What is a Student Visa, and Why Should We Have One?
A student visa, or an A/2 visa, allows a non-citizen to live in Israel as a student. It is valid for up to five years and may be renewed as long as the holder remains a student. The spouse and children of students can receive an A/4 visa with the same terms. One who holds a student visa from a Torah institution is eligible for Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) after six months of residency in Israel.
If you are a foreign student studying in Israel, it is critical to apply for a student visa as soon as you can. You must have a visa in order to be legally permitted to remain in the country. Your school will require you to have one, too, and you’ll need it as proof of eligibility for certain benefits that apply to students. Additionally, getting a student visa is a prerequisite for Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) enrollment. For more information, see our guides on Bituach Leumi.
Who is Eligible for a Student Visa?
In order to obtain a student visa, you must be a non-Israeli citizen and have proof that you or your spouse is enrolled in an educational institution in Israel for at least 40 hours of learning per week.
Where Can We Get a Student Visa?
To get a student visa in Israel, you must apply at Misrad Hapnim (Ministry of Interior). Alternatively, you may be able to obtain a student visa before leaving to Israel at an Israeli embassy in your country of origin. Certain schools or yeshivos may arrange student visas for their students.
Obtaining a Student Visa
Check your local office’s hours and appointment requirements before you go – they change often! Additionally, bear in mind that not every branch of Misrad Hapnim processes visa applications.
The Jerusalem visa department is located in the central Misrad Hapnim office on Shlomzion Hamalka 1. Visa application hours are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8am – 12pm . An advance appointment is required.
To request an appointment, send an email to ashrot-jerusalem@piba.gov.il requesting a visa appointment. Include the names and passport numbers of all applicants. Supply a phone number and specify if you need an adult or child renewal, first time visa for adult or child, the amount of visas necessary, etc. A Misrad Hapnim representative should call you within three business days to schedule your appointment.
Individual, Couple or Family of Three
To apply for a first-time visa, all adult applicants must be present. To renew a joint visa, only one spouse must be present. Children do not need to be present.
To obtain a first-time visa, or to renew an existing visa, you will need:
- Passports of all applicants (the student’s passport must be valid for at least another 6 months) with at least two empty pages for visa stickers
- Expired passports with previous visas inside, if applicable
- Marriage certificate with an apostille verification from your country of origin or an Israeli ishur nisuin. For renewals, apostille or ishur nisuin may not be required. See our guide on Legalizing Documents for further information.
- Original birth certificates of all applicants
- Proof of birth dates of applicants’ parents, i.e. copies of parents’ passports, if birth dates are not indicated on applicants’ birth certificates
- Original letter from the student’s school or yeshiva, typed on official school stationery with a logo, stating that the applicant is a student there. The document should include the student’s name and passport number, the institution’s mispar amutah (organization ID number), hours and days of study, and how long the student intends to study there. It should also state that the student is Jewish by birth and both of his parents’ birthdays. (If the applicant is a ger, present an official geirus certificate.)
The letter should be no more than three months old at the time of application. To obtain a visa for the maximum time allowance, make sure your letter states your intention to learn in the institution for five years.
For a template of an acceptable yeshiva letter, contact Chaim V’Chessed.
7. Application for visa extension (visa form AS/3) filled out separately for each individual applicant. Make sure the dates on the form are entered in the format DD/MM/YY. Form is also available at Misrad Hapnim.
Be sure to bring along copies of all your documents.
Visas are granted on the spot for individuals or families of three or less.
Families of Four or More
To obtain or renew your family’s student visas, one spouse must go to Misrad Hapnim to submit the following documents:
- Passports of all applicants (the student’s passport must be valid for at least another 6 months) with at least two empty pages for visa stickers
- Expired passports with previous visas inside, if applicable
- Copy of the front page of current passports for everyone in the family
- Marriage certificate with an apostille verification from your country of origin or an Israeli ishur nisuin. For renewals, apostille or ishur nisuin may not be required. See our guide on Legalizing Documents for further information.
- Original birth certificates of all applicants, plus copies
- Proof of birth dates of applicants’ parents, i.e. copies of parents’ passports, if birth dates are not indicated on applicants’ birth certificates
- Original letter from the student’s school or yeshiva, typed on official school stationery with a logo, stating that the applicant is a student there. The document should include the student’s name and passport number, the institution’s mispar amutah (organization ID number), hours and days of study, and how long the student intends to study there. It should also state that the student is Jewish by birth and both of his parents’ birth dates. (If the applicant is a ger, present an official geirus certificate.)
The letter should be no more than three months old at time of application. To obtain a visa for the maximum time allowance, make sure your letter states your intention to learn in the institution for five years.
For a template of an acceptable yeshiva letter, contact Chaim V’Chessed.
- Family visa form (available at Misrad Hapnim or at Chaim V’Chessed; requires your parents’ birthdays). Make sure the dates on the form are entered in DD/MM/YY format. Form must be signed by both spouses before it is presented at Misrad Hapnim.
In Jerusalem, unless you arrive extremely early to Misrad Hapnim, you will need to wait on the line for Modiin, the visa information desk, then submit your documents there and return with all your passports to pick up the processed visas about a week or two later during visa hours. (You will not need to part with your passports during this time; Misrad Hapnim only keeps the copies.)
Permission to Work
If either spouse would like permission to work, request that his/her visa say rashai la’avod, or “permitted to work,” and present the documents listed above along with the following:
- Proof of Jewishness: an original letter from a recognized rabbi of a congregation or institution, written on official stationery that lists his name as the head of the institution, stating that the applicant is “Jewish by birth.” Having this statement included on a yeshiva letter is generally not sufficient for this purpose. The letter must include the applicant’s name, date of birth, passport number, parents’ names and parents’ birthdays. If the applicant is a ger, present an official geirus certificate.
- For the student himself: the letter from the school (see above) should also state that he is allowed to work between learning hours.
- Optional: Letter from a prospective employer stating that they would like to employ you. The letter should be written on official stationery and should include the company name and ID number, your name and passport number, and the original signature of the employer. If there is no prospective employer, you may apply without this letter.
Visa for a Spouse or Child
The spouse and children of a student are described as nilva’im l’student, accompanying the student, and receive A/4 visas. Their visas are valid as long as the student’s, unless their passports expire before then.
In many branches an appointment is required for visa application. Check in advance what your branch requires.
For a spouse:
When applying for a first-time visa, adult A/4 applicants must be present at Misrad Hapnim. For renewals, either spouse can be present. Confirm visa department hours before your trip and whether an appointment is required.
After submitting the following documents, you should receive your A/4 visa on the spot.
- Passports of student (with valid visa) and spouse, plus old passport with previous visa inside, if applicable
- Marriage certificate with an apostille verification from your country of origin or an Israeli ishur nisuin.
- Original birth certificate
- Proof of birth dates of applicants’ parents, i.e. copies of parents’ passports, if birth dates are not indicated on applicants’ birth certificates
- Application for visa extension (visa form AS/3). Make sure the dates on the form are entered in the format DD/MM/YY. Form is available online, at Misrad Hapnim or at Chaim V’Chessed.
- For renewal: expired passport with visa inside
For a child:
To obtain or renew a visa for your child, only one parent needs to be present. The child is not required to come. Present the documents below. You should receive the child’s visa on the spot.
- Passports of both parents and the child, plus old passport with previous visa inside, if applicable
- Original birth certificate
- Application for visa extension (visa form AS/3). Make sure the dates on the form are entered in the format DD/MM/YY. Form is available online, at Misrad Hapnim, or at Chaim V’Chessed.
- For renewal: expired passport with visa inside
Visa Expiration & Bituach Leumi
When your visa expires, you lose your rights to all the benefits that come along with being a resident of Israel – including Bituach Leumi. When your or your children’s visas near expiration, you might get a warning letter that your Bituach Leumi membership will be cancelled soon. But even if you don’t receive a warning, your Bituach Leumi benefits – both health insurance and monetary grants – will be cut off soon after visa expiration. After a short grace period, access to kupat cholim services is also cut off.
As difficult as it may be, make sure that your family’s visas are always updated!. Visas can be renewed approximately two months before they expire. Don’t wait until the last minute! Most children’s passports, and therefore visas, last for a maximum of five years. Their passports must be renewed early enough to allow for time to get a new visa before – or soon after – the first one expires. Without a new visa, they will be without health insurance.
How to Update Bituach Leumi with a New Visa
After renewing your visa, you must update Bituach Leumi. They will not be notified automatically by Misrad Hapnim. This can be done via your online Bituach Leumi account or left in their drop box outside the Ben Shetach branch. Provide them with a copy of each new visa and label each one with the corresponding Bituach Leumi number. If a passport was renewed as well, include a copy of the new passport. A week later, call *6050 with your four digit access code to confirm that every family member’s status has been correctly updated or send a query via your online account.
If it has been 6 months or more since your visas expired, you need to bring dapei knisot v’yetziot to Bituach Leumi in addition to your renewed visas.
Visa Expiration & Water Bills
When your visa expires, your water rate will be “reset” to the default two-person residence. For a large family, this can raise the bill dramatically. You must make sure to update Hagihon, the Jerusalem water company, with your updated visas to ensure that they will not charge you incorrectly. This cannot necessarily be rectified retroactively. Don’t assume that you will receive advance notification.