application visas for foreign citizens
Persons residing in France
Visa applications submitted by post must be sent exclusively to the Consular Section of the Embassy of Israel in Paris.
Persons residing in Germany
Visa applications submitted by post must be sent exclusively to the Consular Section of the Embassy of Israel in Berlin/Munich.
Swiss citizens do not need a visa to enter Israel. The passport must be valid for another 6 months when leaving Israel. A Swiss emergency passport (Notfallpass) is valid for entry to Israel and does not require a visa.
No transit or visiting visa is required for citizens of the following countries who receive an entry card upon entry and an exit card upon exit (entry and exit stamps are not stamped on the passport):
Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, Germany (born 1928 or later), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Grenada, Greece, Great Britain, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova (biometric passports only), Mongolia, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, Niue, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Macedonia, Latvia, Mexico Lucia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Belarus, Central African Republic, Cyprus.
Visas are required for nationals of the following countries (current list of countries)
For organized travel groups applies
For organized travel groups of up to 10 persons, the participants can submit the visa application individually. Visa applications must be submitted no earlier than 2 months and no later than 3 weeks before the start of the trip.
For groups of 11 or more persons, a group visa must be applied for. This can only be done under the following link:
https://www.gov.il/en/service/visa_application_for_groups
Visa for accompanying children / minors
It applies to all children under the age of 18 and regardless of whether the children have their own passports or are registered in their parent’s passport:
- Original passport, residence permit, passport photos, application form, and flight booking as described above
Copy of the birth certificate of the child
A declaration of consent signed by both parents (or the legal guardian), notarized or certified by the consul, that a visa may be issued for the child (here is the relevant form (link).
Copy of the mother's / father's passport with a recognizable signature
Certificate of custody/divorce certificate where custody is indicated
Please attach to your application an envelope with your address and postage of CHF 6.50 (registered mail within Switzerland). Note that the postage for an envelope with an address in France or Germany is CHF 13.00.
Please note that without the necessary documents no exhibition for minors is possible!
Fee: CHF 23 per application/child
Citizens of Arab countries, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia
Citizens of Arab countries, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia must fill in and sign the application form B.
The application form must be submitted with the above mentioned documents.
Please do not book flights yet. Please let us know your desired travel date. The processing time may take up to 30 working days.
Non-Swiss citizen
Non-Swiss citizens whose home country is not mentioned above must apply for a visa to enter Israel.
The following documents have to be submitted for the visa request:
Passport that is valid for at least 6 months at the time of entry
Residence permit for Switzerland (to be submitted in the original) with a validity of at least 6 months
Visa Application Form A fully and personally signed
Two identical current passport photos - do not stick! Please write your first and last name on the back
Enter your full address in Israel (on the application form): either add a hotel reservation or private address: Name, street, house number, and city
Statement of earnings of the last three months (no employment contract!) / Pension notification / Proof of scholarship
Account statement of the last three months
Certificate of employment
Confirmation of the booked flight
Hotel reservation
Detailed travel itinerary
Proof of payment of fees
Please attach to your application an envelope with your address and postage of CHF 6.50 (registered mail within Switzerland)
Proof of valid travel insurance
If you are traveling to Israel for business purposes, please include a letter of invitation from the company in Israel and a letter of secondment from the company where you are employed.
Fees: CHF 23 per application/person
The processing is free of charge for Turkish citizens.
Please note that visa applications must be submitted no earlier than 2 months and no later than 4 weeks before the start of the trip.
German citizens born before 1928
For German citizens born before 1928 we need the following documents in order to issue a visa to Israel:
Your original passport, valid for at least 6 months
Visa application form A, fully completed and personally signed
two current passport photos (4.5 x 3.5 cm)
completed declaration
Your address in Israel (in case of private address an invitation letter of the person to be visited) or hotel reservation
Telephone number (to be stated in the application form at the Swiss address)
Confirmation from a travel agency that a return flight has been booked
Please attach to your application an envelope with your address and postage of CHF 6.50 (registered mail within Switzerland). Note that the postage for an envelope with an address in France or Germany is CHF 13.00
Fee: processing is free of charge
Work visa / Volunteer visa
A work visa can only be applied for by your employer in Israel at the Ministry of the Interior.
A volunteer visa can only be applied for by the organization/institution that wishes to employ you as a volunteer at the Ministry of the Interior in Israel.
The Ministry of the Interior informs the consulate when the visa application has been approved. The consulate then issues the appropriate visa.
Work and volunteer visas must be collected personally from the consulate.
Student Visa
Students enrolled and studying at an Israeli university must have a student visa before entering Israel. The application for a student visa must be submitted in advance at our consulate in Switzerland.
For scientists/guest scientists, the university in Israel must first apply for a visa at the Israeli Ministry of the Interior.
In order to issue a student visa for Israel, the following documents need to be submitted:
Your original passport, which is valid for at least 6 months after your stay in Israel
Residence permit for Switzerland with a corresponding validity (only for non-Swiss citizens)
Application form A fully and personally signed
Two current passport photos (5 x 5 cm!) - write your first and last name on the back of the photo
A photocopy of the Acceptance Letter of the University of Israel stating the time period of your study
A written proof of the financing of your livelihood during your stay in Israel (scholarship confirmation, bank balance (complete account statements of the last three months), bailment with passport copy of the issuer, etc.)
Proof of travel insurance in Israel
Proof of paid tuition fees
Proof of domicile in Israel
Please attach to your application an envelope with your address and postage of CHF 6.50 (registered mail within Switzerland). Note that the postage for an envelope with an address in France or Germany is CHF 13.00.
Fee: CHF 45 Please send a proof from the Fee payment