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Who Can Volunteer for the IDF?
Following is the list of IDF paths for the enlistment of non-Israeli
and Israeli overseas volunteers, further down the details of the required
qualifications:
- IDF Mahal for non-Israelis and Israelis - here
- IDF Mahal Nahal Haredi non-Israelis and Israelis - here
- IDF Mahal Hesder non-Israelis and Israelis - here
- IDF short path for Israeli citizens residing overseas, children of
overseas Israelis etc. - here
- IDF regular path for Israeli citizens residing overseas - here
Following are the paths with the details of the required qualifications.
Please choose only ONE of the paths for which you qualify
and register here
now:
IDF Mahal - Cumulative qualifications:
IDF Mahal Nahal Haredi -
Cumulative qualifications:
- Jewish
(religious/haredi only)
- Hebrew speaker (no IDF ulpan available)
- neither
you or any of your parents ever had Israeli citizenship
- stay in Israel in recognized frame less than cumulated 18 months (otherwise
12 months) or cooling off period of min. two years abroad (all: calcuated
from your enlistment date) [if this does not apply to you - here]
- men: age 18 - 23 inclusive [if
this does not apply to you -
here]
- willing to do at least 14 months of IDF service, shoulder to shoulder
with regular Israeli soldiers. If anyone of your parents resides in
Israel, your min. service time could be longer [if this applies to you
- here]
- Register
online
IDF Mahal Hesder - Cumulative
qualifications:
- Jewish
(religious/dati only)
- Hebrew speaker (no IDF ulpan available)
- neither
you or any of your parents ever had Israeli citizenship
- stay in Israel in recognized frame less than cumulated 18 months (otherwise
12 months) or cooling off period of min. two years abroad (all: calcuated
from your enlistment date) [if this does not apply to you - here]
- men: age 18 - 23 inclusive [if
this does not apply to you - here]
- willing to study 6 1/2 months in a Yeshivat Hesder (IDF Rabbinical
College) followed by at least 14 months of IDF service, shoulder to
shoulder with regular Israeli soldiers. in total 20 1/2 months. If anyone
of your parents resides in Israel, your min. service time could be longer
[if this applies to you - here]
- Register
online
IDF short path for
Israeli citizens residing overseas, children of overseas Israelis etc.
- Cumulative qualifications:
- age at enlistment: 18th - 24th birthday
| physicians before 36th [if you are older - here]
- Israeli
citizen
- non-resident of Israel after your 10th birthday and cumulated visits
in Israel of not more than 120 days in anyone of the calendar years
after your 10th birthday
- None of your parents resides in Israel
After arrival in Israel, you have one of the two options:
• IDF service for min. 14 months (or min. 18
months including army
ulpan, if necessary).
• Studying at an Israeli academic institution
for the standard time required to get a bachelor's degree (including
mandatory preparatory course, if any). The standard periods vary for
different fields of study. You are exempted in your standard period
from IDF service (mandatory or reserve).
If you first opted for IDF service, you have two options after
discharge:
• Leaving Israel: you are not liable for any
additional IDF service (mandatory or reserve), even if you return from
time to time as a tourist.
• Staying in Israel as a Toshav
Hozer (or returning after less than 24 months as a Toshav Hozer):
basically, you have to complete the IDF service time which was mandatory
for your age at the time of your first arrival in Israel. The extra
service time varies due to individual factors; as you can calculate
for yourself, this may also be zero (for example if you are too old).
In any case, you will be assigned to a Reserve Service unit; the IDF
does not, however, always call up all of their reservists every year,
and a variety of exemptions are available.
If you first opted for studies in Israel, you have two options
after the end of your standard time:
• IDF service for the time which was mandatory
for your age at the time of your first arrival in Israel. The extra
service time varies due to individual factors; as you can calculate
for yourself, this may also be zero (for example if you are too old).
In any case, you may be assigned to a Reserve Service unit; the IDF
does not, however, always call up all of their reservists every year,
and a variety of exemptions are available.
• Leaving Israel (at any time during that year):
- if you do not return as Toshav Hozer (however, you may visit Israel
from time to time): there is no liability for additional IDF service
(mandatory or reserve)
- if you return after more than 24 months as a Toshav Hozer: you will
be assigned to a Reserve Service unit; the IDF does not, however, always
call up all of their reservists every year, and a variety of exemptions
are available
- if you return after less than 24 months as a Toshav Hozer: basically,
you are liable for service in the IDF for the time which was mandatory
for your age at the time of your first arrival in Israel. The extra
service time varies due to individual factors; as you can calculate
for yourself, this may also be zero (for example if you are too old).
In any case, you will be assigned to a Reserve Service unit; the IDF
does not, however, always call up all of their reservists every year,
and a variety of exemptions are available.
- Register
online
IDF regular
path for Israeli citizens residing overseas - Cumulative qualifications:
- age at enlistment: 18 and older
- Israeli
citizen
- either resident of Israel after your 10th birthday or cumulated visits
in Israel of more than 120 days in anyone of the calendar years after
your 10th birthday
- at least one of your parents resides in Israel
- Service time: depending on personal factors - here
- Register
online
All programs for non-Israelis, please note:
If the IDF
enlistment date is after your 24th birthday (man) | 21st (woman) |
36th (physician) -
here
If you are not Jewish
or Zakai Aliya (one of your parents or one of your grandparents is/was
Jewish) - here
Basically
all non-Israeli citizens (men: age 18 -
23 inclusive | women: age 18 - 20 inclusive | physicians 35 inclusive)
qualify for the above IDF Mahal programs
(i.e. without acquiring Israeli citizenship). However, the service time
of non-Israelis with a close link to Israel such as
- former Israelis residing overseas,
- non-Israelis with Israeli parent,
- non-Israelis with parents living in Israel,
- non-Israelis who stayed in Israel longer than the cumulated maximum
period on a A1, A2 or B2 visa (for temporary residents, tourists,
volunteers, students etc.) and have no cooling off period of
min. two years abroad (occasional short visits as typical for tourists
might be ignored, for that purpose)
is longer than the regular service time of 18 months (or 14 months, if
no army ulpan required). The maximum varies due to the following individual
factors:
Men:
Women:
- single after 21st birthday - exempt
- married at any age - exempt
IDF units and jobs when eligible for IDF enlistment - here.
The assignment to a specific IDF unit or job is based on a few factors
such as the army’s needs, your medical profile as determined by
IDF tests during the enlistment procedures (in Israel), your min. service
time, and your preferences.
The final decision about the enlistment and assignment to a specific
IDF unit and job relies exclusively with the IDF.
The qualification of non-Israelis expires, if not enlisted before the
24th birthday (men) | 21th (women) | 36th (physicians).
Depending on age and marital status, the
regular IDF service (Shlav Bet) for Israeli citizens might be shorter
than other programs such as Mahal, Mahal Nahal Haredi, Mahal Hesder.
The informations on our pages About the Service
and Volunteering Step-by-Step do not refer
to Israeli overseas reasidents but only to (non-Israeli) volunteers eligible
for the Mahal, Mahal
Nahal Haredi and Mahal Hesder programs.
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