Rules for visa-free entry into Israel
When crossing the border you must have with you:
return flight ticket- confirmation of hotel reservation
or voucher from a travel agency - health insurance
- to visit Israeli relatives
, friends or organizations -
invitation
(original, fax or printout from email) - if the purpose of the visit is treatment
, then
a letter from the medical institution
(original, fax or printout from email) - documents confirming solvency
(bank statements, cash, traveler's checks, bank card)
Visa-free travel does not guarantee entry into Israel
, the final decision on entry is made by the Israeli border services.
Who does not need a visa to Israel?
Visa-free travel is allowed only for 90 days every six months (180 days). Let's say you arrived in the Holy Land on the first of March and stayed there for all 90 days - until May 29. Now you will be able to come to this country again no earlier than the beginning of September.
If you arrived on the first of March and stayed in the country for 30 days, then until the beginning of September you can come to Israel on any day and stay another 60 days.
Note! You can stay for more than 90 days. However, this will require renewing your migration status.
Apply for citizenship
Who does not need a visa:
- tourists;
- pilgrims;
- those who travel for treatment;
- those who are traveling to visit relatives or friends;
- for those who go on a business trip, which is paid for by a Russian employer.
Typically, all of the above tasks can be accomplished in three months. In this case, no visa fee is charged to visitors.
Therefore, you cannot travel to a Jewish country without a visa to work or study. And you can’t run your business without the knowledge of the authorities. Security services monitor the bank accounts of visitors. If they notice illegal activity on them, it will be considered a criminal offense. Such violators are usually imprisoned without the right of extradition.
You can discuss any legal issues with consultants. Thanks to our extensive experience, we find solutions to even the most difficult situations.
Traveling with children
For children
traveling accompanied by one parent,
a notarized power of attorney
Apostille
stamp (can be certified at the Civil Registry Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education), a copy of the first page of the parent’s Russian passport, as well as the original certificate of birth. If a child travels accompanied by a third party, a power of attorney is required from both parents, certified by an Apostille stamp, a copy of the first page of the Russian passport of both parents, as well as the original birth certificate of the child.
What documents are needed to travel to Israel?
You will need to prepare:
- Airplane tickets. They will look at the return flight date.
- International passport. Make sure that the document does not expire earlier than 6 months from the moment of your stay in the country.
- Health insurance policy. Its validity period must cover your entire time abroad.
- Confirmation of solvency. You can present cash, bank cards or bank account certificates.
- Confirmation of hotel reservation or voucher from a travel company (if you are traveling independently or on a package tour).
- An invitation from friends or relatives, if you are going to visit them and will be staying with them.
- An invitation from the clinic if you are going for treatment.
- Justification of the purpose of the trip - tourism, treatment, business trip, etc.
If you are traveling with a child over 14 years old, then prepare his/her international passport. Those accompanying children will also need to provide a birth certificate (original) and permission from one or two parents if they remain in Russia. The latest certificate must be certified by the registry office; it is not necessary to translate it into a foreign language.
If a child goes to Israel for treatment, an invitation letter from the clinic will also be required. Here you will need a translation into English, or better yet, into Hebrew. Israeli clinics do not always have their own translators, and if they do, their services are expensive, so it is better to prepare everything in Russia.
Consulting experts always study the situation of a particular person in detail: in each case, the package of documents is unique. We know how to reliably confirm Jewish origin so that the consul has no doubts about the authenticity of the blood relationship. Don’t waste time trying to figure out this system on your own - call or write in a convenient messenger to shift all the worries about repatriation to Israel to experienced specialists.
Features with Arab states
Since Israel is in very difficult relations with a number of Arab states, there is a ban on entry
into the territory of these countries to persons who have visas, seals and other marks of the State of Israel in their passport.
Such countries include Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Saudi Arabia
.
The opposite fact is the presence of visas in the tourist’s passport
Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Libya and some others
are not an obstacle to entry into Israel
; this will only lead to unnecessary attention from Israeli intelligence services upon arrival in the country. Therefore, if a combined trip is necessary, it is necessary to plan the route in such a way that Israel is the last destination of the trip.
Documents for entering Israel without a visa
It is worth remembering that an entry stamp into Israel may serve as a refusal to enter some Arab countries.
To enter Israel for Russians without a visa, you should have with you:
- plane tickets with an exact return date;
- confirmation of financial well-being (funds can be either in cash or on a credit card);
- a foreign passport, which is valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into the country;
- medical insurance (a standard policy is issued for 30,000 €), without such a document assistance can only be provided in case of an accident or terrorist attack;
- documents confirming the purpose of travel, an invitation from relatives, or a ticket for a planned excursion to various places.
It is important to know! If tourists have stamps in their passports confirming their visit to countries that are not very friendly to Israel (Iran, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon), border guards can additionally talk with such tourists and not even let them cross the border.
If you are planning to travel with a child, take his birth certificate, as well as a form authorizing departure (issued by an adult) and a copy of his passport (if the child is traveling with a trusted person or one of the parents). The cost of a visa stamp on a document is zero.
Visas to Israel
- Visa-free entry
is allowed to citizens of the following countries: Russia, Australia, Austria, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Haiti, Germany, Honduras, Hong Kong, Grenada, Greece, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, San -Marino, Swaziland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Suriname, USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Uruguay, Fiji, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, Ecuador, Estonia, South Africa , South Korea, Jamaica, Japan - In other cases, a visa is required at the
Israeli Embassy.
Documents for obtaining a visa to Israel
The basic list for obtaining a visa for Russians includes only 6 documents
As a rule, to obtain a visa you need to prepare:
- application form in Hebrew or English;
- international passport;
- certificate of no criminal record;
- certificate of vaccinations and negative test results for tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis;
- 2 color photographs on a white background 5x5;
- confirmation of long-term rental of living space.
This is a basic package of documents for Russians. If you are going to study, you will be required to provide a certificate confirming your enrollment, and if you are going to work, an original employment contract and a notarized invitation from the employer.
After contacting the Embassy, you will be given an exact list of documents for obtaining an Israeli visa in your situation.
Features of a work visa
The list of documents for a B/1 visa differs in that copies and certificates must be certified with an Apostille stamp . This is a special certification by various government agencies of the authenticity of the document.
Required:
- application form in the prescribed form:
- international passport valid for 2 years;
- certificate of no criminal record;
- certificate of passing a medical examination with negative tests for AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis, and an extensive blood test;
- color photos 5x5 cm on a white background 2 pcs.;
- birth certificate with a copy;
- declaration of biometrics (fingerprints);
- document on education, if work is expected in the profile, with a copy.
The initiative for a visa for a Russian must come from an Israeli employer who has a license to hire foreign labor.
The duration of the first work visa is 1 year . Consular fee – 3300 rubles .
What visas are issued to Israel?
This is what the most common B2 tourist visa to Israel looks like
Traveling to Israel for tourism, medical, business or private visits does not require a visa document. This is relevant if the period of stay in the state does not exceed 90 days. However, in Israel it is prohibited to get a job or go to university.
If the traveler specifically needs to get a job or study, other types of visas are issued by collecting the necessary package of documents. All entry documents to Israel are divided into category “A” and category “B”. Category “A” includes:
- “A1” is issued to persons who want to move to the state and obtain citizenship there; its validity period is 3 years.
- Academic "A2" is issued for one year, but there is the possibility of extension.
- “A3” - intended for clergy traveling for the purpose of rituals related to religion.
- “A4” is issued to children and spouses of a person who has a visa of category “A2” and “A3”.
- “A5” is intended to reside in the state for a certain fixed period, for example, it is suitable for spouses of Israeli citizens, as well as for women who are planning a marriage with those who have citizenship of the country. Validity period – 360 days.
A work visa to Israel is classified as “B1”. Also from category “B” are:
- “B2” tourist;
- “B3” for unforeseen situations, valid for 30 days;
- "B4" volunteer.
It is important to know! All these documents should be completed in advance, at least a month before the planned trip.
Do Russians need a visa to Israel?
A visa to Israel does not need to be issued, provided that the purpose of staying in the country is tourism, visiting relatives, treatment or solving business issues and the tourist will stay there for no more than 90 days over six months. At the same time, you can come not just once, but several times. The main thing is that the total number of days in the country does not exceed 3 months.
If you plan to stay in the country for more than 3 months, then a visa is required. It can be issued by contacting the Israeli embassy in Moscow.
With or without a visa, it is not recommended to visit the conflict areas that are part of Israel. If you want to visit Bethlehem or Jerusalem, you need to be prepared for additional border controls. Recently, Bethlehem has become the subject of a dispute between Palestine and Israel, and is now surrounded by a concrete wall. When passing the Bethlehem border, border control is purely formal; the Jerusalem check is much stricter than the usual Bethlehem check.
When taking photographs, you need to remember that photographing strategic and military objects is strictly prohibited. The ban applies to train stations and airports.
What documents are needed to enter Israel from Russia?
When traveling to Israel, even if you comply with all the conditions for visa-free entry, you must have certain documents on hand that will need to be demonstrated to a border guard during the border crossing. The rules for entering Israel are quite strict.
You must have with you:
- International passport. The document must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry. It is advisable not to have marks (stamps) in your passport about visiting such countries of the Arab world as the UAE, Libya, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, Syria. Formally, the presence of these marks is not a basis for refusal to enter the country. However, an entrant whose passport contains such stamps will be interviewed (or rather, a correct interrogation) and a thorough search of his belongings will be carried out. In Israel, great attention is paid to security, because the country actually lives in an unstable environment. In this regard, you must be prepared to spend time communicating with security representatives and checking your luggage. In addition, you should always remember that the decision on entry will be made locally, and every country, including Israel, has the right to refuse entry to a foreign citizen.
- Return plane ticket (you can print an electronic ticket).
- Confirmation of availability of money for the trip: cash or credit card if the trip is for tourism.
- If the trip is made for the purpose of a private or business visit, you must stock up on an invitation to Israel, which is prepared by the receiving party. The invitation indicates the details of both the host and the guest, the length of his stay in the country and who is financing the trip.
- For tourists - a tourist voucher or confirmation of a hotel reservation.
- Medical insurance.
- When traveling with children - birth certificate, permission from the second parent or both parents, copies of parents' passports.
Every traveler needs to be prepared for a detailed interview and search of personal belongings. Whether additional checks are necessary or not will be decided by border guards. Security comes first in Israel, and when crossing the border, airport staff check every person entering very carefully.
Upon successful completion of this stage, an entry visa is issued with a date, the so-called control insert B2, a stamp in the passport, as a rule, is not placed at the airport. There is no need to pay a visa fee at the airport.
The insert will need to be kept throughout the trip; it is the confirmation of legal presence in Israel. In addition, if you do not present it to the hotels, then an additional VAT of 17% will be included in the invoice.
Is it possible to extend a visa-free stay?
In most cases, the answer to this question is clear: no. Exceptions may be due to emergency situations :
- urgent hospitalization due to a life-threatening illness;
- death of an Israeli relative to whom a guest trip was announced.
At the same time, they contact the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs by filling out an application in the established form, presenting a package of documents similar to the kit for entry into Israel, with confirmation of financial solvency.
In case of illness, confirmation is required from the clinic where the Russian is going to be treated or is already being treated. The service is paid - 175 shekels.
Visa-free regime for Russians. Do I need a tourist visa?
The visa-free regime established for Russian citizens applies under the following conditions and restrictions:
- according to the purpose of the trip,
- by length of stay in the Israeli state.
So, let’s figure out the purpose of traveling to Israel without visas.
In accordance with the agreement, Russians can travel to Israel without a visa:
- tourist trips,
- for treatment,
- visiting relatives
- on a business trip.
An important factor here is the lack of a profit goal.
Accordingly, the agreement on visa-free travel for citizens of our country abolished visas for tourists and visitor visas. These visas have been replaced by a permit to enter Israel, which is granted upon passing through border control.
Attention! When traveling in a manner that does not require a visa, working and studying is strictly prohibited! To travel for these purposes, an appropriate visa must be issued, which will be discussed in our article below.
The next restriction concerns the time during which Russian citizens can stay in Israel without a visa. The permitted period is 90 days within six months. This limitation is quite standard, and is similar, for example, to the allowed number of days of stay in Schengen countries. This does not mean that you can make one trip lasting up to three months. The number of border crossings does not matter.
