Exchanging a driving licence in Israel: a guide for newcomers

A year on a foreign licence, then an exchange at the licensing authority: no tests with 5 or more years of experience, a short driving test with less. Deadlines, documents, costs and common mistakes.

In detail

The short answer: you can drive in Israel on a foreign licence for a year from the date of entry. During that time the licence is exchanged for an Israeli one at the Ministry of Transport's licensing authority. How many checks you face depends on experience: with five or more years, new immigrants and returning residents get an Israeli licence without tests.

Israel exchanges licences from any country; there is no separate list here. Three things decide the outcome: your status, your driving experience before the move and whether the licence is valid. Below, step by step: deadlines, tests, documents, costs and what to do if your licence has expired.

How long you can drive on a foreign licence in Israel

A foreign licence is valid in Israel for a year from the date of entry. After a year you may not drive on it, even if you have not yet obtained an Israeli licence. The count restarts only if you spend six consecutive months abroad and re-enter the country, so short trips abroad do not extend the period.

The exchange itself does not have to fit into that year. New immigrants can exchange their licence within five years of immigration, while temporary residents, for example on a work visa, must do so within a year of entry. But you may drive for only a year, so delaying the exchange does not pay: from the second year without an Israeli licence the car stays parked.

A word on tourists. A tourist drives on a foreign licence without any exchange, but if the licence is not in English, it is worth carrying an international driving permit with it.

Who exchanges a licence without tests

For new immigrants and returning residents the rule is based on experience:

• 5 or more years on a valid foreign licence issued before immigration: an Israeli licence is issued without a theory or driving test; this procedure has applied since September 2017;
• 2 to 5 years: no theory test, but a short driving test of about 15 minutes in an instructor's car;
• less than 2 years: both a theory test and a driving test.

Temporary residents exchange their licence with a driving test; a theory test is usually not required. If the driving test is failed twice, the exchange ends and the licence is obtained from scratch, as a new driver, with lessons and the full test. If the test is taken in an automatic car, the Israeli licence will be restricted to automatics.

Licences from any country

Israel sets no separate restrictions by the country that issued the licence: licences from any country are exchanged on the same terms. What counts is experience before immigration, status and the licence's validity. If the licence was obtained less than five years ago, a driving test is needed, and if less than two years ago, a theory test as well.

The experience must be documented. If your licence was replaced with a new card and the date of first issue is not shown on it, the documented experience may look short although you have been driving for a long time. In that case attach a document on the date of first issue from the issuing authority, with a translation, or the experience will be counted from the new card.

Documents for exchanging a licence

• an Israeli identity card, or a passport with a visa for temporary residents;
• a new immigrant's or returning resident's certificate, if you have one;
• the valid foreign licence and a copy of both sides;
• proof of experience: the issue date on the licence or a certificate of first issue from the issuing country;
• a medical form with an eye test by an optician licensed by the Ministry of Transport, and a doctor's signature if you answer yes to health questions;
• an application for an Israeli licence, completed on the Ministry of Transport website using the number issued at the office.

If the licence is not in English, the office may ask for a translation. Drivers over 75 need an additional form from an optician and a doctor.

How the exchange works: steps

1. Get your identity card or temporary resident status: the year runs from the date of entry.
2. Take an eye test with an optician licensed by the Ministry of Transport, who also takes the licence photo.
3. Fill in the medical form and the application on the Ministry of Transport website.
4. Book an appointment at a licensing office and submit the documents in person. With five or more years of experience, that is it.
5. If a driving test is needed, pay for it and for the instructor's car and take the test; with less than two years of experience, the theory test comes first.
6. Pay for the licence and receive it by post or at the office.

Appointments can be booked through the government portal or by phone. In large cities free dates can be weeks away, so it pays to start in the first months after the move.

How much exchanging a licence costs in Israel

An exchange without tests costs from $110: the eye test and the licence itself. With a driving test, costs start from $235. Lessons before the test are not compulsory, but after a long break they are worth taking: a second failure ends the exchange, and the licence then has to be obtained from scratch for much more money.

If your licence has expired

The exchange is based on a valid foreign licence. If the licence has expired, it is worth renewing it in the issuing country before applying; otherwise the office may not count your experience and may send you down the full new-driver route, with lessons and tests. If the licence expires in the coming months, apply for the exchange before that date.

The exchange period and the year of driving count from entry and from the date of immigration. Who is entitled to immigrate and how to arrange it is covered on the Immigration to Israel page, and all grounds for moving are collected in Israel: all programs.

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