Absorption Basket for Ethiopian Olim — Amounts and Process (2026) in Jerusalem

The absorption basket is national — not a separate community track

The absorption basket (סל קליטה) is financial support from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration for an oleh's first period in Israel. Per the Ministry's own publication, it is given to olim found eligible under Ministry procedure from every country in the world, and the amounts are set by family status, age and number of children — not by country of origin.

Important: breakdowns of an "extended basket for Ethiopian olim" circulate online, listing grants such as a "cultural adjustment grant" or a "furniture grant". Those items do not appear in the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration's official tables and should not be relied on. What genuinely is community-specific — absorption-centre intake and the housing grants paid on leaving one — is set out further down this page.

The official 2026 amounts

Per the absorption basket financial-aid table on the Ministry's site:

Per-child additions (total per child): child under 4 — ₪12,831; child 4–18 — ₪8,521; young adult 18–21 — ₪11,039; addition for a household of 6+ — ₪5,918.

Separate tables exist for pensioners and pre-pension olim (those reaching retirement age within 5 years of aliyah), where amounts are higher. Check the table that applies to you via the link above.

These amounts change. They were checked against the official site in August 2026 — before budgeting, confirm the current figure in the official table or with a Ministry bureau.

How the basket is paid

• First payment — for those arriving from abroad on an aliyah visa, on a prepaid card at the airport. For those changing status in Israel — by bank deposit.
• A top-up to the bank account.
• 6 further monthly payments.

After the six months you can check eligibility for income support (הבטחת הכנסה) at the National Insurance Institute as continued subsistence aid.

Who is eligible?

• Those entering Israel for the first time on an "oleh" visa, with full oleh entitlement
• Those who stayed in Israel no more than 24 months, consecutive or cumulative, in the three years before receiving oleh status
• Eligibility does not depend on income

The time window: the basket must be claimed within one year of receiving oleh status. Leaving the country stops the payments; renewal is possible only for those returning within the first aliyah year.

What genuinely is specific to Ethiopian olim

• Absorption-centre intake — unlike most olim, who go through direct absorption, olim from Ethiopia are absorbed via absorption centres. See direct absorption for Falash Mura olim.
• Housing grants on leaving an absorption centre — a dedicated Ministry of Construction and Housing programme. See housing grants for Ethiopian olim in absorption centres.
• The student absorption basket (education fee) — separate support from the Ministry of Education. See absorption basket for immigrant students.

How to apply

1. Open a joint bank account for both spouses at a commercial bank — both must be present. Do this in your first days in the country.
2. Give the account details to the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration bureau in your area.
3. Do not change the account number in the first years; if you must, report it to the Ministry immediately.

Official links

• Ministry of Aliyah and Integration — absorption basket (incl. amount tables)
• Book an appointment with an absorption adviser

📞 Ministry of Aliyah and Integration hotline: *2994 or 03-9733333 — Sun–Thu, 8:30–16:00. Service is also available in Amharic.