Before you start

An unlocked handset; eSIM is supported by all the major carriers
A Teudat Zehut for any monthly plan or home-internet contract
An Israeli bank account or local card for the hora'at keva direct debit
A confirmed address for a home-internet installation appointment

Step-by-step

1
Bridge on prepaid or eSIM the day you land
A travel eSIM or a prepaid tourist SIM gets you a working number immediately for bank one-time codes and ride-hailing, with no ID required.
OnlineWho: YouMinutes
2
Switch to a resident monthly plan once your ID lands
The cheap operators sell unlimited domestic calls and texts with a large data bundle for well under ₪50 a month. Sign up online or in a mall store with your Teudat Zehut and set up the direct debit.
OnlineWho: You≈₪27–50 a month
3
Port your number rather than cancelling
Let the incoming carrier trigger the transfer. Cancelling your old line yourself forfeits the number permanently. Porting is free and usually completes within minutes.
OnlineWho: The new carrier, on your instruction
4
Check what infrastructure actually reaches your address
Before ordering home internet, establish whether your building has Bezeq's fixed line, HOT's cable or fibre. In Jerusalem's older stone housing stock this varies dramatically between neighbouring streets, and buying an ISP your building cannot support means a cancelled installation.
OnlineWho: You
5
Book the installation appointment early
A technician visit is required. Note that installers do not work on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, and the Jerusalem calendar has more of both than most cities — slots around the autumn festival period are scarce.
OnlineWho: YouDays to about two weeks

Documents you’ll need

Teudat Zehut for a monthly plan or home internet
Israeli bank account or local card for the direct debit
Passport, which is enough for prepaid and eSIM
Your Jerusalem address for installation

Things most newcomers don’t know

The obstacle to a ₪30 plan is paperwork, not price.

Carriers want a Teudat Zehut and an Israeli account or card for the hora'at keva direct debit. New arrivals expect to walk into a store and sign up, then get pushed to prepaid at several times the price. Plan explicitly to bridge on eSIM and switch the week your ID and bank account exist.

Source: Israeli carrier sign-up requirements

Never cancel your old line yourself when switching.

Israeli number portability is free and near-instant, but only if the incoming carrier runs the transfer. Disconnect first and the number is gone for good. This catches people who assume they need to tidy up the old contract before starting the new one.

Source: Israeli number portability rules

Home internet is two products wearing one price tag.

You are buying an infrastructure layer — Bezeq, HOT or fibre — and separately an ISP, even when they are bundled. Newcomers pick an ISP without checking what physically reaches their building, and in Jerusalem's older stone housing the answer genuinely differs street by street. Confirm availability at the exact address first.

Source: Israeli ISP market structure

The Jerusalem calendar eats installation slots.

Technicians do not work on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, and Jerusalem observes them more comprehensively than the coast. Around Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot the working weeks are short and appointment availability collapses. If you are moving in September or October, book the installation before you move rather than after.

Source: community-reported, corroborated across Israeli ISP scheduling

Common mistakes to avoid

Expecting a cheap monthly plan on arrival without a Teudat Zehut and an Israeli account.
Cancelling your existing SIM before porting, and losing the number.
Ordering from an ISP whose infrastructure your building does not support.
Signing up on an introductory price without reading the post-promotion rate.
Trying to book an installation across the autumn festival period and finding no slots for weeks.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.