Policy of Entry into Israel during the Coronavirus Period

Following a news item dated 19.3.2020

• A foreigner who leaves the country before the end of isolation with no special approval, violates the laws of the state of Israel and his next entry will not be approved.
• No boarding will be permitted without obtaining a preliminary approval from the Population and Immigration Authority.
• The entry of foreigners into Israel is subject to presentation of health insurance (including section covering the Coronavirus disease).
• In the event of discrepancy between the procedures of the Population Authority and the mitigations specified above, the prevailing decision will be in accordance with the Authority's procedures.

As follows are the cases in which the entry into Israel of foreigners will be approved, exceptionally and following examination:

1. A foreigner who is married to an Israeli citizen or a permanent resident (who are not under a step-by-step process) and their minor children, who comply with the following aggregate conditions:

1.1 The marriage is registered with the Population Registry.

1.2 The center of life of the spouses (in the year preceding the submission of application to enter into Israel or during the year 2019):

• If the Israeli stayed in Israel 180 days and the foreign spouse stayed in Israel 90 days at least.
• If both spouses live abroad (meaning, they have not stayed in Israel as required in the previous articles) and the foreigner visited Israel during the three years preceding the application – the application will be submitted as required and after it is reviewed and approved, the foreigners will be allowed to enter.

1. In the event that the Israeli is in Israel and the foreigner is abroad, the application will be made through the attending bureau of the Population Authority.
2. In the event that the spouses stay abroad, the application will be made directly through the Israeli representativeness where the foreigner stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.

2. Foreign nationals staying abroad for whom an application for couple status has been submitted by citizens or by permanent Israeli residents under the graduated process (a process in stage) will be allowed entry into Israel following receipt of approval from the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter and compliance with the terms and conditions of the relevant procedure (5.2.0008/ 5.2.0009)

3. Foreigners staying abroad and married to Israeli citizens or to permanent residents (and in the midst of a graduated process), as well as their children who are minors, will be allowed entry along with their accompanying minors under the graduated process.
   a. In the event that the Israeli lives in Israel and the foreigner is abroad, the application shall be made through the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter.
   b. In cases where the couple is staying abroad, the application will be made directly to the Israel mission at the foreign national's place of stay: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.
   c. Entry of minors staying abroad will be permitted if they are accompanying foreign nationals who are in the midst of a graduated process and are staying in Israel. Their entry will be approved by the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter in accordance with the standard procedure.
   d. Entry will not be permitted of minors who are not part of the graduated process

4. Minor children of parents whereas one of the parents is an Israeli citizen who lives in Israel and the other parent is an foreigner who lives abroad, and the children live abroad and carry foreign passports - In such cases, the child's entry to visit the Israeli parent, will be approved following presentation of the birth certificate, while it is original and duly verified (apostille), which proves the relation to the Israeli citizen and the signing of the foreign parent before the consul on a consent letter which approves the travel of the minor to Israel.

Application will be made directly through the Israeli representativeness where the foreigner stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices, and as much as it is approved, the consul will issue a boarding pass.

A certification for exemption from apostilles, in unusual cases, will be given by the Chief of the Consular Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or her deputy.

The parent must procure to register the child within 90 days from the date of entry into Israel, in accordance with the law provisions.

5. Foreign students seeking to start their studies in the coming academic year in Israel – In order to admit new foreign students in the academic year 5781 (2020/2021), academic/study institutions must have Ministry of Health approval. The Population and Immigration Authority will send a letter of inquiry (through the Council for Higher Education, the MASA Administration, the Naale Program Administration, Vaad Hayeshivot [Council of Yeshivot], and the Ministry of Education, etc.) to every s academic/study institution that admits foreign students. An application for a certificate confirming that the institution complies with the terms of the quarantine will be submitted by the academic/study institution to the Ministry of Health (to the email address indicated in the letter of inquiry). Upon receipt of the certificate of compliance with the terms of the quarantine, the academic/study institution will transfer the certificate to the student.

Foreign students seeking to start their studies in the coming academic year in Israel: students at academic institutions, at preparatory courses for academic institutions, high schools, Naale students and yeshiva students who are minors (up to the age of 18) expected to start their studies in the coming academic year, 5781 (2020/2021), will be able to come to Israel subject to advance approval and compliance with the terms of the quarantine as to be defined by the Ministry of Health.

Students must contact the Israel mission in their location of stay for a visa in accordance with the Obtaining of a Visa procedure, and attach:

• A letter of admission for the studies (including date of the commencement of the studies).
• Ministry of Health certificate for the institution of learning.
• A letter of undertaking by the academic/study institution to comply with all the Ministry of Health's rules.

If the application has been approved, entry to Israel will be allowed near the time of the commencement of the studies at the academic institution, but no more than 30 days before their commencement.

Foreign students who started their studies in Israel and are currently abroad: the application will be made by the academic institution, and not by the student, in accordance with the guidelines sent to the heads of the academic institutions.
Permits for boarding flights will be issued for flights expected to land in Israel from 18 October, for institutions with Ministry of Health approval (updated from 8 October 2020).

6. Adult yeshiva students, new and longtime, who want to start their studies in Israel and are currently abroad - the application will be made by the yeshiva they are studying at, and not by the yeshiva students, in accordance with the guidelines sent to the heads of the yeshivot.
Permits for boarding flights will be issued for flights expected to land in Israel from 18 October, for institutions with Ministry of Health approval (updated from 8 October 2020).

7. New and alumni adult MASA participants who wish to start the program in Israel and are abroad - the referral will be made by the Travel Administration, and not by the program participants, in accordance with the instructions sent to the Travel Administration.
Permits for boarding flights will be issued for flights expected to land in Israel from 18 October, for institutions with Ministry of Health approval (updated from 8 October 2020).

8. Experts: entry will be approved for a limited number of new experts defined as necessary for national infrastructures and/or for the functional continuity of the economy. The approval will be granted subject to the recommendation of the relevant Government Ministry and with the authorization of the Foreign Workers Administration in the Population and Immigration Authority as specified in the procedure (Entry of Experts Procedure). The request will be made by the requisitioning party, directly to the relevant Government Ministry, and following receipt of confirmation regarding the necessity for the foreign expert, an online application must be submitted at the following URL: https://www.gov.il/he/service/working_permit_for_foreign_workers

Experts (excluding chefs) with a valid work license and an Inter-Visa who went abroad and whose return to Israel is requested by the employer will be permitted entry into Israel. The employer must invite them at the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter. The approval of the relevant Government Ministry is no longer required.

The entry of an expert with a valid Inter-Visa staying abroad will be approved: the employer will apply through the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter.

9. Approval of exit of foreign experts for a homeland visit and their return to Israel – foreign experts who wish to fly for a homeland visit jointly with their relatives, holding a permit rendered for a year, their application to leave and return to Israel will be approved. The application for a reentry approval will be submitted by the expert with the Population Administration bureaus before he leaves Israel.

10. Artists, culture people and sportsmen – will be allowed to enter, subject to presentation of recommendation of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The application will be submitted to the bureaus of the Population and Immigration Authority by the ordering entity.

11. Volunteers in the field of welfare – the ordering organization will approach the relevant government ministry to get a professional recommendation for the entrance of foreign volunteers. The recommendation letter enclosed by a list of names of the invitees, will be delivered to the Population and Immigration Authority (tpop@piba.gov.il) for follow-up.

12. Medical tourism – applications will be submitted by the hospital manager directly to the Ministry of Health, which will transfer the application to the approval of the Population and Immigration Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

13. Weddings – arrival at the wedding of Israeli citizens, permanent residents or foreigners, whose center of life is in Israel by law, will be approved for the foreign spouse if necessary and for first degree relatives, jointly with their spouses and their children (up to the age of one year). In addition, the grandfathers and the grandmothers of the groom and the bride will be allowed to enter. The application for entry will be made by approaching the Israeli representativeness where the applicant stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.

14. Bar/Bat Mitzvah – arrival at a Bar/Bat Mitzvah of an Israeli citizen will be approved for first degree relatives jointly with their spouses and children (up to the age of one year), as well as for grandfathers and grandmothers. The application will be made by approaching the Israeli representativeness where the applicant stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.

15. Births –
A. arrival for a birth of a grandson/granddaughter will be approved for the grandfathers and the grandmothers of the grandson about a month prior to the estimated date of birth, up to one month following the date of birth. Application will be made by approaching the Israeli representativeness where the applicant stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.

B. In exceptional cases, grandparents can visit children born between the dates 1 March 2020 to 12 July 2020 only. 
You’ll need to apply by 18 September 2020 at an Israeli mission in your location: https://go.gov.il/consularservices.
Applications submitted after 18 September 2020 will be processed as described in section A.

16. Funerals – arrival at a funeral which is held in Israel, will be approved only for first degree relatives and their spouses.

17. Lone soldiers – arrival in order to visit a lone soldier will be approved for spouses, parents and siblings. The application for entry will be made by approaching the Israeli representativeness where the applicant stays: https://go.gov.il/consularservices, or through the attending bureau of the Population Authority.

4309869441. stated about married people also applies to common-law spouses, proof of intimate relations will be made at the Israeli representativeness where the spouses stay or at the Population Administration bureaus in Israel, as the case may be.

18. Volunteers in the National-Civic Service whose parents live abroad: parents and siblings of the volunteers in the National-Civic Service living abroad who wish to visit Israel will be able to apply through the Israel mission in the place of stay of the foreign nationals. The application can also be submitted through the Population and Immigration Authority Bureau that handles the matter, with the authorization from the National Civic Service Authority attached.

*** Updates will be published in accordance with the decisions of the Minister of Interior and the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, which are derived from the morbidity status in Israel and worldwide.