Financial Benefits for Lone Soldiers
The concrete financial benefits every Lone Soldier (chayal boded or chayelet bodeda) is entitled to during mandatory service — monthly grants, shopping and holiday vouchers, flight funding, marriage grants, and the Kochavim points system.
Time Estimate
~3 min read
Priority
Normal
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Monthly grant
Every Lone Soldier receives a monthly grant of ₪601.2 added to their salary, on top of the standard living allowance (dmei kiyum) every soldier gets.
Soldiers serving in combat roles receive an additional monthly grant on top of this:
- Activity Level Aleph+ (the highest combat tier): additional ₪467.2 per month
- Activity Level Aleph: additional ₪233.7 per month
These additions are automatic based on the soldier's role classification.
- 2
Shopping vouchers (Tavei Knia)
Lone Soldiers receive ₪150 in shopping vouchers every month, issued automatically through the IDF's Chogger welfare system. The vouchers can be redeemed at the following supermarket chains:
- Kaveret (כוורת)
- Shufersal (שופרסל)
- Yesh Hessed (יש חסד)
- Yeinot Bitan (יינות ביתן)
- Mega Ba'Ir (מגה בעיר)
Important: vouchers expire 60 days after the issue date for each month's entitlement, so use them promptly.
Exception — Yachad LeMa'an HaChayal apartments: Lone Soldiers (and those entitled to lodging on personal grounds — zakai halana) who live in 'Yachad LeMa'an HaChayal' apartments receive ₪400 per month in total, not in addition to the ₪150 above.
- 3
Holiday vouchers (Tavei Chag)
Lone Soldiers receive holiday vouchers twice a year to help prepare for the holidays:
- Rosh Hashanah
- Pesach
The vouchers can be redeemed at various chains that are updated each year, and the amount of the vouchers varies from year to year.
- 4
Flight ticket funding
Every Lone Soldier is entitled to 100% reimbursement of a flight ticket — except for those classified as 'children of shlichim' (kids of Israeli emissaries serving abroad), who are not eligible.
To claim this benefit: apply through your unit's Tash staff (welfare officer).
Important: your passport must be valid for at least 6 months past the flight date to be eligible for this benefit. Check your passport expiry before booking.
- 5
Extended marriage grant
A Lone Soldier who marries during mandatory service is entitled to a special one-time marriage grant of approximately ₪1,080.
In addition, the soldier receives a 3-month adjustment period (tkufat hit'argenut) during which Lone Soldier benefits continue to be paid.
What happens after the adjustment period depends on the discharge timing:
- Discharged during the 3-month adjustment period → entitled to discharged Lone Soldier benefits afterwards.
- Discharged after the 3-month adjustment period → no longer entitled to Lone Soldier benefits.
- 6
Kochavim — points system
Kochavim (literally 'stars') are points equivalent to NIS that the IDF issues to every soldier (not just Lone Soldiers) before and during service. Roughly 2 weeks before enlistment, the future soldier (malshav) receives a notification with a link and code to claim them.
Where you can redeem them: Ricochet (ריקושט), Mega Sport (מגה ספורט), H&O, Gali (גלי), HaMashbir LaTzarchan (המשביר לצרכן), and Delta.
Amounts received at each stage:
- Before enlistment (every soldier — combat or combat-support): 215 kochavim.
- After 1 month of service: combat soldiers receive 845 kochavim; combat-support soldiers receive 335 kochavim.
- After 1 year of service: combat soldiers receive an additional 205 kochavim; combat-support soldiers receive an additional 145 kochavim.
- 7
How to claim and where to verify amounts
Most of these benefits are applied automatically based on your Lone Soldier status and role classification — the monthly grant, shopping vouchers, holiday vouchers, and kochavim do not require a separate application.
For benefits that require an application — flight ticket funding and the marriage grant — contact your unit's Tash staff.
* The figures shown above mirror the IDF benefits page at the time this card was last verified. The IDF updates these amounts periodically — verify with your unit Tash or on the IDF page before relying on them for financial planning.
- 8
Related guides
Other guides in the Lone Soldier lifecycle (IDF / MOD) series:
Useful Hebrew Phrases
- chayal boded — Lone Soldierחייל בודד
- ma'anak chodshi — Monthly grantמענק חודשי
- tavei knia — Shopping vouchersתווי קנייה
- tkufat hit'argenut — Adjustment period (3 months after marriage during which Lone Soldier benefits continue)תקופת התארגנות
- giyus — Enlistment / draft into the IDFגיוס
- mashakit tash — Welfare NCO at the unit (handles Lone Soldier admin)מש"קית ת"ש
- mimun kartis tisa — Flight ticket funding (the 100% reimbursement benefit)מימון כרטיס טיסה
- ma'anak nisuim — Marriage grant (~₪1,080 one-time for Lone Soldiers who marry during service)מענק נישואים
Was this guide helpful?