Israeli addresses in English: official names and spelling
Updated · Rotomal
Israel's Population and Immigration Authority publishes an official Latin name for almost every settlement in its list on data.gov.il, for example TEL AVIV - YAFO, PETAH TIQWA and RISHON LEZIYYON. These often differ from everyday spellings like Petah Tikva or Rishon LeZion. Streets have no open official English list, so store the Hebrew street name alongside any transliteration.
Common spellings vs the official list
| Common spelling | Official Latin name | Official Hebrew name | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tel Aviv, TLV, Tel Aviv Jaffa | TEL AVIV - YAFO | תל אביב - יפו | 5000 |
| Petah Tikva | PETAH TIQWA | פתח תקווה | 7900 |
| Rishon LeZion | RISHON LEZIYYON | ראשון לציון | 8300 |
| Kiryat Ono | QIRYAT ONO | קרית אונו | 2620 |
| Nof HaGalil | NOF HAGALIL | נוף הגליל | 1061 |
How to store Israeli addresses
- Keep the settlement code as well as the name; the code doesn't change when spelling does.
- Store the Hebrew city and street next to any English version, because local couriers search in Hebrew.
- Put the 7-digit zip code to the left of the city on the same line, with ISRAEL on the last line, as in the UPU addressing guide.
- Keep the original customer input in its own column so every correction can be checked.
Streets need the city
The same street name can exist in several cities. In the Authority's synonym file, Rothschild Boulevard is an official street in Tel Aviv - Yafo and also a synonym for a street in Bat Yam. Match streets within the stated city, never against one national list.
Questions
Is it Tel Aviv or Tel Aviv - Yafo?
The official settlement name is Tel Aviv - Yafo (תל אביב - יפו), code 5000. Tel Aviv is a common short form.
Are there official English street names?
In the open government lists we found, only settlements have Latin names. Streets are listed in Hebrew.
Where can I download the official settlement list?
On data.gov.il, in the Population and Immigration Authority's list of settlements in Israel, as CSV or XML.
Sources
- data.gov.il: list of settlements in Israel (Population and Immigration Authority) Source: data.gov.il
- data.gov.il: list of streets in Israel with synonyms Source: data.gov.il
- Universal Postal Union: Israel addressing guide (October 2022) Source: upu.int