Just Landed in Palestine? Your First 7 Days

Palestinian mobile operators are legally restricted to 3G in the West Bank and have no functioning service in Gaza's current situation, so data can feel slow if you rely on a local SIM alone. Jawwal and Ooredoo (Wataniya) are the two Palestinian carriers, with starter packs from roughly 20-29 ILS and generous data bundles for very little money. Many expats keep two SIMs: a Palestinian one for local calls and a cheap Israeli one (Cellcom, Partner or Pelephone) for reliable 4G/5G, especially for work and near checkpoints. Home fibre and ADSL are available in cities through providers like Hadara and Mada, and cafes almost universally offer free WiFi.

Typical cost: A Jawwal or Ooredoo prepaid SIM with a data bundle runs roughly 30-80 ILS/month (bundles range from a few GB upward); a comparable Israeli SIM with 4G/5G data is about 50-100 ILS/month, and home internet is around 150-250 ILS/month.

The Israeli New Shekel is the primary currency for wages, rent and shopping, though the Jordanian Dinar and US Dollar circulate widely and are often preferred for larger or cross-border payments and property deals. There is no Palestinian central bank issuing its own currency; the Palestine Monetary Authority regulates banks but relies on the shekel, dinar and dollar. Keep a rough sense of the day's exchange rates, because prices may be quoted in one currency and paid in another.

Opening an account: Bank of Palestine, Cairo Amman Bank and Arab Bank open accounts for residents; you will typically need your passport, residence or visa documentation, proof of address and sometimes a local reference. Opening can be slow and paperwork-heavy, so bring enough cash to cover your first few weeks. Bank of Palestine has the widest ATM network and a functional mobile app for transfers and top-ups.

Cash: Heavily cash-based. Cards work in Ramallah supermarkets, hotels, chain pharmacies and larger restaurants, but markets, service taxis, refugee camps and rural areas are cash-only. Keep a stack of small shekel notes and coins on hand at all times, and do not assume a card reader will work even where one exists.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and appreciated but not obligatory; rounding up or leaving around 10% in sit-down restaurants is normal. Taxi fares are usually rounded rather than tipped, and for shared service taxis you simply pay the fixed rate. Hotel porters and delivery drivers appreciate a few shekels.

There is no routine local address-registration office for foreigners as in continental Europe. Your legal status is instead governed by the entry visa or permit stamped in your passport and, where relevant, Israeli-issued permits, since Israel controls entry, exit and the population registry for the West Bank. In practice this means there is no town-hall registration step to complete; your responsibility is to keep your visa valid, not overstay, and hold any required permit. Long-stay workers and their employers usually handle status through their organisation, and some services touch the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Interior, but this is not an address-registration system.

Where: Not applicable for address registration. For entry, permits and status the authority is the Israeli side (COGAT); for certain local services and civil matters, the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Interior is involved.

Getting around relies on shared yellow service taxis (servees), private taxis and inter-city vans and buses; there is no metro or rail in the West Bank. Journeys are shaped by checkpoints and occasional closures, so allow generous extra time, carry your passport and keep a backup route in mind. Service taxis run fixed, cheap routes between and within towns and are how most people travel day to day; you flag one down, share it with others and pay the set fare in cash.

From the airport: Most arrivals land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, as the West Bank has no functioning international airport. From there, take a Nesher shared sherut or a taxi to Jerusalem (around 45-60 minutes), then a service taxi or private car to Ramallah or Bethlehem via the relevant checkpoint; the whole journey can take several hours. Many people instead fly into Queen Alia Airport in Amman, Jordan, and cross the Allenby (King Hussein) Bridge into the West Bank, which avoids Israeli airport questioning but has its own queues and closing hours.

Furnished and unfurnished flats are widely available in Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Nablus and East Jerusalem, usually found through local agents (samsar), Facebook groups such as neighbourhood housing pages, university noticeboards and word of mouth rather than large portals. Ramallah is the most expensive and expat-oriented market, while smaller cities offer far more space for the money. Viewing in person and having a local contact vouch for you both help enormously.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat in central Ramallah runs roughly 1,800-3,500 ILS/month; Al-Bireh and smaller cities are cheaper at around 1,200-2,200 ILS, while East Jerusalem is considerably more expensive. Rents are often quoted per month but sometimes settled several months at a time.

Deposit norm: Expect one to two months' rent as a deposit, sometimes with several months paid up front; terms are negotiable and usually informal. Insist on a written contract, photograph the flat's condition on arrival, and get a dated receipt for every payment to protect your deposit.

Care is delivered through Palestinian Authority public hospitals and clinics, UNRWA facilities for registered refugees, and private hospitals; Al-Makassed and Augusta Victoria in East Jerusalem are the key referral centres for serious cases. Quality is decent for routine needs and pharmacists are highly capable, but complex or emergency cases are often referred to East Jerusalem or abroad, which can be complicated by permit and checkpoint issues. Private clinics in Ramallah and Nablus handle most everyday medical needs quickly and affordably.

How to access it: For emergencies, call the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service on 101 (a free, GPS-enabled call centre covering the West Bank) or go directly to a hospital. For routine care, pay out of pocket at a private clinic or use your employer's arrangement, and keep every receipt for insurance claims. Pharmacies dispense many medicines over the counter, which speeds up minor treatment.

Insurance: The PA offers a government health-insurance scheme, but most expats rely on private or international health insurance, especially to cover treatment in East Jerusalem and medical evacuation. Confirm in writing that your policy covers the West Bank, because some insurers exclude it or treat it as a high-risk zone; evacuation cover is strongly advised.

• Dress modestly, particularly in Hebron, Nablus and near religious sites; women may want a scarf handy for mosques and conservative areas, and both sexes should cover shoulders and knees.
• Accept offered tea or coffee and expect generous hospitality; refusing outright can seem rude, so at least take a small amount.
• Use your right hand for eating and passing items, and greet elders first with a warm handshake or a hand over the heart.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours out of respect, and expect shorter working hours.
• Learn a few Arabic greetings such as 'salam alaykum', 'shukran' and 'yalla'; even small efforts are warmly received.
• When invited to a home, bring a small gift such as sweets or fruit, remove your shoes if others do, and expect to be fed generously.
• Ask before photographing people, and be especially careful photographing women, children and anything near checkpoints or military positions.

• Photographing checkpoints, soldiers or military installations can lead to detention or confiscation of your phone; never do it, and ask before shooting people.
• Politics and the conflict are everywhere but deeply sensitive; listen far more than you opine, especially in your early months.
• Fridays, religious holidays and closures can shut roads and businesses with little warning, so confirm every plan the same day.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and drinking alcohol is limited to certain venues in Ramallah and Bethlehem, not the norm elsewhere.
• Movement can change suddenly after incidents; a road open in the morning may be sealed by evening, so keep alternatives and never travel on autopilot.