Western Europe
Making aliyah from France
36,372 people moved from France to Israel between 2015 and 2025, including 3,353 in 2025. Here is what the official record shows about them, and what the process looks like from France specifically.
Olim in 2025
3,353
granted oleh status on arrival
Total since 2015
36,372
11 years of the record
Busiest year
2015
7,700 arrivals
Most chosen town
Netanya
9,525 people
Settlement concentration
59.2% of olim from France registered in three towns: Netanya, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yafo. That is the most concentrated of the 23 countries with at least 1,000 olim on record.
The record
Aliyah from France, in the ministry's own files
Every arrival counted once, in the year they landed and the town they registered in.
Arrivals from France by year
Where they settled
Absorption town recorded on arrival.
- 1Netanya9,525
- 2Jerusalem6,606
- 3Tel Aviv-Yafo5,417
- 4Ashdod2,484
- 5Ra'anana2,325
- 6Hadera1,012
- 7Ashkelon635
- 8Herzliya617
- 9Bat Yam588
- 10Givat Shmuel560
Age on arrival
24% arrived as children, 17% at 65 or over.
- 10-178,897
- 218-246,847
- 325-345,000
- 435-494,312
- 550-645,209
- 665+6,107
What they did before moving
Occupation recorded at registration. "School pupil" and "student" reflect how many arrive as dependants.
- 1Not stated5,540
- 2School pupil5,074
- 3Retired4,828
- 4Student3,013
- 5Professional services1,131
- 6Unskilled679
- 7Homemaker617
- 8Salesperson587
Destination
More went to Netanya than anywhere else
9,525 of the 36,372 arrivals from France registered in Netanya, ahead of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ashdod.
That is 26% of everyone arriving from France, against 10.8% 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 France
The Jewish Agency for Israel runs the process through its regional office and the Israeli consulate.
Direct flights from Paris, Marseille and Lyon are frequent, and group flights run in summer.
French aliyah has reshaped whole neighbourhoods: Netanya, Ashdod, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Bat Yam and Ra'anana all have large French-speaking populations, French bakeries and French-language services.
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.
Arriving with French as your first language, ulpan is the single biggest determinant of how fast your first year goes. New olim are entitled to free Hebrew study, and the Hebrew alphabet and essential phrases pages are a no-cost head start.
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 France compares with everywhere else on the full statistics explorer.
An open-plan office floor of screens and desks.
Aliyah from elsewhere in Western Europe
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 France each year?+
3,353 in 2025, and 36,372 in total between 2015 and 2025. The strongest single year was 2015, with 7,700 arrivals.
Where do olim from France settle?+
Netanya takes the largest share, followed by Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ashdod. 26% of olim from France settled in Netanya, against 10.8% of olim overall.
Who handles an aliyah application from France?+
The Jewish Agency for Israel runs the process through its regional office and the Israeli consulate.
Is aliyah from France mostly families or individuals?+
Of the 36,372 arrivals recorded, 24% were children under 18 and 17% were 65 or over. That is a family-heavy profile.
Source: Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, published on data.gov.il. Figures count people granted oleh status on arrival. Rebuilt 2026-08-05.