Other
Making aliyah from Turkey
1,657 people moved from Turkey to Israel between 2015 and 2025, including 53 in 2025. Here is what the official record shows about them, and what the process looks like from Turkey specifically.
Olim in 2025
53
granted oleh status on arrival
Total since 2015
1,657
11 years of the record
Busiest year
2017
390 arrivals
Most chosen town
Tel Aviv-Yafo
370 people
Settlement concentration
55.6% of olim from Turkey registered in three towns: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ra'anana, Bat Yam. That is the 3rd most concentrated of the 23 countries with at least 1,000 olim on record.
The record
Aliyah from Turkey, in the ministry's own files
Every arrival counted once, in the year they landed and the town they registered in.
Arrivals from Turkey by year
Where they settled
Absorption town recorded on arrival.
- 1Tel Aviv-Yafo370
- 2Ra'anana326
- 3Bat Yam226
- 4Rishon LeZion92
- 5Petah Tikva75
- 6Ashdod66
- 7Jerusalem64
- 8Holon51
- 9Netanya51
- 10Herzliya46
Age on arrival
14% arrived as children, 24% at 65 or over.
- 10-17233
- 218-24141
- 325-34243
- 435-49294
- 550-64342
- 665+404
What they did before moving
Occupation recorded at registration. "School pupil" and "student" reflect how many arrive as dependants.
- 1Retired254
- 2Not stated182
- 3Homemaker163
- 4School pupil144
- 5Self-employed89
- 6Professional services73
- 7Student70
- 8Marketing & PR43
Destination
More went to Tel Aviv-Yafo than anywhere else
370 of the 1,657 arrivals from Turkey registered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, ahead of Ra'anana, Bat Yam, Rishon LeZion.
That is 22% of everyone arriving from Turkey, against 12.3% of olim from all countries.
The town is recorded once, on arrival, so the chart above shows where people registered rather than where they live now.
How it works
The process from Turkey
The Jewish Agency for Israel runs the process through its regional office and the Israeli consulate.
Commercial flights, coordinated with the Jewish Agency.
Arrivals are dispersed across the country.
Documents are the slow part everywhere: birth certificates, proof of Jewish descent, police clearance and, in most countries, apostilles. Start collecting before you open the file, not after. The full sequence is in the aliyah guide.
Before you go
Work out what your money is worth: the cost of living page has rent, groceries and salaries in real numbers, and the shekel converter gives today's rate.
A market stall in Jerusalem with prices marked in shekels.
Check the calendar you are moving into: holiday dates close the country for whole weeks in autumn and spring, and Shabbat times govern the week.
A sesame-topped challah loaf, freshly baked.
See how Turkey compares with everywhere else on the full statistics explorer.
An open-plan office floor of screens and desks.
Aliyah from elsewhere in Other
Total arrivals 2015 to 2025, in brackets.
Start here
The move itself, in six steps
Eligibility, opening the file, the documents, the visa, landing day and the absorption benefits that follow. The guide is the same wherever you are starting from.
Frequently asked questions
How many people make aliyah from Turkey each year?+
53 in 2025, and 1,657 in total between 2015 and 2025. The strongest single year was 2017, with 390 arrivals.
Where do olim from Turkey settle?+
Tel Aviv-Yafo takes the largest share, followed by Ra'anana, Bat Yam, Rishon LeZion. 22% of olim from Turkey settled in Tel Aviv-Yafo, against 12.3% of olim overall.
Who handles an aliyah application from Turkey?+
The Jewish Agency for Israel runs the process through its regional office and the Israeli consulate.
Is aliyah from Turkey mostly families or individuals?+
Of the 1,657 arrivals recorded, 14% were children under 18 and 24% were 65 or over. That skews towards adults moving without school-age children.
Source: Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, published on data.gov.il. Figures count people granted oleh status on arrival. Rebuilt 2026-08-05.