The information below is for general information purposes only. Please contact the Israeli embassy or consulate in your home country for specific regulations for students and researchers from your country.
Please note: You should check your official function in the host university.
There is a difference in the types of required visa for a"student" and for a "staff member”. Please find more details below.
You must have a valid passport in order to leave your home country and enter Israel. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of entry (in many cases- it should be valid for at least one year) and throughout your stay. If you do not have a valid passport, you should apply for one immediately and renew it before your visa application.
If you hold an Israeli passport, you will be required to present it upon arrival.
Hereby you could find all the details of Visas which could be relevant to students or researchers:
Visitors from many countries attending to visit Israel for a period of 3 months or less may enter Israel on a tourist visa. Israel has visa exemption agreements with many countries - for visits of up to 90 days. Before going to the mission, check whether you need to obtain a visa to visit Israel. The tourist visa is valid for three months and is issued free of charge upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport.
If you plan longer visit for research or Studies, this is not the visa for you.
The visa may be extended at any of the Ministry of Interior branches in Israel every three months for up to one year.
Every student/ post-doc is required to visit his/her local Israeli Consulate or Embassy of Israel prior to his/her arrival to obtain a student visa.
The student visa is an A2 visa – a multiple-entry student visa (making it possible to leave Israel for a vacation and return without requiring a new visa). The visa is valid for up to one year and must be renewed after, to maximum 4 years for a student and 5 years for PhD candidate or Post-Doc. Recipients of this visa are not permitted to work in Israel!
The visa is granted to students who provide the following:
You must appear in person at the Israeli embassy or consulate to apply for a student visa. The following items must be submitted upon application:
- Your passport or other travel document, valid for at least one year
- A letter of acceptance from the host university, addressed to the Israeli embassy/consulate
- A visa application form, in duplicate, with one photograph attached to each copy.
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses
- Payment of the fee
For more details and forms, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
his visa is granted to the spouses and minor children of recipients of A/2 or A/3 visas and includes multiple entries.
The visa will be issued under the following conditions:
- Your passport or other travel document, valid for at least one year
- A letter of acceptance from the host university, addressed to the Israeli embassy/consulate
- A-4 visa application form, in duplicate, with one photograph attached to each copy. attached to the visa application of the person they are accompanying.
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses
- Payment of the fee
Note: The Consul may request additional documents.
For more details and forms, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Also for a spouse of a visiting scientist (holder of a A-2 or B-1 visa), only if s/he received a job proposal before entering the country.
** Please be aware that the chances of receiving a work permit are very low and in special conditions by the decision of Ministry of the Interior**.
This visa is for a person whose stay in Israel is approved for a limited period of time for the purpose of work. This visa is given to experts and is granted solely with the approval of the Ministry of the Interior.
The fee is paid by the applicant when the application is submitted to one of the population administration offices of the Ministry of the Interior. Upon receipt of approval from the Ministry of the Interior, the mission will issue the B/1 Work visa after interviewing the applicant and obtaining from him the following documents:
- A verified certificate of good conduct
- Certification of medical examinations performed in clinics or hospitals recognized by the mission (the certification must cover, inter alia, normal results in tests for tuberculosis, hepatitis and AIDS) and the results of blood tests.
- A declaration of the taking of a fingerprint (the State of Israel has begun to take a fingerprint from foreign workers who enter the country to work) and a photograph.
- B-1 visa application form, in duplicate, with one photograph attached to each copy.
Note: The Consul may request additional documents.
The validity of the B/1 Work visa will be in accordance with Ministry of Interior guidelines. The worker must enter Israel within the period of time specified in the visa and stay in the country as specified in the visa. A person who receives such a visa may apply to one of the population administration offices of the Ministry of the Interior to extend the visa.
For more details and forms, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Good luck!