1. The reading room is open to the public from Sunday to Thursday, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
In order to save time we recommend you to find out in advance if the documents you are looking for are in the Israel State Archives and are open to the public. You can do this by writing or telephoning the reading room, or by sending an e-mail to research@archives.gov.il
2. Ordering and returning archival material
On your first visit to the Archives you should fill out a form giving your personal details. Please inform the staff of any change in your address, telephone number, e-mail or the subject of your research.
Files can be ordered twice a day. Files ordered by 9.30 a.m. will be brought to you at about 10.30 a.m.
Files ordered up to 11.30 a.m. will be brought to you at around 12.30 a.m. Up to 20 files may be included in each order.
You can find archival material using the computerized catalogue in the reading room (in Hebrew) or the lists of material which has not yet been entered in the catalogue.
Please fill in an order form for each file and give it to the reading room staff.
Files which have been scanned can be seen only by means of the computer system. The original files are not available.
If you have already visited the archives and know the numbers of the files you need, you can order them a few days in advance of your next visit by e-mail to research@archives.gov.il or by fax to 025680670.
You can order up to 30 files.
Archival material is given to the reader in accordance with the viewing regulations in the Archives Law. Material which has not been declassified systematically will be examined by the staff before it is given to researchers.
Archival material which has been ordered to the reading room will be kept there until you have finished using it. Material which has been ordered but has not been requested for 14 consecutive days will be returned to storage without further notice, unless the reader specifically asks for it to be kept.
3. Photocopying material
The cost of photocopying is 2 NIS per page.
Material should be marked for copying only by means of the page markers available in the reading room.
You must pay for photocopies on receiving them or provide a written undertaking to pay from a recognized institution.
Self-service photocopying:
Only part of the material available in the Archives can be copied using this service, at the discretion of the person in charge of the reading room. You can pay by means of a special card which can be bought from a coin-operated machine in the reading room. The cost of each copy is 0.35 NIS per page.
Please follow the instructions for self-service copying carefully.
You may use a digital camera without flash.
You can buy printouts of scanned material for 0.35 NIS per page.
For a table of fees and rates please press here.
4. Preservation of archival material
Eating, drinking or smoking in the reading room are forbidden.
It is forbidden to make or erase any markings in the files or the list of files.
Do not change the order of the documents in the file or the order of the files in the boxes.
Do not put anything inside the files except the special markers for photocopying.
Do not use a pen. Pencils and erasers are available on the counter at the entrance to the reading room.
Every page taken out of the reading room will be examined by the security guard at the entrance to the Israel State Archives.
5. Quoting archival material
References to material from the Israel State Archives in your research should be made in the following form:
ISA/record group no./storage code /box no. /file no. = ISA/RG 130/MFA 2543/2
N.B. The storage codes for boxes have now been translated into English. The code should be added before the box number. A list of codes is available in the reading room.