Making Aliyah With Hearing Aids: What to Bring and What to Check

One more list for the move

Aliyah comes with long lists: documents, bank accounts, shipping, schools, a new language. If you wear hearing aids, there is one more list to add, and it is worth doing before you board the plane.

This guide covers the practical side: what to collect before you leave, what to pack, and how to get set up with hearing care once you arrive. It does not cover entitlements, benefits or health-fund arrangements; check those directly with the relevant authorities and your health fund.

Before you leave: records and documents

Ask your current hearing-care provider for copies of everything relevant, and ask early.

• Your latest hearing test (audiogram), with the date. If you have several over the years, bring them all.
• Fitting reports, if your provider can give you copies.
• Device details: make, model, style and serial number for each ear.
• Purchase documents and terms from the country of purchase. Read what they say about repairs abroad before you go; do not assume they apply in Israel.
• Service history: past repairs and replaced parts.

Keep paper copies in your hand luggage and scanned copies in cloud storage or email, and share access with a family member.

Chargers, plugs and supplies

Chargers and power. Check what your charger needs: a wall plug, a USB cable or both. Check whether the plug fits Israeli sockets and read the rating printed on your power adapter rather than assuming. Pack a proper travel adapter for the first weeks.

Supplies. Bring a stock of the consumables your devices use to cover the first months while you settle in:

• Wax filters and domes in the correct type and size.
• Batteries in the correct size, if your devices use them. Check your airline's rules on carrying batteries and battery-powered devices before you fly.
• Tubes or earmould supplies, if you use a behind-the-ear style with a tube.
• Cleaning tools and a drying container, if you use one.

Accessories. Pack the TV adapter, remote microphone or remote control if you use them, with chargers and cables.

Hand luggage, not the shipment. Keep hearing aids, chargers and a week of supplies with you on the flight. Shipments can take a long time to arrive.

Devices bought abroad

Most olim arrive with hearing aids bought in their previous country. Before you leave, find out:

• What your purchase terms say about repairs in another country.
• Whether the manufacturer of your devices has information or contacts for Israel. Ask the manufacturer directly.
• Whether your current provider is willing to answer follow-up questions by email after you move.

Once here, what can be done locally depends on the make, model and problem. Our guide to hearing aids bought abroad explains how to prepare for that first conversation.

G-Sound offers Philips and Oticon hearing aids. If your devices are from either brand, mention it when you get in touch.

Getting started in Israel

The first months after aliyah are busy, but do not leave hearing care until something breaks:

1. Make contact early, while your devices are still working well.
2. Bring your records from abroad to the first conversation.
3. Consider a new hearing test if your last one is not recent. It also creates a local baseline.
4. Ask about supplies: which domes, filters and batteries fit your devices, and how to reorder them.
5. Agree who to call if something goes wrong.

G-Sound provides clear information and personal guidance in English for people exploring hearing-aid options in Israel. Ask which options may apply to your devices and your location. For a broader overview for new arrivals, see hearing aids for olim, and for the private and health-fund routes, see private hearing aids vs the HMO route.

Language at appointments

• Write down your main concerns in English before any appointment.
• Learn a handful of key words in Hebrew: hearing aid, battery, charger, filter, dome.
• Bring a family member or friend if it helps you feel confident.

First-year checklist

• Records from abroad scanned and stored.
• Charger tested with Israeli sockets, using a proper adapter.
• Supplies stock checked and a reorder plan in place.
• First contact made with a local hearing-care provider.
• New hearing test considered or booked.
• Phone and app re-paired if you changed phones. See Bluetooth hearing aids.
• A family member knows where your documents and spare supplies are.
• A plan for what to do if a device stops working.