Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence; if it is not in Hebrew/English/Arabic, an International Driving Permit (IDP) or notarized translation to drive as a tourist
Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID) plus Teudat Oleh / immigration status document if converting a licence as an oleh or resident
An NFC smartphone helps — Moovit, HopOn and Rav-Kav Online let you load and pay without visiting a kiosk

Step-by-step

1
Get a Rav-Kav and learn the fare logic
The Rav-Kav is Israel's universal transit smartcard for buses, the Red Line light rail and trains. Buy an anonymous card for ~₪5 (~US$1.40) at the airport transport desk, bus terminals, train counters or many shops; a personalized card (needed for discounts and loss protection) is free from a Rav-Kav service point. Fares are distance/zone-based — a local Tel Aviv ride is roughly ₪6 (~US$1.65), with a ~90-minute free transfer. A ₪2 supplement was added (Feb 2025) when transferring from a bus onto the light rail. Always validate on boarding, even on a free transfer.
In personWho: Anyone using buses, light rail or trains10 minutes to buy and load~₪5 (~US$1.40) for the card; ~₪6 (~US$1.65) per local ride
2
Plan around Shabbat and holidays
From roughly mid-afternoon Friday until after dark Saturday, Israel Railways and most Dan/Egged/Kavim buses do NOT run, and they also halt on major Jewish holidays. Tel Aviv-Yafo (with neighbours) runs a FREE municipal weekend-bus network of about seven lines on Friday nights and Saturdays. The classic fallback is the sherut: yellow 10-seat shared minibuses that run fixed routes 7 days a week, including Shabbat (fares a few shekels higher then). Taxis (Gett app), Bird/Lime e-scooters and bike share also run throughout.
Mobile appWho: Anyone moving around Friday evening to Saturday nightOngoing; check Moovit for live Shabbat schedulesFree (municipal Shabbat buses); sherut ~₪7-15; scooters ~₪5 unlock + ~₪0.50/min
3
Master the apps, sheruts, scooters and trains
Account-based ticketing is taking over: Moovit, HopOn and Rav-Kav Online let you tap an NFC phone to pay or load, and post-paid apps auto-apply the cheapest daily/monthly cap so you never overpay. The Red Line light rail links Petah Tikva–Tel Aviv–Bat Yam (Purple and Green lines are under construction). Israel Railways runs frequent trains from Tel Aviv's four stations (Savidor/Center, HaShalom, HaHagana, University) to Ben Gurion Airport, Herzliya, Haifa, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva. For e-scooters/bikes, use Bird or Lime and park responsibly — the city fines abandoned scooters.
Mobile appWho: Commuters and intercity travellersSet up apps once; ~15 min to Ben Gurion by trainDistance-based; airport train ~₪16 (~US$4.40)
4
Convert your licence (olim/residents) and handle parking
You may drive on a valid foreign licence for one year from your entry date. To convert at Misrad HaRishui: (1) file the online 'tofes yarok' green medical declaration; (2) do a ~₪50-80 eye/vision test at an approved optician; (3) book a Misrad HaRishui appointment with your foreign licence, Teudat Zehut and Teudat Oleh. Olim from Western countries with 5+ years of driving history who apply within 5 years of Aliyah usually get the EXPEDITED, no-practical-test track. Others must take a short practical test. Then pay the ~₪250 licence fee. For parking: blue-and-white curbs are paid (via Pango/Cellopark), and a resident sticker — proven with lease and utility bills — lets you park free in your zone.
In personWho: Olim and long-term residents who will driveEye test same day; appointment within days–weeks; plastic licence mailed in ~2-3 months~₪50-80 eye test + ~₪250 licence fee (expedited); +~₪380 if a practical test is required

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence (original + copy); IDP or notarized translation if not in Hebrew/English/Arabic
Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card)
Teudat Oleh / immigration or residency status document (for licence conversion)
Proof of 5+ years foreign driving history for the expedited track
Completed online 'tofes yarok' green medical self-declaration
Lease agreement + recent utility bill (for a Tel Aviv resident parking sticker)

Things most newcomers don’t know

On the no-test 'expedited' track, the real bottleneck isn't the driving — it's the paperwork window: you must convert within 5 years of Aliyah AND your foreign licence must show 5+ years of holding.

Olim assume they have unlimited time, but the legal right to drive on a foreign licence ends one year after entry, and the expedited conversion right expires at the 5-year mark. Miss it and you face the full new-driver theory + practical test.

Source: Nefesh B'Nefesh — Converting Your Foreign Driver's License

Pay with a post-paid app (HopOn or Moovit) rather than pre-loading stored value — it auto-applies daily and monthly fare caps so frequent riders never overpay.

Israel's fare system caps spending: once your accumulated rides hit the price of a daily or monthly pass, further rides are free. A stored-value Rav-Kav doesn't compute this for you; account-based apps do it automatically.

Source: HopOn / Moovit fare-capping

For Shabbat travel, the free municipal weekend buses plus sheruts mean you're rarely stuck in Tel Aviv — but to reach or leave Ben Gurion Airport on Shabbat you'll need a private/shared taxi, since trains don't run.

The national rail and most intercity buses halt for Shabbat, and the airport train is part of that shutdown — first-timers routinely get caught planning a Saturday departure by train.

Source: Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality / Israel Railways

Common mistakes to avoid

Booking a Saturday departure assuming the train runs — Israel Railways and most buses are shut for Shabbat; use a taxi/sherut to the airport instead
Driving on a foreign licence past the one-year mark from your entry date — it becomes invalid, voids insurance, and exposes you to fines
Letting the 5-year expedited-conversion window lapse, which forces you into the full new-driver theory and practical test
Parking on a blue-and-white curb without paying via Pango/Cellopark, or in a residents-only zone without a sticker — tickets and towing are aggressive in central Tel Aviv
Forgetting to validate your Rav-Kav on a free transfer; an un-tapped ride still counts as fare evasion to inspectors