Obtaining a Student Visa
Since Israel law requires
non-Israeli students who spend more than three consecutive months in Israel to obtain a one-year student visa, please
turn to your local Israeli Consulate to issue these visas prior to your arrival
in Israel.
Student visas are good for one year only, and should therefore be processed
close to the time of your departure to Israel. We expect all students to
avail themselves of this service whenever possible.
If you have an American or Canadian passport, there is no
need to obtain a visa before your departure for Israel. When you enter the country,
your passport will be stamped at the airport with a "B-2 Tourist
Visa" valid for a three-month period. If you do not possess an American or
Canadian passport, you must apply for a visa before your departure.
However, you are strongly advised to apply to the nearest Israeli Consulate
for an A-2 multiple-entrance student visa, valid for a year, which will not
need to be renewed after a three-month period. The initial fee is much less
expensive and the process much less time-consuming than renewing your visitor's
visa in Israel.
Contact the nearest Israeli Consulate, well ahead of departure, for further
information. Be sure to bring your Yeshivat Hamivtar-Torat Yosef acceptance
letter. A-4 visas may be available for spouses and children of students. Be
sure to bring your Yeshivat Hamivtar-Torat Yosef acceptance letter.
The following information from the website of the Israeli Consulate in New
York http://www.israelfm.org/consular/visa.htm
will help you in obtaining your student visa prior to your arrival in Israel You
must contact the closest Israeli consulate to verify if this is relevant to
you. The complete list of consulates is available at (http://www.israelfm.org/odm/)
Requirements for obtaining a STUDENT VISA:
- A complete application form.
Please request by fax 212 499 5355 or via e-mail at consular@newyork.mfa.gov.il.
(The phone number of Israel Consulate in New York is 212 499 5000.)
- Two current passport photos (size
2" x 2") per application (not computer images)
- An acceptance letter from the
university, yeshiva or educational institution.
- $25 fee (cash or money
order). If the application is processed by mail, send an additional $8 for
UPS or a prepaid UPS envelope.
- A travel document/passport
that is valid for more than a year from the date of entrance to Israel.
- A letter from your local
Rabbi that you are Jewish, will reduce the costs of the visa
The above fax number and e-mail address is for the New York area. The
following are telephone number for other locales: Boston: 617 535 0200. Los Angeles: 323 852 5500. Miami: 305 925 9400. Philadelphia: 215 546 5556. Washington D.C.:
202 364 5500. Australia:
612 627 33541. Canada:
1 416 640 8500. England:
020 7957 9516. Switzerland:
41 31 356 3500.
Helpful Hint: Some students had to renew their visas in Israel because
of the wording of the visa issued abroad. Make sure that the consulate
clarifies, IN WRITING that the visa is good for a year from the date of entry
and that the expiration date refers to the last possible date of ENTRY into Israel and not
the expiration date of the visa.
If you do not receive a student visa abroad, Yeshivat Hamivtar-Torat Yosef will help you extend your original tourist
visa while you are in Israel
for the remainder of your stay. Note that each time you leave Israel during
the year, your old tourist visa will be canceled and reissued for only a
three-month period from when you re-enter the country. Students may apply for a
multiple entry student visa in Israel
allowing the holder to re-enter the country without the need to extend the visa.
The cost for this visa, when applied for in Israel, is approximately $30.
A student born in Israel,
who was an Israeli citizen in the past, or whose parents were/are Israelis
should clarify the status of his/her Israeli citizenship. This can be done by
contacting the nearest Israeli Consulate. If you are asked to visit their
offices, you should bring all documents related to Israeli citizenship as well
as your letter of acceptance from Yeshivat Hamivtar-Torat Yosef. The Israeli
consulate will clarify and formalize your present citizenship status, give you
official information as to deferment from military service, and issue
appropriate travel documents if necessary.