National Insurance Offers Birth Grants Up to $4,300
Israel's National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi) provides financial assistance to families following childbirth, with grant amounts varying based on the number of children born. For single births, the grant ranges from approximately $570 for the first child to $170 for the third and subsequent children. In cases of multiple births, the grants increase significantly: $2,880 for twins, $4,300 for triplets, and $1,440 for each additional child.
The grant is generally paid automatically to the mother's bank account within a month of the birth, typically without the need to file a claim, especially for hospital births where the hospital reports the birth to National Insurance. For subsequent children, the payment is usually directed to the account receiving child benefit payments. The first child's grant is paid to the bank account provided at the hospital.
Eligibility extends beyond typical births. The grant can be awarded for home births, stillbirths after 22 weeks of gestation, adoptions of children up to age 10, and surrogacy arrangements. Israeli residents are eligible, and in certain circumstances, non-residents may also qualify if they or their spouse worked in Israel for at least six months prior to the birth, provided the birth occurred in Israel.
Specific procedures apply for births abroad, requiring a claim to be filed. In such cases, reimbursement for hospitalization costs, up to the amount of the Israeli birth grant, may be available. For adoptions and surrogacy, a formal claim must be submitted through the National Insurance website or a local branch.
Additionally, National Insurance funds amniocentesis tests for women aged 35-37 between the 16th and 28th week of pregnancy, with payments processed automatically. The institute clarifies that these grants are available to same-sex couples, adoptive parents, and intended parents in surrogacy, with potential eligibility for a monthly birth allowance for those who become parents to three or more children simultaneously.
