How is the Recruitment Date Determined?

The general rule guiding the army to determine the recruitment dates is: Those who were born earlier will enlist earlier. However, this is not always the case. In fact, the recruitment date can still change, and is determined mainly according to the needs of the army.

The date of your recruitment will be determined after the completion of the first summon process. However, as mentioned above, this is an initial date that can change; either due to military needs or, sometimes, after approval of a candidate's personal request for postponement or hastening of their recruitment date. The recruitment date may also change due to test results, change of placement, update of your medical condition, acceptance to the pre-military academy track and other factors.

Whenever your recruitment date is changed, you will get an updated recruitment order. If you received a number of orders - the most recent one is the accurate one. The final and updated recruitment date will be usually determined about 45 days prior to the recruitment date you received, depending on your placement.

Still unsure of the final date? You can easily check through your personal section of the 'Mitgaisim' website or, in an exceptional case, contact 'Meitav's service center.

What Are Recruitment Periods?

The IDF has 3 main recruitment periods, each spread across two months on average: July-August, November-December and March-April.

In addition, there are also 2 General recruitment periods, which usually take place in October and February. Every day during these recruitment periods is devoted to a specific unit, network, division, branch or brigade in order to concentrate all the recruits into similar positions, and to concentrate them for basic training. These days are called concentrated recruitment days.

Women have 10 recruitment periods throughout the year, divided into two main recruitments: The first half are in July-November recruitments, and the second half in December-April.

Please note, assignment to positions that require a course will usually lead to a change in your original recruitment date.

A change in placement is also valid when being accepted into volunteer units. During recruitment, you will be drafted together with those assigned to the same position, and you may even find each other in the same basic training.

How Do I Change My Recruitment Date?

Postponing or hastening the recruitment date can be done for various reasons, such as: a family occasion involving an immediate relative, a medical case that requires treatment, study and other important personal reasons that prevent recruitment on the date sets for you.

If there is a problem that prevents you from enlisting at your given date, you should send a detailed personal request with the relevant documents.

However, be aware that if you are not assigned to a general enlistment, hastening or postponing the date of recruitment may affect your placement. Those cases should be checked individually with 'Meitav's service center.

In order to delay the recruitment process, please contact 'Meitav's service center + the information center via email at Meitav@idf.gov.il and attach relevant documents (if needed). In addition, you must include the reason why you wish to change your recruitment date.

Any request for the hastening or postponing of the recruitment date will be examined personally by the authorized department. It is important to confirm, the day after submitting the forms, that they have been received, and to check in on their status periodically.

If your application is approved, you will receive a new recruitment date. If your request is denied, you can appeal this decision by contacting 'Meitav's service center.

How Can I Get a Draft Deferral?

Requests to postpone the recruitment for a period of six months or more can be granted only in cases of joining a pre-military framework such as a reserve, a hesder yeshiva, a year of national service, an army preparation course, 13-14 grades and similar tracks. All relevant forms indicating acceptance to the framework must be sent in order for the request to be examined.

Pay attention! If you have laser surgery to correct visual acuity, you will not be eligible for induction for three months from the date of surgery. If you do not report this, you will be put on service deferral until completing the three months from the date of surgery.

Important Information

The IDF makes it possible to travel abroad for all of the candidates prior to recruitment, on the condition that you return to Israel no later than the day before recruitment. Travel abroad is conditional on that you have no mandatory military summons or procedures set to take place during the desired travel time.

As long as you meet these criteria, you can leave the country at any time without requesting special permission from the recruitment bureau.

Please take notice: If you are leaving the country for more than 3 months (after having completed the first summon), you must contact 'Meitav's service center unit to inform them before leaving.