Best Place to Exchange Money in Tel Aviv

Where to change money in Tel Aviv

The city's official tourist website points visitors to three kinds of outlet for changing foreign cash: banks, post offices and licensed exchange shops. We could not confirm any single shop from two sources, so compare changers on the total in shekels you would get for your pounds, and ask about commission before you hand over notes. Where you pay in cash, most places want shekels.

• Bank Hapoalim, Ben Gurion Airport (Terminals 3 and 1) - The Terminal 3 departures branch, in the duty-free area, is open 24 hours; the arrivals branch and the Terminal 1 counter keep to flight times.

Changing money at the airport

The Israel Airports Authority lists Bank Hapoalim as the currency exchange at Ben Gurion. In Terminal 3 its departures branch, in the duty-free zone, never closes, while the arrivals-hall branch opens around incoming flights; Hapoalim cash machines stand in the arrivals and baggage halls and the departures concourses. Terminal 1 has a Hapoalim counter in departures, run to match flights.

Israel Railways trains call at the airport, but we found no official fare for the train, buses or taxis into Tel Aviv, so check before you travel.

ATMs and cards in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv's tourist website says cash machines are found all over the city, run either by banks or by private firms. Both are legitimate, it says, but the private ones take a higher commission, so look for a bank's name on the machine and read any charge on screen before you accept. We found no published foreign-card fee for the main Israeli banks, so do not assume a withdrawal is free; your bank at home may also charge.

The site also suggests checking before you travel that your card works in Israel. Should a card reader or cash machine suggest sterling, decline and keep it in shekels.

Paying for transport in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv buses are paid with a Rav-Kav smart card. The anonymous version costs a one-off 5 NIS at the Central Bus Station (6th floor), 21 Yitzhak Sadeh St., 35 Ibn Gabirol St. and the Arlozorov bus terminal, next to the Dan information desk. Load credit before you board, in the HopOn or Rav-Kav Online apps on an NFC phone, at Tel-O-Fun bike stations or at listed shops and kiosks. With 8 NIS on the card you can ride any number of buses inside Tel Aviv within 90 minutes. Moovit, Pango, Cello and HopOn let you pay by phone instead; we could not confirm officially whether a bank card can be tapped.

The Red Line light rail opened in August 2023, running 24 km through 34 stations from Bat Yam via Tel Aviv to Petah Tikva. At launch it did not run on the Sabbath, when public transport is very limited, and restarted at 8:30 pm on Saturday, so check the current timetable before a weekend journey.

Good to know

• The FCDO advises against all travel to some parts of Israel, none of them in Tel Aviv, and warns that flights at Ben Gurion airport may be disrupted; read its current advice on gov.uk before you book and again before you fly.
• Since 1 January 2025 UK visitors have needed an ETA-IL before arrival. It costs 25 NIS, lasts two years and covers stays of up to 90 days; apply on the website of Israel's Population and Immigration Authority.
• The airport operator says visitors who are not Israeli citizens can reclaim VAT only as they leave, and only on goods bought on this trip. Before check-in, take the paperwork and the goods to the VAT counter on the 3rd floor of the check-in hall, then show the stamped form at the refund desk in the Duty Free hall.
• Tel Aviv's tourist website says diners at sit-down restaurants usually add 10-15% to the bill, taxi drivers do not expect a tip but welcome a rounded-up fare, and 10-20 NIS per guide is fair on a tour.