Guides · Fundamentals · Updated May 2026
Phone numbers in Israel, explained
Three questions come up more than any other when families and travelers ask about phones in Israel. Two of them are about phone numbers. Here are honest answers to both.
1. Do I (or my kid) need an Israeli phone number?
The answer depends almost entirely on how long you're staying and what you need to do while you're there.
Short trips: probably not
If you're visiting for a couple of weeks or less — tourism, family visits, a short program — a data-only eSIM is almost certainly enough. WhatsApp works over data, Google Maps works over data, and most things tourists do don't require an actual Israeli number.
The Charedi exception
If you'll be spending significant time in Charedi (ultra-Orthodox) communities, you probably do want an Israeli number — even on a short trip. Many people in these communities don't have smartphones, which means they can only be reached by regular phone call. We once stayed at an Airbnb in a Charedi neighborhood and had a genuinely hard time getting through to the host. A data-only eSIM wouldn't have solved that.
Longer stays: you probably need one
If you're staying for a semester abroad, a gap year, or anything more than a couple of weeks, you should plan on getting an Israeli number. Here's why:
- Most programs require it. Year programs, yeshivot, seminaries, and universities almost universally ask students for an Israeli phone number as part of enrollment. Don't assume your US number forwarded through WhatsApp will satisfy this.
- Israeli businesses run on SMS. Restaurant reservation systems, delivery apps, pharmacy notifications, and countless other services use Israeli short codes for confirmation and verification SMS. These go to Israeli numbers only — a US number won't receive them.
- Two-factor authentication. Israeli banks, government services (Bituach Leumi, Misrad HaPnim), and many local apps send 2FA codes via SMS to Israeli numbers. If you're doing anything official in Israel, you need a local number to receive them.
The good news: getting an Israeli number is straightforward. You can get a local physical SIM from any of the major Israeli carriers (Cellcom, Partner, Hot Mobile, Pelephone), or use an eSIM from Airalo that includes a number — see Airalo plans with an Israeli phone number.
2. Do I (or my kid) need a US callback number?
This one is mostly a relic of a pre-smartphone era — but not entirely.
What a US callback number is
A callback number is a US phone number that forwards calls to an Israeli phone. When someone in America dials a regular US number, it rings on the Israeli device. Before smartphones, this was the standard solution for families with kids in Israel: grandma in Cleveland didn't have to figure out international dialing, she just called a normal US number.
They were extremely common in the early 2000s and 2010s, when most kids going to Israel had a basic Israeli cellphone and no smartphone. The whole system existed to bridge that gap.
Do you need one today?
For most families sending a kid with a smartphone: no. FaceTime, WhatsApp calls, and regular iMessage cover virtually every "calling home" scenario, and they're free over data. If grandma has an iPhone, FaceTime works. If she doesn't, WhatsApp is on every platform. The callback number as a product has mostly been replaced by the internet.
There are two situations where it still makes sense:
| Situation | US callback number |
|---|---|
| Kid has a smartphone (iPhone or Android) | Probably not needed — WhatsApp and FaceTime handle this |
| Kid has a kosher phone (no internet, calls and SMS only) | Genuinely useful — this is the main use case today |
| Family members back home aren't on WhatsApp/FaceTime | Worth considering — gives them a normal number to dial |
Kosher phones and callback numbers
If your kid is going to a program that requires a kosher phone — one with no internet access — then a US callback number goes from "nice to have" to "strongly recommended." Without internet, there's no WhatsApp or FaceTime to call home with. The callback number means family can reach them by dialing a normal US number, and the kid can call home without anyone needing to figure out international dialing. Some kosher phone plans in Israel include a US callback number as part of the package — worth asking your carrier about before you buy.
3. What happens to a US phone number when someone is in Israel?
This question deserves its own full guide — and it has one. See What do I do with my kids' cellphone plan while they're in Israel?, which covers what to do with the existing US plan: whether to pause it, keep it, or cancel it, and what happens to the number either way.