Volunteering Step-by-Step
The informations on this page refers to
overseas non-Israeli volunteers eligible for the Mahal,
Mahal Nahal Haredi and Mahal
Hesder IDF programs. The process for overseas Israelis is similar.
IDF Enlistment Dates: |
| Day |
Month |
Year |
Status |
Enlistees |
| For this group, frequent enlistment dates
available over the year, depending on your qualification and preferred
IDF job. Therefore you can find out your final date only after our
reply to your registration
and your personal visit at the MoD. |
Mahal Training
(female Hebrew speakers) |
| 5 |
7 |
2009 |
F |
Mahal Pre-Basic Training (males) |
| 4 |
8 |
2009 |
F |
Mahal Haredi (males) |
| 20 |
8 |
2009 |
F |
Mahal Army Ulpan (for female and male insufficient Hebrew speakers) |
| 22 |
10 |
2009 |
I |
Mahal Pre-Basic Training (males) |
| 20 |
11 |
2009 |
F |
Mahal Haredi (males) |
| 17 |
12 |
2009 |
I |
Mahal Army Ulpan (males and maybe also females, if insufficient
Hebrew speakers) |
| 24 |
2 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Pre-Basic Training (males) |
| 19 |
3 |
2010 |
F |
Mahal Haredi (males) |
| 5 |
5 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Army Ulpan (males and maybe also females, if insufficient
Hebrew speakers) |
| 5 |
7 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Pre-Basic Training (males) |
| 29 |
7 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Haredi (males) |
| 20 |
8 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Army Ulpan (male and female insufficient Hebrew speakers) |
| 22 |
10 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Pre-Basic Training (males) |
| 20 |
11 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Haredi (males) |
| 17 |
12 |
2010 |
I |
Mahal Army Ulpan (males and maybe also females, if insufficient
Hebrew speakers) |
All above "F" final enlistment dates -
as received from the IDF from time to time.
All above "I" indicative enlistment dates - published
here for your orientation, since the actual coming enlistment dates
will probably follow somewhat the actual dates of the previous 12
months.
Additional and updated "F" and "I" dates will
be published here as soon as received from the IDF, if any. There
is
Please keep a check here
on your favored dates, since both "F" and "I"
dates might change. |
Schedule for ALL volunteers:
Volunteers must arrive in Israel not later than 2 1/2 months before
the enlistment date in order to to register in person
with the MoD, Ministry of Interior and the IDF. Following these registrations,
the MoD will start arranging for your IDF medical, which you should be able
to complete in that period.
The IDF will enlist volunteers independent of their command of Hebrew.
However, if the IDF Recruitment Bureau (Lishkat Gius) will find you meeting
all criteria except having a reasonable command of Hebrew, you will be
assigned to an army
ulpan (IDF Hebrew Study program). This will result in delaying your
enlistment to the next available army ulpan. Therefore, if you are not
confident of your command of Hebrew, we suggest to go from the beginning
only for an enlistment
date with army ulpan.
Optional schedules for HEBREW SPEAKERS ONLY:
Hebrew speakers may arrive in Israel at any time prior to the 2 1/2 months
period before the enlistment date in order to register in person with
the MoD, Ministry of Interior etc. (may take 7 working days). If you have
completed all these procedures, you only need to arrive in Israel a few
weeks prior to your enlistment date to complete your medical and enlistment.
This option complicates the coordination with the MoD and may result in
delays. This applies only to Hebrew speakers.
Before arriving in Israel
- Plan to arrive in Israel at least 2 1/2 months prior to enlisting
in the IDF. You can interrupt this period and even shorten it in coordination
with the M
- Study this website including the pages Who
Can Volunteer?, Your
Service in the IDF, Volunteering
Step-by-Step,
Register Online, FAQ and the external
links like the informations for Chayalim
Bodedim (Lone Soldiers).
- Register
online
- The Mahal-IDF-Volunteers.org website will pre-check your qualification
and reply within ten days. Note: your qualification is subject to final
approval by the IDF Recruitment Bureau.
- The Mahal-IDF-Volunteers.org website will forward a copy of the reply
sent to you to the MoD which should from now on handle your case until
your enlistment. Expect to be contacted soon.
- Phone the number in our reply to your registration. A dialogue with
the MoD is optimal for clarifying open questions, particularly about
enlistment and IDF service options.
- There should be no major problem, but if you encounter any problem,
contact us. We will check what is going on and reply.
- Get a confirmation stating that you
are Jewish, signed by a rabbi (Orthodox, Conservative or Reform) residing
outside Israel. The confirmation must have a detailed letterhead with
the name of the Jewish community, address, phone, fax and email. The
exact name of the rabbi must be clearly readable.
There is an alternative to the rabbi’s confirmation; it is more
complicated and works only if you can document that you are the child,
grandchild or spouse of a confirmed Jewish person.
- Get the health certificate from your
family doctor on the official
IDF medical questionnaire.
- Get your original birth certificate and a valid passport for about
two years.
- Find
here the country of your passport and check prior to traveling
to Israel if you need a visitor's visa to Israel. If you do
not need a visa, travel to Israel and get at arrival in Israel a regular
visitor's visa B2, valid for three months. Note: if you have to get
a visitor's visa prior to traveling to Israel, contact
one of the Israeli diplomatic missions. Do not fly over or transit
Arab states, Iran or other problematic countries, even if told you can
stay during stopovers in the plane.
- Packing list suggestions - here
and here
- Before making final travel arrangements, check Mahal-IDF-Volunteers.org
and its external links for updated information and, most important,
contact the MoD to reconfirm/check for
changes and schedule an appointment for signing up.
- Note: if you do not speak basic Hebrew, we recommends arriving about
3 months before the enlistment to study
Hebrew, although most manage with less and even the army
ulpan only. For help concerning Hebrew study programs (ulpanim)
and finding a suitable apartment in the period before your enlistment
in the IDF - click here.
Arrival in Israel
Arrive with a passport which remains valid for more than two years.
Get at arrival in Israel a visitor's visa B2, valid for three months.
At
the MoD
Meet the MoD people and ask your questions.
The MoD makes final checks of your qualifications according to the legal
conditions at the time of your recruitment.
Sign up with the MoD - in person in Israel. Bring your
passport, birth certificate, certificate from your family doctor, 5 passport
photos and the confirmation that you are
Jewish.
After getting the MoD’s final OK, the MoD will direct you to all
places on your way into the IDF including your Ministry of Interior visa,
the IDF Recruitment Bureau (Lishkat Gius) and the IDF medical
The MoD gives you a confirmation for
the Ministry of Interior (MoI) explaining the reason for requesting a
visa A2.
At the Ministry of Interior (MoI)
Contact the MoI and arrange the time for
a meeting for getting an Israeli visa type A2 number for the IDF Mahal
program. You need:
At the IDF Recruitment Bureau (Lishkat Gius)
- The MoD will arrange the exact date of your visit at the IDF Recruitment
Bureau (Lishkat
Gius).
- Recruitment Bureau: about 5 hours of recruitment procedures including
the medical. Request to be enlisted through the IDF Mahal program (Note:
it can take a few weeks before you actually start your service).
- Bring all your documents including the health cerificate.
IDF Service
After Discharge
- Remain in Israel (optional) - click
here
- Return to your country of origin (optional)
- Return to Israel (optional) - click
here
Please note:
Discharged Mahal volunteers enjoy various benefits
for discharged soldiers.
Opting for an upgraded status in Israel after discharge from the IDF
(from A1 or A2 to "immigrant") makes you eligible for assistance from
the Student
Authority including exemption from Israeli university tuition fees.
If you opt for Israeli citizenship before your 24th birthday, you might
become liable for additional compulsory regular IDF service - here.
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