The agreement with Romania has been in force since 1 January 2013 and covers old age, survivors, general disability and children. Not maternity, work injury or unemployment.
According to the National Insurance circular of January 2026, the agreements do not apply to health insurance contributions. Those who remain resident keep paying them.
An Israeli resident living abroad with no income pays NIS 266 a month from 1 January 2026, and keeps benefits and health fund cover.
Someone who leaves stays registered as resident for the first five years. Early termination is examined for the whole family, and can be reviewed retroactively.
On returning to Israel: one month of waiting per year of absence, up to 6. It can be redeemed for NIS 16,860, as of 2026.
National Insurance and Romania: the short answer
Israel and Romania have a social security agreement, in force since 1 January 2013. According to Israel's National Insurance Institute, it applies to employees, the self-employed and family members, and covers old age, survivors, general disability and children, but not maternity, work injury or unemployment. It prevents double National Insurance contributions and allows insurance periods to be combined. It does not apply to health insurance contributions. Someone who remains an Israeli resident and lives in Romania with no income pays a minimum of NIS 266 a month.
When a family tells me they are considering living in Bucharest, the National Insurance question usually comes too late, after they have already left. That is a pity, because the important decisions here are decisions to make before the move.
What the agreement covers, according to National Insurance
According to the National Insurance Institute's table of agreements (in Hebrew), the agreement with Romania is a "broad agreement":
| Insurance branch | Included in the agreement with Romania? |
|---|---|
| Senior citizens (old age) | Yes |
| Survivors | Yes |
| General disability (excluding special services and disabled child) | Yes |
| Children | Yes |
| Maternity | No |
| Work injury | No |
| Unemployment | No |
| Health insurance | No, the agreements do not apply to it |
The agreement protects your social security rights. It does not insure your health. The last row is worth reading twice, because that is the point where most people get confused.
What the agreement actually does
The National Insurance circular on international agreements from January 2026 (in Hebrew) sums up two main things:
- Preventing double contributions. An Israeli resident living in an agreement country pays National Insurance contributions in only one of the two countries, and keeps their rights in Israel.
- Combining insurance periods. Periods accumulated in both countries are added together to complete the qualifying period for a pension.
The same circular states explicitly: "The agreements do not apply to health insurance contributions." An Israeli resident who works in Romania for a local employer or as self-employed pays social insurance contributions in Romania, but continues to pay health insurance contributions in Israel as long as they are resident.
What you pay, depending on your situation
According to the payments page for an Israeli resident staying abroad (in Hebrew), as of 2026:
| Your situation in Romania | What you pay National Insurance in Israel |
|---|---|
| Israeli residents, no income | Minimum NIS 266 a month (from 1.1.2026) |
| Working for an Israeli employer | The employer is responsible for payment |
| Working in Romania and paying social insurance there | Health insurance contributions only, on presenting confirmation from Romania |
| Working for a foreign employer not in an agreement country | According to the income tax assessment, at the rate for non-employment income |
| You have ceased to be Israeli residents | No obligation to pay, and no state health insurance |
One more detail from that page: a woman married to an Israeli resident who went abroad with him and does not work, or works only for a foreign employer, is exempt from payment and her rights are preserved.
Are you still an "Israeli resident" in the eyes of National Insurance?
This is a separate question from income tax. According to National Insurance (in Hebrew), the National Insurance Law does not define a resident, and the Institute examines the centre of life using an objective test (home, family, work and assets) and a subjective test (where you see your centre of life).
The practical rules:
The agreement protects your social security rights. It does not insure your health.
- The first 5 years. Someone who leaves Israel continues to be registered as resident for the first five years, and their entitlement to benefits and health insurance is preserved. The Institute may check earlier if it has information that residency has ended.
- Early request to end residency. You can apply, but the Institute examines the whole family unit. A request will not be approved if the spouse and children stayed in Israel.
- Retroactive review. For someone who ended residency and came back, residency is re-examined for the whole period. If the centre of life did not really move, they will be recognised as resident retroactively and charged contributions.
How the same question is examined on the tax side, I explained in our article on tax residency in Israel and Romania.
Returning to Israel: the waiting period
This is the price of stopping payment. According to National Insurance (in Hebrew), someone who was abroad for 18 consecutive months or more and did not pay health insurance contributions for at least 12 months, or who ceased to be resident, will not be entitled to health services during a waiting period of up to 6 months.
The calculation: one month of waiting for each year of absence, a minimum of two months and a maximum of six. A year of absence is 12 months in which you were outside Israel for at least 182 days. Children up to 18 are exempt.
The waiting period can be redeemed with a special payment of NIS 16,860 (in Hebrew) (from 1.1.2026), in one payment or up to 6 instalments, provided you have been recognised again as Israeli residents.
NIS 266 a month sounds like an unnecessary expense, until you compare it with half a year without an Israeli health fund.
And what about health insurance in Romania?
The agreement does not solve this, so a family living in Bucharest needs its own solution: private health insurance, cover in the Romanian public system if you work or are resident there, or a combination. We wrote a separate article on health insurance for families moving to Bucharest. And for planning the monthly budget, see what it costs to live in Bucharest.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a National Insurance agreement between Israel and Romania?
Yes. According to the National Insurance Institute, the agreement has been in force since 1 January 2013 and covers the old-age, survivors, general disability and children branches. It does not cover maternity, work injury or unemployment, and it does not apply to health insurance contributions.
How much do I pay National Insurance when living in Romania without working?
Someone who remains an Israeli resident and has no income pays minimum contributions of NIS 266 a month, as of 1 January 2026. The payment preserves the right to benefits and to state health insurance.
I work in Romania. Do I pay twice?
Not for National Insurance. An Israeli resident who works in Romania for a local employer or as self-employed, and pays social insurance there, pays only health insurance contributions in Israel, after presenting confirmation of payment in Romania.
How long does National Insurance continue to see me as an Israeli resident?
Usually five years from leaving. The Institute can check earlier if there is information that residency has ended, and you can also apply to end residency early, but the application is examined for the whole family.
What happens when I return to Israel after several years in Romania?
If you stopped paying health insurance contributions or ceased to be resident, a waiting period of one month for each year of absence applies, between two and six months. It can be redeemed with a payment of NIS 16,860, as of 2026.
The bottom line
The agreement with Romania is good at what it was designed for: preventing double National Insurance and preserving insurance periods for a pension. It will not take care of your doctor. That you plan separately, in Israel and in Romania, as part of planning the relocation as a whole.
If you are planning to live in a villa north of Bucharest, in our project in Balotești or anywhere else, book a 30-minute call with me. We will go through the list of decisions worth making before the move, and build the questions for National Insurance and your adviser.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources and data: National Insurance Institute: existing agreements and the insurance branches they include (in Hebrew) · National Insurance Institute: international agreements circular, 13.01.2026 (in Hebrew) · National Insurance Institute: paying contributions while abroad (in Hebrew) · National Insurance Institute: who is considered an Israeli resident (in Hebrew) · National Insurance Institute: waiting period for medical services (in Hebrew) · National Insurance Institute: special payment to redeem the waiting period (in Hebrew).
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The amounts are correct as of 1 January 2026 according to the National Insurance Institute website and are updated from time to time. Residency and liability for contributions are determined by the National Insurance Institute according to each family's circumstances.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
