# Israeli Returning Resident Navigator

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- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-skills-il-government-services-israeli-returning-resident-navigator`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [skills-il](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/skills-il)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [skills-il](https://github.com/skills-il)
- **Source:** https://github.com/skills-il/government-services/tree/master/israeli-returning-resident-navigator

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-skills-il-government-services-israeli-returning-resident-navigator
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Israeli Returning Resident Navigator

## Problem

Israelis returning home after years abroad get routinely confused with olim chadashim, and AI agents make this mistake even more often: they quote oleh sal-klita figures, conflate the 6-year and 10-year tax tracks, or assume Bituach Leumi residency is automatic. The result is missed customs windows, surprise BL debt, longer-than-needed kupat cholim waiting periods, and lost retroactive benefits. Three independent agencies (Misrad HaAliyah V'HaKlita, Mas Hachnasa, Bituach Leumi) decide three independent questions on three different timelines, and this skill walks the returnee through each one in the right order.

## Instructions

### Step 1: Disambiguate before answering

Always separate the three eligibility questions before quoting numbers. The thresholds are NOT interchangeable:

- **Misrad HaAliyah V'HaKlita certificate** ("תעודת תושב חוזר"), the gate-key for ministry assistance and customs. Threshold: at least 2 years abroad for an Israeli citizen aged 17+ at return, who did not visit Israel for more than 4 months in any single year during the last 2 years before return. Returning scientists and business entrepreneurs need at least 5 years abroad, with the visits-test applied over 5 years for scientists and 3 years for entrepreneurs (source: gov.il "Who is a Returning Resident", updated 27.10.2024).
- **Mas Hachnasa tax basket**, threshold is years as a *foreign tax resident*, not years physically abroad. 6 consecutive years for the regular returnee basket; 10 consecutive years for the vatik (long-term) basket with Section 14 ten-year exemption (source: kolzchut "תושב חוזר").
- **Bituach Leumi residency**, decided independently by Form 628 ("שאלון לקביעת תושבות") on a center-of-life test, not by counting years (source: btl.gov.il toshavChozer landing).

**Watch out for tier-vocab collisions.** Misrad HaAliyah uses its own Short-Term (less than 6 years abroad, limited Ministry benefits) vs Long-Term (6+ years abroad, fuller Ministry benefits like the longer customs window and the El Al return-flight discount) split. The Mas Hachnasa tax code is SEPARATE: 6 consecutive years for the regular returnee tax basket, 10 consecutive years for the vatik tax basket with the Section 14 ten-year exemption on foreign-source income. A returnee at 7 years abroad qualifies for the Misrad HaAliyah Long-Term Ministry track AND for the Mas Hachnasa regular tax basket, but NOT for vatik (which needs 10 years). Always label which agency's tier you mean and never bundle the Mas Hachnasa 10-year exemption into the Misrad HaAliyah Long-Term tier (source: belong.co.il toshav-chozer-rights-benefits + kolzchut tax benefits 6-10 and 10+).

If the user asks "am I a toshav chozer?", reply with all three answers, labelled by agency. Do not collapse them.

### Step 1.5: Special tracks (scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, minors, preferred-country list)

Before running the decision tree, ask whether any of these apply:

- **Returning scientist / academic researcher**: eligible for assistance from the Center for Integration in Science following at least 5 years abroad. The Research Scholarship program has an **age cap of 37** and applies to returnees with no more than 1 year back in Israel (source: belong.co.il toshav-chozer-rights-benefits).
- **Business entrepreneur**: eligible following at least 5 years abroad, with the visits-test applied over 3 years rather than 2 (source: gov.il "Who is a Returning Resident").
- **Returning artist**: ages 17+ for the returnee themselves, 18+ for children of a Toshav Chozer. Process: consult a Misrad HaAliyah employment counselor, complete the Application Form to the Professional Committees, submit CV, education certificates, recommendations, an employment certificate, and a consent form allowing employer contact. Recognition unlocks Ministry integration assistance in the field (source: belong.co.il).
- **Katin Chozer (Returning Minor)**: distinct named status for someone who left Israel as a minor (typically before age 14) and now returns. Confers a separate benefit track via Misrad HaPnim + BL with a shorter residency-determination path, NOT the standard Toshav Chozer basket. If the user fits this profile, also consult `israeli-aliyah-navigator` which documents the Katin Chozer parental-documentation requirements for applicants under 30.
- **Preferred-country / shorter Misrad HaAliyah track via BL**: someone abroad 5 years or more (or eligible for a Katin Chozer or Ezrach Oleh certificate) can apply for residency through Misrad HaAliyah on a shorter (מקוצר) track (source: btl.gov.il "קביעת תושבות לתושב חוזר"). Verify the current list at the gov.il Misrad HaAliyah page at answer time; do not invent country names.

### Step 2: Run the eligibility decision tree

Walk the user through `references/eligibility-decision-tree.md`. Or, if running locally, hand them `scripts/check-eligibility.py`:

```bash
python3 scripts/check-eligibility.py \
  --years-abroad 8 \
  --foreign-tax-resident yes \
  --israeli-citizen yes \
  --age-at-return 35 \
  --visited-over-4mo-any-year no \
  --emissary no \
  --prev-returnee-assistance no
```

The script prints one paragraph per agency and links to the source page for each threshold. It is a routing aid, never a substitute for legal/tax advice.

### Step 3: Misrad HaAliyah V'HaKlita registration

1. Apply online at https://www.gov.il/he/service/application_for_recognition_as_returning_resident . Two paths: "זכאות עקרונית" (principle check) or "מעמד תושב חוזר" (status request).
2. Outcome: a "תעודת תושב חוזר" certificate. The local Misrad HaAliyah office (find via gov.il branch finder) issues it after reviewing passport entry/exit stamps and Misrad HaPnim records.
3. Phone the service center on \*2994 or 03-9733333 (Sun-Thu 8:00-18:00, languages: Hebrew, Russian, English, French, Spanish, Amharic). WhatsApp: https://wa.me/972733972114 .
4. Windows that start the day the user returns to Israel: ministry assistance = 24 months; assured income (havtachat hachnasa) = 12 months; customs = 9 months (see sister customs skill).
5. Benefit basket flagged by the certificate (eligibility per category is confirmed at the local Misrad HaAliyah office). Detailed breakdown follows; see `references/employment-and-benefits-basket.md` for the full Ma'alot / Vocational / Lone Soldier procedure detail.

**Employment & retraining (within 24 months from Toshav Chozer status):**
- **Vocational Training Vouchers**: cover professional/vocational training. Requires Ulpan Aleph proficiency (exceptions for learning disabilities). Subject to district budget availability.
- **Salary Assistance**: up to 24 months from Toshav Chozer status date, for ages 18 through retirement. Professional athletes/coaches with academic degrees are eligible.
- **Ma'alot Innovation Program** for entrepreneurs: 5 business centers nationwide, NIS 250 fee for business-model creation (all other services free). Eligibility splits at the April 2020 reform date, pre-March-31-2020 returnees need 3+ years abroad in a 2-year application window; post-April-1-2020 returnees need 5+ years abroad in a 2-year window.

**Guaranteed Income Support (Havtachat Hachnasa) thresholds**, available up to 3 months within the first year (extendable through year-end if employed below minimum wage with salary slip):

| Household | Monthly threshold |
|---|---|
| Individual | NIS 2,680 |
| Couple | NIS 3,694 |
| Family of 3 | NIS 4,106 |
| Family of 4+ | NIS 4,836 |

**Education reinforcement** for returnee children: those who were previously Israeli citizens AND completed a minimum of 4 years of academic studies outside Israel qualify for additional weekly reinforcement sessions (subject allocation) plus potential matriculation exam accommodations.

**National Service grant** for returnees enrolling in Sherut Leumi: service must start within 2 years of Toshav Chozer status, parents must be abroad. Required documents are an acceptance confirmation, valid ID, and bank account details. The Misrad HaAliyah national-service coordinator is Natalie Furman, main line 03-9733333.

**Lone Soldier (Chayal Boded) for returnees**: a separate monthly grant from Misrad HaAliyah if IDF conscription occurs within 5 years of return. Combined with the standard IDF Lone Soldier basket: salary supplement, 21 days annual leave for overseas parents with IDF-covered travel, IDF Special Fund for exceptional hardship, family payments if income thresholds are met. Returnees aged 17-28 must coordinate with Meitav before requesting Lone Soldier status.

**Other benefit categories:** reduced taxes on household-goods imports, business start-up assistance, income-tax benefits (handed off to `israeli-toshav-chozer-vatik-tax-planner`), **Acclimatization Year ("שנת הסתגלות" / Shnat Histaglut)**, education and childcare assistance, and **discounted El Al airfares with expanded luggage allowance** for the qualifying return flight.

The Acclimatization Year is a coordinated tax-residency election (Section 14(b) + Form 1130, must be filed within 90 days of arrival). It is NOT just a tax decision, it interacts with the Misrad HaAliyah benefit clock and BL residency determination, so plan it together with Steps 3 and 4. Route tax mechanics to `israeli-toshav-chozer-vatik-tax-planner`. The El Al benefit is booked through the airline's returning-resident channel before the flight, not retroactively.

### Step 3.5: Children born abroad, register at Misrad HaPnim and obtain Israeli travel documents BEFORE flying

**Pre-flight (at the Israeli consulate abroad):** Israeli citizens (including children born abroad to at least one Israeli parent) must enter Israel on an Israeli passport (Darkon) OR a Teudat Ma'avar (one-year travel document). Boarding on a foreign passport alone is routinely refused at check-in by airlines and can trigger a hold at Ben Gurion. The standard pre-flight sequence is:
1. Lidat Chutz (consular birth registration) for any child born abroad, filed at the Israeli consulate. This generates the Israeli ID number.
2. Apply at the consulate for the child's Israeli passport or a fast-track Teudat Ma'avar. Allow 2-8 weeks; the fast-track Teudat Ma'avar is usually available in days for olim/returnees.

**Post-arrival (at Misrad HaPnim in Israel):** if Lidat Chutz was NOT done abroad (children entered as foreign-passport-only via emergency arrangement), the registration must be done at Misrad HaPnim BEFORE BL or any kupat cholim flow can be opened for them. Without a Misrad HaPnim record there is no Israeli ID number, and BL cannot open a residency case. Confirm the current form name at the local Misrad HaPnim branch or at gov.il at answer time; do not invent a form number.

### Step 4: Bituach Leumi re-classification

1. **Which residency form**: Belong (Feb 2024) documents a split between T627 and T628. T627 is the initial residency questionnaire for returnees abroad LESS than 5 years, submitted to BL before arrival. T628 is the residency questionnaire for returnees abroad 5 years OR MORE, registered through Misrad HaAliyah V'HaKlita. Verify which form the local branch expects at filing time, the BL site sometimes uses "Form 628" as the umbrella label.
2. Submit the residency questionnaire ("שאלון לקביעת תושבות לתושב חוזר") at any BL branch or through the personal online area. Bring passport with entry/exit stamps, foreign tax returns or work permits, lease/mortgage to demonstrate center of life. Can be filed by a representative with power-of-attorney (ייפוי כוח), useful for returnees still finishing a job transition abroad.
3. If the user did not pay BL contributions while abroad, BL may demand back-payment ("רצף ביטוחי" continuity); have the user ask explicitly at the branch before submitting.
4. After recognition, the following benefits are NOT available on day one and only kick in after accumulated work periods: maternity allowance, unemployment (dmei avtala), employer insolvency. Source: kolzchut "דמי ביטוח לאומי לתושבים חוזרים" (updated 03.03.2025).
5. BL phone: \*6050 (Israel) or 04-8812345 (landing page). The international-callers line is +972-8-936-9669, Sun-Thu 8:00-15:00, service in Hebrew, English, and Russian (source: https://www.btl.gov.il/snifim/mokdimrashi/Pages/abroad.aspx).
6. **Kitzvat Yeladim (Child Allowance) restoration**: Child allowance stops when BL deregisters the returnee and only restarts after Form 628 recognition. BL does NOT auto-resume payment; the returning parent must (a) confirm residency recognition is processed, (b) register the Israeli bank account at BL via the personal area or branch, and (c) request retroactive payment from the residency-effective date (the window is narrow, typically 12 months). If only one parent is recognized (e.g., the other is still abroad finishing a contract), kitzvat yeladim is paid to the recognized parent. If the second parent is a non-Israeli citizen, see Step 7 below for the foreign-spouse status track.

### Step 4.5: Tax coordination and money at the border

1. **Teum Mas (תיאום מס)**: returnees with multiple Israeli employers or partial-year Israeli employment should file a tax-coordination request at the start of any new Israeli employment (at any Mas Hachnasa branch or via the rashut.misim.gov.il personal area). Teum Mas has no statutory deadline tied to the return date itself; the practical rule is "before the first pay period that would otherwise apply top-bracket withholding to the second job". Bring Teudat Zehut + foreign-residency documentation. (Do NOT confuse the Teum Mas filing with the Shnat Histaglut Form 1130 90-day deadline in Step 3, those are separate.)
2. **Bringing Money, cash-at-border**: cash and bearer instruments brought into Israel must be declared at customs above the threshold set under the Money Laundering Prohibition Law 2000. The threshold differs for general entrants vs returning residents and changes by regulation. Verify the current threshold at the Israel Tax Authority customs page (https://www.gov.il/he/departments/israel_tax_authority) or via the Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority before traveling. Undeclared amounts trigger civil penalties.
3. **Bringing Money via wire transfer (the more common case)**: most returnees move their savings via wire from a foreign bank to an Israeli bank, not as physical cash. Israeli banks run FATCA/CRS classifications on incoming international transfers and may freeze the funds pending KYC documentation (proof of source, foreign-tax-residency certificate, employment history). Plan the first large transfer AFTER opening the Israeli account and clearing the bank's KYC, not before. Returnees with foreign financial accounts may also have a Mas Hachnasa Form 5329 (foreign-account declaration) obligation above the threshold; route to `israeli-toshav-chozer-vatik-tax-planner` for the threshold and reporting mechanics.

### Step 5: Kupat cholim re-enrollment and the waiting period

1. The choice of kupah (Clalit / Maccabi / Meuhedet / Leumit) is made on the BL registration form, together with residency determination.
2. Waiting period for health services = 1 month per year of absence, minimum 2 months (חודשיים) for anyone abroad 12+ months, maximum 6 months (source: kolzchut "הצטרפות תושב חוזר לביטוח בריאות", updated 15.01.2026).
3. Definitions to quote precisely: "year of absence" = 12-month period with 183+ days outside Israel; "waiting month" = 25 consecutive days of residence in Israel (trips abroad shorter than 25 days don't count toward completing the waiting period).
4. **Pidyon** (waiting-period redemption): NIS 16,860 in 2026 (Kol Zchut, updated January 2026), one-time or up to 6 equal installments. The figure rises annually with CPI; Belong's older snapshot (NIS 14,520, February 2024) is now stale and superseded by the 2026 number. Even during the waiting period the returnee pays health insurance premiums based on income.
5. If the returnee has ur

…

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [skills-il](https://github.com/skills-il)
- **Source:** [skills-il/government-services](https://github.com/skills-il/government-services)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-skills-il-government-services-israeli-returning-resident-navigator
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/skills-il
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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