Civilian Service Regulations (Principles of National Service and Community Volunteering), 5781-2020

תקנות שירות אזרחי (עקרונות השירות הלאומי וההתנדבות הקהילתית), תשפ"א-2020

Published: 2020-12-30Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-09-01 · Last amended 2021-03-21

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By virtue of my authority under sections 3(b), 9(a)(3), 12(a) and (b), 13(b) and (d) and 105(a) and (c) of the Civilian Service Law, 5777-2017, after consultation with the Minister of the Interior with respect to Chapter II, after consultation with the Council, and with the approval of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset with respect to these Regulations, except for Chapter V, I hereby make the following Regulations:

Chapter I: General

Definitions§

In these Regulations –

"foreign operating body" and "service outside Israel" – as defined in the Service Outside Israel Regulations;

"pocket money" – as its meaning in section 9 of the Law;

"regular studies" – studies at a scope exceeding two hours per week;

"educational institution", "institution of higher education or training" – as defined in section 12(d) of the Law;

"out-of-home placement framework" – as defined in the Foster Care for Children Law, 5776-2016;

"address of residence" – the permanent place of residence of a volunteer, as it appears on his or her identity card;

"foster family" – as defined in the Foster Care for Children Law, 5776-2016;

"lone volunteer" – one of the following:

(1)a volunteer who is orphaned of both parents, or a volunteer whose parents permanently reside outside Israel, whether the volunteer immigrated to Israel alone or whether the parents emigrated outside Israel or departed on a mission outside Israel, for a period of half a year or more;

(2)a volunteer whom the Authority has recognised as a volunteer without family backing, if it was satisfied that the volunteer has no contact whatsoever with either parent, or that the volunteer has contact with the parents or one of them but the family relationship is not stable and supportive;

(3)a volunteer who, prior to the commencement of his or her service, was a child entitled to a special benefit under item (1) of the First Schedule to the Income Support Law, 5741-1980;

(4)a volunteer who, in the year before reaching the age of 18, resided with a foster family;

(5)a volunteer who, in the year before reaching the age of 18, resided in an out-of-home placement framework under the supervision of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security;

"special volunteer" – a volunteer in whom one of the following applies:

(1)the volunteer is blind or receives a disability allowance;

(2)the Disabilities Administration in the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security has recognised the volunteer as a person with a disability;

(3)the Authority has recognised the volunteer as a person with a disability according to criteria it has formulated in coordination with the Special Education Division of the Ministry of Education; the criteria shall be published on the Authority's website;

(4)the volunteer is an at-risk youth;

"blind" – a person who holds a blind person's certificate from the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security;

"disability allowance" – a disability allowance paid pursuant to the National Insurance Law [Consolidated Version], 5755-1995;

"the service" – national service or community volunteering.

"Service Outside Israel Regulations" – Civilian Service Regulations (Service Outside Israel and the Area), 5779-2019.

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Chapter II: Volunteer Who Is Not an Israeli Citizen or Permanent Resident

Permit for Service§

The Director may permit a person who is not an Israeli citizen or permanent resident to volunteer for service, provided that all of the following conditions are met in respect of the applicant:

(1)it has been determined by a person authorised to do so that the applicant is entitled to an immigrant visa or an immigrant certificate under the Law of Return, 5710-1950, or that the applicant is participating in an identity programme as its meaning in the Entry into Israel Regulations (Exemption from Obtaining a Permit for the Grant of a Visa and Residence Permit to a Foreign Worker Participating in an Identity Programme), 5776-2016;

(2)the applicant's status and stay in Israel have been lawfully regulated and permit stay for the purpose of performing service for a period of at least 12 months;

(3)the service shall be performed in Israel or in the Area only;

In this Chapter, "permanent resident" – as defined in section 3(a)(1) of the Law.

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Chapter III: Entitlement to Accommodation

Entitlement to Accommodation in a Service Apartment§

(a)A volunteer who has been accepted into service is entitled to receive from the recognised body with which the volunteer is bound by an engagement agreement, as its meaning in section 58 of the Law, accommodation in a service apartment for the entire period of service during which one of the following conditions applies to the volunteer:

(1)the address of residence of the volunteer is located at a travel distance of 60 km or more from the place of service;

(2)the volunteer has received a permit for service under regulation 2;

(3)the recognised body has approved accommodation in a service apartment in view of the needs of the volunteer, the needs of the operating body, or the nature of the volunteer's activity in the operating body.

(b)The entitlement of a volunteer as referred to in sub-regulation (a)(1) or (2) shall not prevent an operating body from notifying the recognised body in advance that it will not accept for service with it candidates for service who are entitled as referred to in that sub-regulation, in general or above a quota to be set, and if such notice has been given, the non-acceptance of a candidate for volunteering who is so entitled shall not be regarded, solely on that account, as discrimination on grounds of place of residence as its meaning in section 18(a) of the Law.

Waiver of Entitlement to a Service Apartment§

A volunteer who is entitled to accommodation in a service apartment under regulation 3(a) may waive that entitlement, provided that the operating body has confirmed that the said waiver will not harm the service; a volunteer who has waived the entitlement as aforesaid shall sign a waiver document, the validity of which shall be until the end of the volunteer's service with the operating body.

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Chapter IV: Work and Studies

Approval for Work Outside Service Hours§

(a)A volunteer shall not be employed as an employee and shall not engage in a business or occupation (in this Chapter – the work), unless the volunteer has received approval for work outside service hours from the recognised body with which the volunteer is bound by an agreement, in accordance with sub-regulation (b).

(b)The recognised body shall grant its approval under this regulation if one of the following parties, as the case may be, has found that the work is necessary owing to the financial hardship of the volunteer or the volunteer's family, and the operating body in which the volunteer is serving has given its written consent to the work:

(1)a coordinator of the recognised body – with respect to work at a scope of up to 12 hours per week;

(2)a social worker of the recognised body – with respect to work at a scope of more than 12 hours per week.

(c)An operating body shall not withhold its consent to work that is necessary as aforesaid for a volunteer owing to financial hardship of the volunteer or the volunteer's family, unless it is of the opinion that the work constitutes a material disruption to the service, and the operating body has stated its reasons for withholding consent in writing.

(d)An operating body that has given its consent to a volunteer's work may withdraw its consent only if special reasons exist therefor, after having given the volunteer an opportunity to present arguments, with 30 days' advance notice.

(e)Approval for work shall be for a scope not exceeding 25 hours per week in the first year of service and 30 hours per week in the second year of service; the validity of the approval shall be limited to the end of each year of service, however in exceptional cases the Director or a person authorised by the Director may permit approval for work to be granted for a period exceeding that stated in this sub-regulation.

Restrictions on Studies§

A volunteer may study, outside service hours, regular studies at an educational institution or at an institution of higher education or training (in this Chapter – the studies), provided that all of the following conditions apply to the volunteer:

(1)the operating body in which the volunteer is serving has given its written consent for the volunteer to study, provided that the operating body shall not withhold its consent unless it is of the opinion that the studies constitute a material disruption to the service and has stated its reasons for withholding consent in writing; an operating body shall deliver to the recognised body a copy of the notice of its consent;

(2)an operating body that has given its consent to a volunteer's studies may withdraw its consent only if special reasons exist therefor, after having given the volunteer an opportunity to present arguments, with 30 days' advance notice and with the approval of the Authority;

(3)the hours of study shall not exceed, in the first year of service – 10 hours per week, and in the second year of service – 15 hours per week, however the Director of the Authority or a person authorised by the Director may approve studies at a scope exceeding this, in exceptional cases or in special study programmes approved by the Authority.

Combining Work and Studies§

Notwithstanding the provisions of regulations 5 and 6, should a volunteer choose to combine work and studies as referred to in those regulations, the hours of work and studies of that volunteer shall not, in aggregate, exceed what is prescribed in regulation 5(e).

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Chapter V: Training for Service

Training for Service§

(a)A recognised body shall provide every volunteer it has referred to service with general training for service (in this Chapter – the training), covering at least the following subjects:

(1)preparation for service;

(2)rights and duties of a volunteer;

(3)conduct of a volunteer during service;

(4)personal and civic empowerment of a volunteer;

(5)acquaintance with Israeli heritage and society;

(6)conduct in an emergency and first aid fundamentals;

(7)prevention of sexual harassment;

(8)integration into the employment market after service;

(9)additional subjects that will contribute to the volunteer and to the volunteering.

(b)The training shall be conducted over at least four days, with a total scope of not less than 32 hours; on one of the training days, an educational tour for acquaintance with Israeli heritage and society shall be conducted (in this regulation – the educational tour), at a scope of not less than 8 hours.

(c)The training shall be provided during the volunteer's period of service, whether continuously or cumulatively.

(d)The number of participants in each lesson within the training framework shall not exceed fifty volunteers; notwithstanding the foregoing, the number of participants in the educational tour is not limited.

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Chapter VI: The Tariff

Components of the Monthly Tariff§

8a.

The following are the components of the tariff that an operating body shall pay to a recognised body for the operation of a volunteer, each month:

(1)pocket money for the volunteer in the amount of NIS 937;

(2)reimbursement of expenses to the volunteer, according to one of the following, as set out below:

(a)for a volunteer who resides at home and personally bears the costs of nutrition at a scope of at least two meals a day – NIS 285;

(b)for a volunteer who resides at home and personally bears the costs of at most one meal a day – NIS 143;

(c)for a volunteer who resides in a service apartment and personally bears the costs of nutrition at a scope of at least two meals a day – NIS 388;

(d)for a volunteer who resides in a service apartment and personally bears the costs of at most one meal a day – NIS 205; notwithstanding the foregoing, for a volunteer who resides in an apartment maintained by the operating body and the operating body bears the costs of the volunteer's nutrition, no reimbursement of expenses shall be paid under this paragraph;

(e)for a married volunteer regardless of place of residence – NIS 388;

(f)for a special volunteer – NIS 285, and if the volunteer resides in a service apartment – NIS 388, even if the volunteer does not personally bear the costs of nutrition, in whole or in part;

(3)insurance fees, according to one of the following:

(a)for a volunteer who resides at home or in an apartment maintained by the operating body – NIS 15;

(b)for a volunteer who resides in a service apartment, excluding an apartment maintained by the operating body – NIS 24;

(4)coordinators' wages and related expenses, according to one of the following:

(a)for a volunteer who resides at home – NIS 210;

(b)for a volunteer who resides in an apartment maintained by the operating body – NIS 281;

(c)for a volunteer who resides in a service apartment, excluding an apartment maintained by the operating body – NIS 366;

(d)for a special volunteer, regardless of place of residence – NIS 848;

(5)housing expenses for a volunteer who resides in a service apartment, excluding an apartment maintained by the operating body, as set out below:

(a)rent – NIS 654, and for a special volunteer – NIS 685;

(b)current apartment maintenance expenses – NIS 227, and for a special volunteer – NIS 238;

(c)furniture and equipment, as set out in the Second Schedule – NIS 54, and for a special volunteer – NIS 56;

(d)apartment caretakers – NIS 25, and for a special volunteer – NIS 26;

(6)additional expenses for the operation of a volunteer, regardless of place of residence, as set out below:

(a)travel – NIS 215;

(b)national insurance and health insurance – NIS 163, and for a special volunteer who is not an at-risk youth – NIS 120;

(c)financial assistance or assistance in kind for volunteers in need – NIS 17; for this purpose, "volunteer in need" – a volunteer who meets the criteria according to the decision of the recognised body; the Authority shall formulate criteria for determining entitlement to assistance for volunteers in need for the purposes of this sub-regulation, shall supervise the utilisation of the funds paid under this sub-regulation at the end of each calendar year, in respect of the preceding year, and shall notify volunteers twice a year of the possibility of applying for assistance and of the criteria for granting assistance;

(d)funding of volunteers who complete a period that is missing to complete their period of service – NIS 14;

(e)participation in the wages of social workers employed by the recognised body – NIS 32;

(f)participation in the wages of placement coordinators employed by the recognised body – NIS 22;

(g)participation in the wages of area and district managers employed by the recognised body – NIS 32;

(h)training of volunteers under the Law – NIS 55;

(7)an overhead supplement in the amount of NIS 234, for each volunteer, and for a special volunteer – NIS 317.

Summary of Tariff Amounts and Payments to a Volunteer§

8b.

(a)The summary of the tariff amounts that an operating body shall pay to a recognised body for the operation of a volunteer, as set out in regulation 8a, shall be as set out in the First Schedule.

(b)Out of the tariff amounts referred to in regulation 8a, the recognised body shall pay directly to the volunteer the components specified in regulation 8a(1) and (2).

(c)The Authority shall send to volunteers, once a year, a written breakdown of the amounts of pocket money and reimbursement of expenses updated under regulation 8a(1) and (2).

Payments by the Authority§

8c.

(a)The Authority shall transfer to the recognised body a payment for the expenses detailed below, in the amount stated alongside each:

(1)additional expenses due to a volunteer who is ill with coeliac disease – NIS 231 for a volunteer who resides at home and NIS 427 for a volunteer in a service apartment; the payment is monthly and is in addition to pocket money and reimbursement of expenses;

(2)with respect to a lone volunteer as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition of "lone volunteer" who has arrived from outside Israel – reimbursement for a return flight ticket to the place of residence of the volunteer during the last month of the first year of service or during the volunteer's second year of service – up to NIS 4,047; the said payment is conditional on the presentation of a flight ticket and shall be paid once only for each such volunteer, at the end of the volunteer's second year of service;

(3)a supplement to pocket money and reimbursement of expenses for a lone volunteer as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition of "lone volunteer" – NIS 832 per month;

(4)insurance, furniture and equipment, as well as participation in coordinators' wages and related expenses for a lone volunteer – NIS 488 per month, however if the lone volunteer is a special volunteer – NIS 321 per month.

(b)The recognised body shall transfer to the volunteer, directly, the payments it has received from the Authority under sub-regulation (a)(1) to (3).

(c)The Authority shall update volunteers in writing that the amounts referred to in paragraphs (1) to (3) of sub-regulation (a) have been paid on their behalf, as the case may be, and that they are entitled to receive the said amounts from the recognised body.

Updating of Amounts§

8d.

(a)The amounts specified in regulations 8a, 8c and 8e shall be updated on 1 September of each year (hereinafter – the update date) according to the rate of change of the new index compared with the base index; however, the amounts specified in regulation 8a(1) and (2) shall change only if an increase in the index as aforesaid has occurred; an amount updated as aforesaid shall be rounded to the nearest whole new shekel, and an amount of half a new shekel shall be rounded upwards; the updating of the amount as aforesaid shall be carried out on the basis of the amount determined on the previous update date, before it was rounded as aforesaid; for this purpose –

"the index" – one of the following, as the case may be:

(1)with respect to the amounts specified in regulations 8a(1), (2), (3), (5)(b) and (c), (6)(a), (c), (d) and (h), 8c and 8e(1) to (5) and (8) – the consumer price index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics;

(2)with respect to the amounts specified in regulation 8a(5)(a) – the apartment rental index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics;

(3)with respect to the amounts specified in regulation 8a(4), (5)(d), (6)(e) to (g) and 8e(6) – the average wage index in the economy in the public sector published by the Central Bureau of Statistics;

"the new index" – the index most recently published before the update date;

"the base index" – the index most recently published before the previous update date, and with respect to the first update date – the index published in August 2021.

(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-regulation (a) –

(1)the amounts specified in regulations 8a(6)(b) and 8e(7) shall be updated from time to time according to the amounts determined under Chapter XV of the National Insurance Law [Consolidated Version], 5755-1995, or under section 14 of the National Health Insurance Law, 5754-1994, as the case may be;

(2)the amounts specified in regulation 8a(7) shall be updated on 1 September of each year as set out below:

(a)the amount of the overhead supplement for a volunteer, other than a special volunteer, shall be 10% of the average of the amounts specified in items (1) to (6) of the First Schedule after deducting from each of the amounts in those items the amount specified in regulation 8a(7) before its updating under this sub-paragraph;

(b)the amount of the overhead supplement for a special volunteer shall be 10% of the average of the amounts specified in items (7) to (10) of the First Schedule after deducting from each of the amounts in those items the amount specified in regulation 8a(7) before its updating under this sub-paragraph.

(c)The Director shall publish in Reshumot (Official Gazette) every year the amounts of the tariff components specified in regulations 8a, 8c and 8e, as referred to in section 10(b) of the Law, and shall also publish the amounts of the components set out in the First Schedule, all as updated under this regulation.

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RegulationsAdministrative Law

תקנות שירות אזרחי (עקרונות השירות הלאומי וההתנדבות הקהילתית), תשפ"א-2020

Civilian Service Regulations 5781

National Service and Community Volunteering 2020

Takkanot Sherut Ezrachi

Israeli civilian service law

Community volunteering regulations

National service principles

Sherut Ezrachi 2020

Israel civilian service

Community service law Israel

Civilian Service Regulations (Principles of National Service and Community Volunteering), 5781-2020

Chapter I: General

Definitions§Cite ✦

Chapter II: Volunteer Who Is Not an Israeli Citizen or Permanent Resident

Permit for Service§Cite ✦

Chapter III: Entitlement to Accommodation

Entitlement to Accommodation in a Service Apartment§Cite ✦

Waiver of Entitlement to a Service Apartment§Cite ✦

Chapter IV: Work and Studies

Approval for Work Outside Service Hours§Cite ✦

Restrictions on Studies§Cite ✦

Combining Work and Studies§Cite ✦

Chapter V: Training for Service

Training for Service§Cite ✦

Chapter VI: The Tariff

Components of the Monthly Tariff§Cite ✦

Summary of Tariff Amounts and Payments to a Volunteer§Cite ✦

Payments by the Authority§Cite ✦

Updating of Amounts§Cite ✦

Definitions§

Permit for Service§

Entitlement to Accommodation in a Service Apartment§

Waiver of Entitlement to a Service Apartment§

Approval for Work Outside Service Hours§

Restrictions on Studies§

Combining Work and Studies§

Training for Service§

Components of the Monthly Tariff§

Summary of Tariff Amounts and Payments to a Volunteer§

Payments by the Authority§

Updating of Amounts§