What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Tel Aviv

Relocating to Tel Aviv

The Climate in Tel Aviv

Expats and international  travelers alike will be drawn to Tel Aviv by the year-round Mediterranean climate. Even in the coldest month of the year (January), the average daily temperature is 18°C (64°F), with a gradual fall to a night-time low of 8°C (47°F).

Moving to Tel Aviv will afford expats the luxury of a six month summer season, roughly lasting from May to October. August, the warmest month, may bring daily high temperatures of 30°C (86°F), the same as the average temperature of the sea during this time.

Rain is most likely to occur between December and February (the coldest months in the city) but residents can look forward to a maximum of 74 wet days annually, compared with over 3,000 hours of guaranteed sunshine every year. Overall, Tel Aviv is intensely subtropical, and expats looking for permanent or temporary relocation could do worse than its spring heat waves and winter sun.

About Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is situated in central Israel, on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline. It has a population of 414,600 people spread over 32 km and is the second most populous city in Israel. Although less than 60 km from Jerusalem, the cities could not be more different. Tel Aviv offers a relaxed, casual environment, in contrast to the busy tourist industry often associated with the surrounding areas.

The city is already a popular destination for expats, many of whom fondly refer to Tel Aviv as ‘TA’. With education achievement rates above the national average (including a sizeable international student community) and a comparatively low crime rate, it’s easy to imagine settling into a new life among this culturally diverse place, which started out as the port city of Jaffa, jutting out over the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2003, the United Nations declared Tel Aviv’s White City — a concentration of over 4,000 buildings designed in the Bauhaus or International Style of architecture — to be a World Cultural Heritage Site. UNESCO heralded it as “an outstanding example of new town planning and architecture in the early 20th century.” Tours of this area are organized regularly by Bauhaus Center.

Visas for Israel

Foreign nationals and expats considering moving to Tel Aviv will need a passport with a minimum validity of six months at the point of entry into Israel. The best route to obtaining residence in the city is to apply directly to the Ministry of the Interior.

The majority of residence visas are granted to those who are eligible under the Law of Return, which is favorable to those of Jewish heritage settling in their homeland (or their spouse or parent). Residence is also possible by way of a work permit and work visa, which can be upgraded to a temporary resident permit after a period no shorter than a year and no longer than 18 months.

Student and tourist visas are also available, and Israel has visa exemptions in place with a number of countries for stays up to three months. Costs for all visas are fairly low. Please take a look at our article on Moving to Israel for more information, or see the website of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.