How to apply for an Israel tourist visa?

What are the requirements for an Israel tourist visa?

The requirements for an Israel tourist visa is as follows:

Passport

It must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in the country.

Insurance

The authorities require you to have insurance for your trip. It must cover your expenses for at least €35,000 ($40,000).

Proof to have enough funds

You need to provide evidence that you have enough funds to cover your expenses in the country. A bank statement, turnover, or an invitation letter from an Israeli citizen indicating to cover your expenses.

The following documents are required for sightseeing or tourism purposes:

Proof of accommodation

You must make it clear where you will stay. Proof hotel reservation can convince the authorities.

Invitation letter

If you have a friend whom you will stay with, provide an invitation letter from him/her. The writer must include his/her full information, including:

• name,
• address
• contact details

Permission leave

It’s a letter from the company you work with indicating that they have authorized you to be absent from work for a while.

Tour operator letter

If you will be traveling with a tour operator, provide a letter from them explaining the activities you will do in the country plus the exact date.

Affidavit

If you want to invite a minor, a signed affidavit from both parents, or from their legal guardian is required.

Resume

There are some countries defined by the authorities as a “high-risk” country for Israeli citizens if the visitor is from one of these countries, the host must write a complete and submit a resume form for security clearance.

Remember that if you want to visit Israel for a conference, meeting, exhibition, or seminar, you need the following documents:

Cover letter

It must be issued from your employer on the company’s letterhead with an official signature. Your full name and position in the company must be mentioned. It must also state the purpose of your visit.

Personal Letter

This is a letter that writes and states the purpose of your trip, the duration of your stay, and what you will do in the country.

An invitation letter

The business person or company you will visit must send you the letter. It must be in Hebrew and mention your:

• Full name
• Length of your stay
• Purpose of visit
• Passport number

Remember that you shouldn’t receive the letter. The writer of the letter must send it to the Israeli embassy or consulate in your home country.

The Israeli citizens need to provide an ID card for the invitation letter as well. The official documents proving the relationship between the resident and the foreigner must also be provided.

Payslips

They must be from the latest four months to the date you want to apply for the visa.

Note: The mentioned Israel tourist visa requirements are not a full list as the authorities in each country could require further supporting documents. So you need to visit the Israeli embassy or consulate in your home country in person or visit their website to know the full list of documents. 

How to apply for an Israel tourist visa?

The application process for an Israel tourist visa or B/2 visa is as follows but remember that based on your nationality, you might have to follow a different route:

1. Figure out if you need a visa or not?

As explained above, not everyone needs an Israeli tourist or visitor visa. The members of the Eu countries, South Korea, the US, etc., are free of visitor visas. Before you begin doing anything, do research to know if you need a visa or not. If not, make sure your passport is valid enough and book a ticket.

2. Are you eligible for the visa?

Everyone who has a passport and can provide the requirements for a tourist visa is eligible to receive the visa. However, read the entire list of requirements and see if you can submit the required supporting documents or not.

3. Find out where to apply for an Israel tourist visa

You can apply for a tourist visa to the Israeli embassy or consulate in your home country. Depending on the country you live in, you might have to apply for a visa center that completes the application process on behalf of the Israeli authorities. You need to find it out yourself as the situation for each country is different.

4. Complete the application form

You can get the application form for an Israel tourist visa from the embassy or consulate website. If not, they might provide a paper one by an in-person visit. Bear in mind that there are different types of application forms, and you need the visitor one.

The form comes in two languages; English or Hebrew. You can complete the one you can. Also, you can complete the digital one on your PC pr laptop, print it, and sign it. Remember that you also need to attach your photo to it.

The application form is also available here.

The point that applicants forget is that the provided information on the form must be compatible with your documents. The spelling of your names must be exactly like your passport.

5. Collect the required documents

You need to gather all the mentioned documents in the above section and submit them to the authorities. Remember that the Israeli authorities could ask for further requirements based on the country you live in. So ask them for the full ist and prepare everything in advance.

6. Visa interview

Contact the embassy or consulate and get a date to submit the requirements. You need to visit them in person on the scheduled date and bring all the requirements. Also, bring enough money to pay the visa processing fee. It’s different for each type of visa and by the services the Embassy provides, but the general fee is €21. Ask them about the way they will receive the fee; cash or master’s card.

You also need to ask a few questions in an interview about the purpose of your visit.

7. Wait for the processing

Now you need to wait until the Israeli authorities work on the visa and issue it. The processing time is different and begins from 14 business days. The one point you need to remember is that if the officials ask for further documents or you miss something, the timing will be longer.

How long is the Israel tourist visa valid for?

The validity of the Israel tourist visa is three months. However, the Israeli Border Police will decide the authority by checking your documents, the purpose of your visit, and your background.

Can you extend the Israel tourist visa?

If you need to extend your visa, the Population Authority is the place you need to visit. But you need to have a strong reason to convince the officials to extend your visa.

Does your passport get stamped at the port of entry?

The Israeli authorities no longer stamp visitor’s passports. The official might return to the previous process of stamping the visas, or technical problems may come up. So you would better inform the visa officials that you don’t want your passport to be stamped. Remember that you need to inform the officer before your documents are stamped.

What is the Electronic Gate Pass for Israeli tourists visa?

When you want to enter Israel and the port of entry, the official will provide you a card which gets called Electronic Gate Pass. It contains your details as on the first page of the passport. The airport, security, and immigration authorities can check the visitor’s identity with this card easily. It proves your visa status and that your stay is legal and is a form of an ID card in Israel. The Israeli government has introduced the card and a replacement for stamping the passport.

Remember that you need to hold the card wherever you go.

Let’s sum up…

When you wish to visit Israel for business, visiting a friend, or just sightseeing, you might need an Israeli tourist visa. The article explained who is eligible for it, requirements, the application process, and FAQs.

In case you need to know about other types of Israel visas, go through the left sidebar. You could also find out about other country’s visas by going through the top menu.

Visa applicants would appreciate it if you share your experience or knowledge with visas.