02 677 6490 for follow-up, Sunday – Thursday 8 am – 4 pm.

Birth Registration For Visa Holders Before Bituach Leumi Acceptance

Visa holders who are not yet on Bituach Leumi at the time of the birth do not need to register at the hospital in advance. 

Eligible A-category visa holder are accepted to Bituach Leumi retroactively from the day the visa was issued (up to one year back). If one holds a valid A-category visa (e.g., a student visa from a Torah institution) at the time of birth, Bituach Leumi will cover the birth retroactively. 

Visa holders not yet eligible for Bituach Leumi must give the hospital a postdated check. Once accepted to Bituach Leumi, they should contact the hospital with their 77 number. After payment is received, the hospital will tear up the check.

Tip

Specify that the check is a check pikadon (security check), not a check dachui (automatically cashed on the date specified). Ensure Bituach Leumi is arranged before the check’s date. If needed, request an extension. 

Leaving the Hospital

Before discharge, the hospital will provide:

  1. Teudat shichrur – discharge papers for the mother – needed for postpartum care and beit hachlama – and for the baby –  needed for Tipat Chalav.  In addition, the baby’s papers will be needed for foreigners who need to register for kupat cholim. 
  2. Pinkas Chisunim – the baby’s vaccination booklet, if he/she received any immunizations, to be brought to all Tipat Chalav appointments.
  3. Hodaa al leidah chai ‒ a temporary birth certificate, which must be exchanged at The Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) for an official Israeli birth certificate. This must be arranged whether or not the baby is Israeli.
Note

Be sure to check over this document well before leaving the hospital to assure that all information was registered correctly.

Tip

Hospitals often give vouchers for a free night in beit hachlamah, but they might not offer it unless one requests it before discharge.

See here for more information on beit hachlama and here for information on Tipat Chalav. 

The following must be arranged (in order):

  1. Kupat cholim – health insurance
  2. Teudat leidah ‒ Israeli birth certificate
  3. Foreign birth certificate and passport (see our Foreign Citizenship information guides)

For non-Israeli children: 

  1. Visa
  2. Bituach Leumi

Kupat Cholim

For more information on Kupat Cholim see here. 

Israeli babies born in Israel, whose Israeli parent(s) are properly registered with Bituach Leumi will be automatically registered with Bituach Leumi and kupat cholim automatically. Supplementary insurance (eg Meuchedet C, Maccabi Sheli) must be added manually.   

Note

It is important to arrange supplemental insurance right away in order to avoid an extensive waiting period for benefits.

Babies born abroad to Israeli parents must first be registered with the Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) before registering with kupat cholim. 

Non-Israeli babies are not registered automatically. 

Once the child has a passport and visa, they can register with Bituach Leumi as outlined here.

Note

In certain circumstances, Chaim V’Chessed may be able to assist with registering newborns with Bituach Leumi before they have a passport and visa. Contact support@chaimvchessed.com for assistance.  

Until a non-Israeli child has a passport and visa, Meuhedet and Maccabi may accept newborns (up to 1 month old) on a tourist plan provided there is no pre-existing condition. Meuhedet provides coverage for the first 6 months free of charge, after which they may extend coverage for a fee.  

Bring the baby’s michtav shichrur (discharge papers) when registering at the kupat cholim clinic. 

The child will not be registered with supplementary insurance (eg Meuchedet C, Maccabi Sheli etc) unless one requests it, even if the entire family is already paying for that coverage.  

Tip

Non-Israeli citizens registering with Meuhedet should do so at the Beis Yisroel or Chaggai branches in Jerusalem. 

After registration, the non-Israeli child will be assigned a temporary number starting with 9. Once registered with Bituach Leumi, a permanent 77 number will be issued.

Note

Kupat cholim will not accept a new child if an older sibling is on a tourist plan and not yet registered with Bituach Leumi. Children with pre-existing conditions or pending medical reviews are also not accepted on a tourist plan; contact support@chaimvchessed.com if needed. 

Note on jaundice: When discharge papers indicate that the bilirubin must be checked, Meuhedet will accept a baby once a doctor, tipat chalav or a mohel provides a signed and stamped letter stating the bilirubin is below 10, or higher than 10 but lower than the level at discharge.

For children born abroad or over one month old, a letter must be presented from a Meuhedet pediatrician (seen privately) confirming that the baby is in good health. 

In Jerusalem, one can obtain this letter from:

  • Dr. Ben Ari 02-6458613 or 058-6130911
  • Dr. Risak, Meuhedet Sorotzkin clinic 02-546-4000
Tip

If the baby has no passport and visa after 6 months, kupat cholim may allow continued coverage for a fee.  Contact your kupat cholim for more information.

Teudat Leida- Israeli Birth Certificate

The temporary birth certificate received in the hospital must be exchanged at The Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) for an official birth certificate.   

Generally, this cannot be done until 2 weeks after birth.  If needed urgently, such as to issue a foreign passport, the certificate can be requested sooner. However, applicants must appear at Misrad Hapnim right when they open. 

Tip

For non-Israeli citizens, issuing the birth certificate within one month after birth makes applicants eligible to receive kitzvat yeladim (child allowance) retroactively from the time of birth. 

  • Israeli citizens can apply online to receive the certificate and update the sefach of their teudat zehut. A digital certificate can be downloaded as well.
Tip

A digital birth certificate must be printed in color for use at the U.S. embassy. 

Tip

If only one parent is Israeli, the non-Israeli parent’s details may not appear on the certificate when ordered online. 

In-person applications:

Bring parents’ teudot zehut along with the hoda’at leidah chai (temporary birth certificate). If only one parent is Israeli, they must bring their own teudat zehut and the non-Israeli spouse’s passport. 

Note

If a parent is Israeli, their marital status must be updated in The Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) before obtaining the certificate. 

  • If neither parent is Israeli, either may apply in person. The child is not required to be present.  Bring both spouses’ passports with valid visas and the hoda’at leidah chai (temporary birth certificate) from the hospital. 
Note

Both parents must have valid visas (including tourist visas) to obtain a birth certificate. 

In Jerusalem, this service is available only at the Shlomtzion HaMalkah 1 branch.  

Tip

Check the birth certificate well for both content and spelling before leaving the office.

Note

No appointment is required.

Misrad Hapnim hours:

  • Morning hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (closed Wednesday mornings)
  • Afternoon hours: Monday and Wednesday 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm

A child born in Israel does not receive citizenship unless a parent is an Israeli citizen, toshav keva or toshav arai (see here for more information). However, the Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim) can issue a letter stating that the child is not Israeli (cost: 100 NIS, credit card only).

Present both parents’ original birth certificates. If these do not list their parents’ birthdates, bring copies of the grandparents’ passports as well.

The certificate may be issued on the spot or the applicant may be asked to return to pick it up at a later date.  

Tip

A child’s passport will list “Israel” as their place of birth. It may be wise to obtain the above letter to prevent any future complications.

Foreign citizenship

Please see our guides on arranging foreign citizenship and passports: American Citizenship, British Citizenship, and Canadian CItizenship.

Visa for Baby

Once the child has a foreign passport, they can obtain a visa. If both parents have valid visas, the child will receive a visa valid for the same duration. 

As of March 2025 (Jerusalem): ALL student visa applications – including renewals – must be submitted by email to families-yeshiva-jerusalem@piba.gov.il. In-person submissions are no longer accepted.

Note

For emergencies (e.g., for medical coverage) where one visa is needed immediately, one can apply in person along with documented proof of the emergency.

When applying in person, only one parent needs to be present. The child is not required to come. 

Required documents:

  1. Passports of both parents and the child
  2. Original birth certificate of the child.  If the child was born in Israel, this refers to the birth certificate from Misrad Hapnim (NOT a Foreign Report of Birth Abroad/ CRBA)
  3. Parents’ original marriage license
  4. Application for visa extension (family visa form). Make sure the dates on the form are entered in the format DD/MM/YY. Form is also available at the Population Authority (Misrad Hapnim). 

When applying by email, send the documents as clear PDF scans, merged into one compressed file (one can use ilovepdf.com for this purpose). The visa(s) will be emailed to you within three weeks.

Tip

If applying in person, request a daf knisot vyetziot  for the child and attending parent. This will be needed when registering the child for Bituach Leumi or applying for kitzvat yeladim. 

Bituach Leumi

After a non-Israeli child receives a passport and visa, they can be registered with Bituach Leumi. 

This ensures access to full health coverage and benefits such as kitzvat yeladim and chisachon l’kol yeled . 

Adding a Non-Israeli Child to an Existing Plan

Apply online here. 

Please see here for more information and directions on how to apply.