Israeli Government Form Automator

Step 1: Identify the Form and Portal

Ask the user which government form or process they need to automate:

Clarify:

• Which form? (form number or name, e.g., Tofes 101, Tofes 106)
• Online or PDF? (browser-based portal or downloadable PDF)
• User data available? (Teudat Zehut, address, employer details)

Step 2: Validate Israeli-Specific Fields

Before filling any form, validate all Israeli-format data:

Teudat Zehut (ID Number) Validation: The Israeli ID is 9 digits with a check digit (Luhn variant):

def validate_tz(id_number: str) -> bool:
    """Validate Israeli Teudat Zehut number."""
    id_str = id_number.zfill(9)
    if len(id_str) != 9 or not id_str.isdigit():
        return False
    total = 0
    for i, digit in enumerate(id_str):
        val = int(digit) * (1 + (i % 2))
        if val > 9:
            val -= 9
        total += val
    return total % 10 == 0

Israeli Phone Number Formats:

Israeli Address Format:

{street_name} {house_number}, {apartment} (optional)
{city_name}, {mikud (postal code - 7 digits)}

Step 3: Set Up Browser Automation (Online Forms)

Install and configure Playwright for Hebrew RTL government portals:

pip install playwright
playwright install chromium

Key patterns for gov.il portals:

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

with sync_playwright() as p:
    browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=False)
    context = browser.new_context(locale="he-IL")
    page = context.new_page()
    page.goto("https://www.gov.il/he/service/...")

    # Gov.il uses React-based forms; wait for dynamic load
    page.wait_for_selector('[data-testid="form-container"]', timeout=15000)

    # Fill RTL text fields
    page.fill('input[name="firstName"]', "ישראל")
    page.fill('input[name="lastName"]', "ישראלי")
    page.fill('input[name="idNumber"]', "123456782")

    # Handle date pickers (DD/MM/YYYY format in Israel)
    page.fill('input[name="birthDate"]', "15/03/1990")

    # Handle dropdowns with Hebrew options
    page.select_option('select[name="city"]', label="תל אביב-יפו")

Step 4: Fill PDF Forms (Offline Forms)

For downloadable government PDFs with fillable fields:

# Option 1: pikepdf (recommended)
import pikepdf

pdf = pikepdf.open("tofes_101.pdf")
pdf.pages[0]["/Annots"]  # Inspect form field names

# Option 2: PyPDF2
from PyPDF2 import PdfReader, PdfWriter

reader = PdfReader("tofes_101.pdf")
fields = reader.get_fields()
writer = PdfWriter()
writer.append(reader)
writer.update_page_form_field_values(
    writer.pages[0],
    {"shem_prati": "ישראל", "shem_mishpacha": "ישראלי"}
)

Common PDF field naming conventions in government forms:

Step 5: Handle Common Government Form Patterns

Doch Shnati (Annual Tax Report):

1. Navigate to Rashut HaMisim personal area
2. Required fields: income sources (mekorot hachnasa), deductions (nikuyim), credits (zikuyim)
3. Attach digital slips (tofes 106, tofes 857)
4. Date format: always DD/MM/YYYY

Bituach Leumi Claims:

1. Navigate to btl.gov.il personal area
2. Identify claim type (maternity/dme'i leida, disability/nechut, unemployment/avtala)
3. Upload supporting documents (medical certificates, employment letters)
4. Track claim status via personal dashboard

Companies Registrar Filings:

1. Navigate to ica.justice.gov.il
2. Required: company number (mispar chevra), authorized signatory details
3. Annual report (doch shnati la-rasham) filing
4. Director/shareholder change notifications

Step 6: Submit and Verify

After filling the form:

1. Screenshot before submit -- capture the filled form for user review
2. Validate all required fields -- government forms reject partial submissions
3. Save confirmation number (mispar ishur) -- always displayed after successful submission
4. Download receipt PDF when available
5. Note processing timeline -- most government services specify expected response time

Step 7: Error Recovery

Common issues with government portals:

• Session timeout: Gov.il sessions expire after ~20 minutes of inactivity
• CAPTCHA: Some forms require manual CAPTCHA solving; pause and ask user
• Certificate errors: Government portals may use Israeli CA certificates
• Peak hours: Tax Authority portal is slow during filing season (March-May)

Example 1: Fill Tax Form 101

User says: "I need to fill Tofes 101 for my new employee" Actions:

1. Download Tofes 101 PDF from Rashut HaMisim
2. Validate employee Teudat Zehut
3. Fill personal details, tax bracket, credits (nekudot zikui)
4. Generate filled PDF for employer signature Result: Completed Tofes 101 ready for submission

Example 2: Submit Bituach Leumi Maternity Claim

User says: "Help me file a maternity benefit claim with Bituach Leumi" Actions:

1. Navigate to btl.gov.il maternity (dme'i leida) section
2. Validate eligibility: employment period, salary data
3. Fill claim form with personal and employer details
4. Upload required documents (employment confirmation, hospital discharge) Result: Submitted claim with tracking number for follow-up

Example 3: Register New Company

User says: "I want to register a new Chevra Ba'am (Ltd company)" Actions:

1. Navigate to Companies Registrar portal
2. Fill company name proposals (3 options required)
3. Enter founder details, share capital, articles of association
4. Calculate and note registration fees Result: Submission confirmation with expected registration timeline

Example 4: Update Personal Details at Misrad HaPnim

User says: "I moved apartments and need to update my address" Actions:

1. Navigate to gov.il address change service
2. Validate new address format (street, city, mikud)
3. Fill change-of-address form with old and new addresses
4. Submit with required identification Result: Address change request submitted with confirmation number

Scripts

• scripts/fill_form.py -- Helper to validate Israeli form fields (Teudat Zehut, phone, address) and populate common government form data structures. Run: python scripts/fill_form.py --help

References

• references/gov-portals.md -- Comprehensive list of Israeli government portal URLs, form types, and field naming conventions. Consult when identifying the correct portal or form for a given task.

Error: "Session expired" on gov.il

Cause: Government portal sessions time out after prolonged inactivity Solution: Re-authenticate and resume from the last saved step. Save partial progress frequently.

Error: "Invalid Teudat Zehut"

Cause: ID number fails check digit validation Solution: Run validate_tz() before submission. Ensure 9 digits with leading zeros if needed.

Error: "Hebrew text displays incorrectly in PDF"

Cause: PDF library does not support RTL text or Hebrew fonts Solution: Use pikepdf with embedded Hebrew fonts. Ensure the PDF template already has Hebrew font resources.

Error: "Form field not found"

Cause: Government PDFs change field names between versions Solution: List all fields with reader.get_fields() first, then match by inspecting field labels.