How much holiday does your voucher actually buy?
That's the real question. The same amount that gets you a hotel room for two nights gets you a whole property with us — a cabin in nature, a villa with a pool, or a vacation apartment with a living room, an equipped kitchen and a balcony. You cook breakfast instead of paying for it, the kids get their own room, and nobody asks you to vacate at noon.
Note: per the IDF reserves directive, the voucher cannot be redeemed through booking sites such as Booking, Trivago or Airbnb — only directly with the business. With us every booking is direct, so the voucher simply works. You pay directly with the card at booking and get a tax invoice — no forms, no pre-approvals, no reimbursement to chase. If the balance doesn't cover everything, top up with a personal card or combine several vouchers.
Travelling with a few friends from your unit? This is where it gets interesting: pool everyone's vouchers on one booking and take a large apartment or a whole compound together, instead of each person spending a single voucher on a studio.
How to check your Cal voucher balance
Before locking in dates it helps to know exactly what is left on the card — that determines whether the voucher covers the whole stay or you top up the difference. The balance lives on the digital card itself, not in the IDF reservist portal:
Open your Cal account
The balance appears in the Cal app or in your personal area on the Cal website, under the digital card issued for the vacation voucher. If the voucher shows a closed padlock icon, tap it to unlock it for use. That is the most accurate and up-to-date source — and while you're there, check the voucher's expiry date too, since it differs from person to person.
Check the available balance, not the original load
If you have already used the voucher — on a meal or an earlier stay — the remaining amount is lower than the original load. What matters for payment is the available balance.
Send us the amount and we'll match a stay to it
Message us on WhatsApp with the remaining balance, your dates and the number of guests, and we'll suggest an apartment and a number of nights that fit the amount — or tell you exactly how much you'd need to top up. There's no transaction cap and no minimum on our side: we charge exactly what's on the card, in one payment or several.
We have no access to your card balance — only you can see it in Cal. For anything about the card itself (issuance, activation, blocking or balance), contact Cal customer service directly.
Where to redeem it — our apartments
We manage a wide range of fully equipped vacation rentals across northern and central Israel, for every group — couples, families and larger parties. You can pay with the voucher at every one of them:
Travelling with a few friends from your unit? You can pool everyone's vouchers on a single booking and take a large apartment or a whole compound together — instead of each person spending a single voucher on a studio. Tell us how many of you there are and what each balance is, and we'll build the trip around the combined amount.
What is the reservist vacation voucher — and what's new in the 2026 voucher?
The vacation voucher is a recognition benefit from Israel's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance and the IDF under the "Shovrim Shigra" program. It is loaded onto the Fighter card — a Cal digital credit card — and is meant for direct use at lodging businesses in Israel. Three vouchers have been issued so far: two for Order 8 service during the Swords of Iron war (2023–2025), and in 2026 also the 2026 vacation voucher (government decision 3812) — for 45 or more reserve-duty days in 2026, regardless of eligibility for the earlier vouchers. The new voucher is loaded onto the same Fighter card, and with us all of them are accepted the same way.
Eligibility — vouchers 1–2
60 cumulative Order 8 days (7.10.2023–31.12.2025), plus a second voucher for a further 60 days in 2025
Eligibility — 2026 voucher
45+ reserve-duty days in 2026; amount by unit activity tier, not combat/support
Voucher amount
Vouchers 1–2: ₪1,050–4,500 · 2026 voucher: ₪605–4,500
Transaction cap
None — we charge up to the balance, in one payment or several
Vouchers per booking
Several vouchers and cards can be combined on one stay
Payment method
Fighter card — Cal digital credit card; the new voucher loads onto the same card
Where to redeem
Directly with a "lodging" business — not via Booking or Airbnb
Redemption deadline
Vouchers 1–2: until 31.12.2027 · 2026 voucher: until 31.12.2028
With us
Every apartment accepts the voucher — direct redemption
The 2026 voucher — how much you get by activity tier
For the 2026 voucher the amount is set by the activity tier of the unit you served in and the number of days: a base amount for 45 days, plus a daily top-up for each day from the 46th to the 60th, up to a cap. If you served in several tiers, the 23 days in the highest tier set the base.
| Tier | No children — base for 45 days (cap at 60 days) | With a child under 14 — base (cap) |
|---|
| A+ | ₪2,630 (up to ₪3,500) | ₪3,375 (up to ₪4,500) |
| A | ₪2,200 (up to ₪2,950) | ₪2,925 (up to ₪3,900) |
| B | ₪1,700 (up to ₪2,300) | ₪2,250 (up to ₪3,000) |
| C–D | ₪780 (up to ₪1,050) | ₪1,020 (up to ₪1,350) |
| E | ₪605 (up to ₪800) | ₪760 (up to ₪1,000) |
Eligibility is calculated on service completed at least two months earlier and distributed in monthly waves by SMS; the voucher is loaded automatically onto your existing Fighter card, and an upgrade (a higher tier later in the year) is applied automatically. The earlier vouchers: the first ₪1,500 / 2,000 / 3,500 / 4,500 and the second ₪1,050 / 1,350 / 3,500 / 4,500 — by combat / combat-support and family status.
Source: "Shovrim Shigra" — IDF Reserves Directorate (Hebrew). Figures are general; final eligibility is set by the IDF Reserves Department based on actual service records. Updated September 2026.
Can I pay with the Cal reservist vacation voucher at your rentals?
Yes. Every vacation rental managed by SHOOKROON GROUP is coded under the "lodging" merchant category, so you can pay with the IDF reservist vacation voucher card (Cal's digital credit card / Fighter card). Payment is made directly at the time of booking, and a tax invoice is issued. Updated August 2026.
What is the IDF reservist vacation voucher?
The vacation voucher is a recognition benefit from Israel's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance and the IDF ("Shovrim Shigra") for reservists: two vouchers for Order 8 service during the Swords of Iron war (2023–2025), and the 2026 vacation voucher for 45 or more reserve-duty days in 2026. It is loaded onto the Fighter card — a Cal digital credit card — and is meant for direct use at lodging businesses in Israel. Updated September 2026.
Who is eligible for the vacation voucher?
There are now two tracks. Vouchers 1–2 (Swords of Iron): reservists who accumulated 60 cumulative days of Order 8 service from 7.10.2023 to 31.12.2025, plus a second voucher for a further 60 days in 2025 — the amount depends on combat / combat-support status and family status. The 2026 voucher (government decision 3812): 45 or more reserve-duty days in 2026, regardless of eligibility for the earlier vouchers, with the amount set by the unit's activity tier (A+ to E) and the number of days. Verify the full details on the official IDF reservist portal. Updated September 2026.
What is the 2026 (third) vacation voucher and how do I get it?
The 2026 vacation voucher is granted under government decision 3812 to reservists who served at least 45 reserve-duty days in 2026, regardless of eligibility for the earlier vouchers. The amount is set by the unit's activity tier (A+ to E): a base of ₪605–3,375 for 45 days, plus a per-day top-up for days 46–60, up to a cap of ₪4,500. Eligibility is calculated on service completed at least two months earlier and distributed in monthly waves: you receive an SMS, the voucher is loaded automatically onto your existing Fighter card (if you have no card yet, you issue one through Cal), and you unlock it by tapping the padlock icon in your personal area. Valid until 31.12.2028. With us it is accepted like any other voucher — directly at booking. Updated September 2026.
How much is loaded on the voucher?
What matters for payment is the balance on your Fighter card, as shown in your Cal personal area. The published loads: first voucher ₪1,500 / 2,000 / 3,500 / 4,500 and second voucher ₪1,050 / 1,350 / 3,500 / 4,500 (by combat / support and family status); the 2026 voucher ranges from ₪605 to ₪4,500 by unit tier, number of days and family status. Any earlier use reduces the balance below that. On our side the amount makes no difference: there is no transaction cap and no minimum, and we charge exactly what's available. Updated September 2026.
Where can the Cal reservist vacation voucher be redeemed?
With us — at the cabins, villas, vacation apartments and hosting compounds managed by SHOOKROON GROUP. You pay with the Cal card directly at booking, receive a tax invoice, and there are no forms and no reimbursement afterwards. The advantage over a hotel: the same amount buys a whole property with a kitchen and balcony rather than a room for two nights, and several friends' vouchers can be combined for a trip together. More generally, the voucher can be redeemed at lodging businesses — but only on a direct booking, not via Booking, Trivago or Airbnb.
Can I pay with the vacation voucher through Booking or Airbnb?
No. The IDF reserves site states explicitly that a holiday cannot be booked with the voucher through sites such as Booking, Trivago or Airbnb — the card only works as a direct charge by a business classified as "lodging". So even a rental listed on Airbnb cannot accept the voucher through the platform. With us you book directly — by WhatsApp or phone — pay with the Cal card at booking and receive a tax invoice, with no platform fee. Updated September 2026.
How do I check my voucher balance?
The balance is shown in the Cal app or in your personal area on the Cal website, under the digital card issued for the vacation voucher — not in the IDF reservist portal. Look at the available balance rather than the original load, since any earlier use reduces it. We have no access to your balance; send us the amount on WhatsApp and we'll match an apartment and number of nights to it.
Until when is the voucher valid?
It depends on the voucher. The first and second vouchers (government decisions 1226 and 2540) are valid until 31 December 2027; the 2026 vacation voucher (government decision 3812) is valid until 31 December 2028. In either case validity also ends once the balance is fully used. Your exact date appears on the digital card in Cal, right next to the balance — worth checking both in the same visit. Updated September 2026.
What is "Shovrim Shigra"?
"Shovrim Shigra" is the official name of the recognition program run by Israel's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance and the IDF, under which the reservist vacation vouchers are issued — including the 2026 voucher. The voucher is loaded onto a Cal digital credit card, which is why you'll also see it called the "Shovrim Shigra card", the "Cal miluim card" or the "Fighter card" — all refer to the same benefit.
Can I split the voucher across several transactions or trips?
Yes, with no limit. The card works like a loaded credit card and can be charged as many times as you like until the balance runs out, with no cap or minimum on any single transaction. You can put the entire balance towards one longer stay, split it across several trips with us during the validity period, pay part with the voucher and part with a personal card, or combine several people's vouchers on the same booking — whatever suits you.
What if the voucher doesn't cover the full cost of the stay?
You split the payment, and it can be split almost any way you like: part on the voucher up to the available balance and the rest on a personal credit card — or several vacation vouchers combined. That's especially useful for a trip with friends or family who all served: each person brings their own voucher and we divide the charge between the cards according to what's on each. It means you can book a large apartment or a longer stay that no single voucher would have covered.
How do I pay with several vouchers on one booking — say an earlier voucher plus the 2026 one?
Each voucher sits on the same Fighter card with its own balance and its own padlock. Per the IDF reserves guidance you split the payment into transactions: unlock one voucher and lock the others, pay from it, then lock it, unlock the next and pay the remainder from that — and the same with a third voucher or a friend's. For us this is routine: tell us in advance how many vouchers there are and the balance on each, we run several charges on the one booking and issue a tax invoice for the stay.
Do I get an invoice for the voucher payment?
Yes. We issue a tax invoice for the stay, including the portion paid with the vacation voucher. There is no need for a reimbursement afterward — payment is made directly with the card at booking.
The information on this page is general and does not constitute official guidance. Eligibility terms, amounts, issuance and voucher validity are set and updated by Israel's Ministry of Defense and the IDF and may change. For full details and verification, contact the official IDF reservist portal (miluim.idf.il) or Cal. Figures on this page are accurate as of August 2026.
Written by the SHOOKROON GROUP team.·Updated: August 23, 2026