In short: A pay stub PDF is an official document issued by your employer's HR system. Keep them for 7 years, send them to the bank as proof of income, and never alter the content - even to correct an error.
What a Pay Stub PDF Is and Where It Comes From
A pay stub is a mandatory document that every employer in Israel must provide to employees every month. It details gross salary, all deductions (National Insurance, income tax, pension, continuing education fund), and the net amount paid to your account.
Over the past decade, most employers have moved from paper to digital. The stub arrives in one of the following ways:
- Email - PDF attached directly from the payroll system
- HR portal - a web-based system where you download it yourself
- App - some employers have a dedicated employee app
- Dedicated server - accounting firms that manage payroll (such as Hilan, Rivcahen, or Hashav Systems) provide a separate portal
Paper delivery is increasingly rare. Mid-size and large companies have almost entirely switched to digital.
Downloading a Pay Stub from Common Israeli HR Systems
Hilan
One of the most common systems in Israel. Access via app.hilan.co.il with your employee code and password from HR. Go to the "Payslips" tab, choose the month, and click "Download PDF".
Priority
Access depends on your employer's specific address (each company has its own URL). In the portal, search for "Pay Stubs" or "Payslip" → "Generate Payslip" → select the period → "Print" → save as PDF.
SAP
SAP HR or SAP SuccessFactors - common in large companies. Usually found under "My Pay" → "View Payslip" → "Download".
What if you have no portal access?
If you never received login credentials, contact HR directly. Under the Wage Protection Law, employers are legally required to provide pay stubs. If they refuse, you can file a complaint with the Labor Relations Commissioner.
Keeping Pay Stubs - How Long and Where
How Long
7 years - per the Wage Protection Law. That sounds like a lot, but there are good reasons:
- National Insurance - eligibility checks for benefits rely on your salary history
- Pension - verification of contributions and pension claims require stubs
- Income tax - appealing a tax assessment requires proof of income
- Labor disputes - if an unpaid salary claim goes back years, stubs are your evidence
Where to Save
- Year-labeled folders -
salary-2026/,salary-2025/, and so on - Clear file names -
pay-stub-2026-01.pdf,pay-stub-2026-02.pdf - Cloud backup - Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. Pay stubs are too important to trust only to a local hard drive
- Not in Downloads - that folder gets cleared; files get accidentally deleted
Sending a Pay Stub to the Bank
Banks request pay stubs in several situations:
- Opening an account - eligibility check
- Loan - proof of repayment capacity
- Mortgage - most common. Banks request the last 3 stubs, sometimes 6
- Business credit card
What the Bank Checks
The bank looks for: employee name (matching your ID), employer name, date, gross and net salary. Specific deductions are less critical unless the banker asks for a detailed breakdown.
Secure Sending
If you're emailing a pay stub to an external party, consider:
- Password protection - PDF protection tool adds a password in seconds. Send the password separately via SMS
- Not via WhatsApp - WhatsApp messages are stored in a cloud you don't control
- Encrypted email - for parties requiring high security
What Not to Send Unnecessarily
If an external party only needs to verify you're employed (not for a mortgage), you can redact information that isn't needed: ID number, bank account number, internal deduction descriptions.
Pay Stub Won't Open - What to Do
Encrypted File
Most common case. Try:
- First 6-8 digits of your ID number
- Date of birth in DDMMYYYY format
- Last 4 digits of your ID number
If none work - contact HR and ask for the password.
File Opens but Isn't Readable
If fonts look strange or text is missing, the PDF may be an older format requiring a plugin. Try opening in Chrome or Edge - they handle most formats. See what to do when a PDF won't open.
File Is a Scan
If you received a scanned stub (rather than a digitally generated one), the text is an image and not searchable. Use the Hebrew OCR tool to convert it to searchable, copyable text.
Pay Stubs Before Leaving a Job
When you leave an employer, HR system access is cut after a short period. Before your final day:
- Download all stubs from the past years - at least 7 years back
- Make sure you have Form 106 for each tax year (annual income document for tax purposes)
- Save your employment termination letter with your final salary details
Once access is cut, recovering documents requires a manual request to the payroll department.
What to Do About an Error in Your Stub
If you discover an error - unpaid salary, incorrect deduction, missing vacation days:
- Document the error - screenshot, save the stub
- Contact payroll in writing (email - creates a record) with a detailed description of the error
- Legal standing: employees have the right to demand a correction. If the employer refuses - you can file a complaint with the Labor Relations Commissioner at the Ministry of Economy
- Never try to fix the PDF manually - document forgery, even with good intentions to correct an error
Related Guides
Want to edit a PDF now?
With full Hebrew support
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I need to keep pay stubs?
In Israel, 7 years under the Wage Protection Law. Your employer is legally required to keep them for 7 years. As an employee, keeping your own copies is also recommended - for claims, National Insurance checks, and pension calculations.
Is a pay stub PDF accepted by banks as proof of income?
Yes. All banks in Israel accept pay stub PDFs as proof of income, as long as they are clear, legible, and show the employer name, employee name, date, and net salary. Most banks ask for the last 3 pay stubs.
What should I redact on a pay stub before sending it?
Depends on who you're sending it to. For a mortgage bank - usually send the full stub. For an external party that only needs to verify you're employed - you can redact your ID number, bank account details, and internal deduction descriptions that aren't relevant.
Is a pay stub showing only gross and net salary enough for the bank?
Usually yes. The bank mainly checks: employee name, employer name, date, gross and net salary. A full breakdown of deductions is sometimes required alongside a mortgage or large loan application.
How do I download pay stubs when my HR system access was cut off after leaving a job?
Access to HR systems is usually cut within weeks of your last day. Download all stubs before your final day. If access is already gone - contact the payroll department of your former employer. They are legally required to provide stubs on request for 7 years.
My pay stub was sent as an encrypted PDF - how do I open it?
Some HR systems send stubs encrypted with a password. The password is usually the first 4-8 digits of your ID number, or your date of birth. If those don't work - contact HR for the password.
Can I edit a pay stub PDF?
No - and you shouldn't. Altering a pay stub is document forgery and can carry criminal penalties. If there's an error in the stub - contact the payroll department for an official correction. Do not attempt to fix it manually.