Israel · Student
Israel Student visa A/2
First stay: 1 yr
A/2 student visa
Checked against official sources on Record corrected 12 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Student visa A/2 is a student route for Israel. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- ILS 195 ≈ $63
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
Government feesILS 195 ≈ $63
- ILS 195 (≈ $63)Service fee for the student visa application to the Population and Immigration Authority.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Applications go to an Israeli consulate or embassy in the country where you live.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Consulate General in Los Angeles
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Israel, not after arriving
- Needs a place at a school or university in Israel
- Work isn't allowed on this route
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant is accepted to a school, academic institution, yeshiva or Jewish Agency youth institution in Israel.
- A child of an Israeli parent registered as a citizen is not eligible for a student visa.
What you must show1
- Bank statements for the last three months showing means to pay tuition and living costs for the whole stay.
Documents4
- Letter of acceptance from the institution stating the study period.
- Proof of paid tuition, medical insurance and a residence address in Israel.
- Passport valid for the visa period; some missions require validity of at least one year.
- Birth certificate and passport photographs.
Steps4
- Apply in person to the local Population and Immigration office or an Israeli mission, or by email to a mission, with an appointment.
- The service fee is NIS 195. Online payment works only with a credit card owned by an Israeli citizen or resident; you can also pay in cash or by card when you apply.
- Extending for another year needs a grades sheet.
- Applicants under 18 need both parents to sign before a consular officer.
After you arrive1
- Student visa holders are not permitted to work in Israel.
When you become tax resident
How Israel decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 1 year at first
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a tax yearPresumption that the centre of life is in Israel when the person stayed in Israel 183 days or more in the tax year (Income Tax Ordinance s. 1, definition of Israeli resident, para. (a)(2)(a)).
- At least 30 days in a tax yearPresumption of residence when the person stayed 30 days or more in the tax year and also the 425-day total over three years is met (para. (a)(2)(b)).
- At least 425 days in a tax year and the two preceding yearsTotal stay in Israel in the tax year and the two preceding years of 425 days or more, together with at least 30 days in the tax year, gives the residence presumption.
- Foreign-source income
Israeli residents are taxed on income accrued or derived in Israel or abroad, at progressive rates of 10%, 14%, 20%, 31%, 35% and 47% on employment income, with a 3% surtax on high income (and a further 2% on capital income) and a credit of two credit points for every resident; a person is presumed resident with 183 days in the tax year, or 30 days in the year and 425 days over the year and the two before it.
- Special regime
10-year exemption of foreign-source income · Tax relief
A person who becomes an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, is exempt from tax for ten years on foreign-source income from the sources in sections 2, 2A and 3, unless they elect otherwise; a returning resident has a five-year exemption on certain passive foreign-source income.
All tax rules for Israel Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of paid tuition, medical insurance and a residence address in Israel
- Police certificate and civil documents
Birth certificate and passport photographs
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Temporary stay permit A/2 of up to one year, with multiple entries, for study at schools, academic institutions, yeshivas and Jewish Agency youth institutions in Israel. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of ILS 195 (≈ $63) · Service fee for the student visa application to the Population and Immigration Authority. 2
Requirements
- Applicant is accepted to a school, academic institution, yeshiva or Jewish Agency youth institution in Israel. 1
- A child of an Israeli parent registered as a citizen is not eligible for a student visa. 1
- Bank statements for the last three months showing means to pay tuition and living costs for the whole stay. 1
- Letter of acceptance from the institution stating the study period. 1 3
- Proof of paid tuition, medical insurance and a residence address in Israel. 1
- Passport valid for the visa period; some missions require validity of at least one year. 1
- Birth certificate and passport photographs. 1
- Apply in person to the local Population and Immigration office or an Israeli mission, or by email to a mission, with an appointment. 1 2
- The service fee is NIS 195. Online payment works only with a credit card owned by an Israeli citizen or resident; you can also pay in cash or by card when you apply. 2
- Extending for another year needs a grades sheet. 2
- Applicants under 18 need both parents to sign before a consular officer. 1
- Student visa holders are not permitted to work in Israel. 1
Stay
- Valid for up to one year with multiple entries and exits.
- First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
- Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
Work
Not permitted to work.
Official sources
- Entry visas for university or yeshiva students · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Consulate General in Los Angeles · checked 2026-10-12
- Apply for an entry visa for students or yeshiva pupils · Population and Immigration Authority, Israel · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2024-02-13
- Services of the consular section: visas · Embassy of Israel in Switzerland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
Student visa A/2 and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa A/2 | – | 1 yr | No |
| Study visa (ED) Thailand | – | 3 mo, renewable | No |
| Student visa Japan | – | 4.3 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Student visa · Non-formal Indonesia | – | 4 yr, renewable | No |
| Student visa United Arab Emirates | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Student visa A/2?
A fee of ILS 195 (≈ $63). Service fee for the student visa application to the Population and Immigration Authority.
How long can I stay on the Student visa A/2?
Valid for up to one year with multiple entries and exits.
Can I work on the Student visa A/2?
No. Not permitted to work.
Is there a tax break for Student visa A/2 holders in Israel?
Israel: 10-year exemption of foreign-source income for new and veteran returning residents; 5-year relief for returning residents: A person who becomes an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, is exempt from tax for ten years on foreign-source income from the sources in sections 2, 2A and 3, unless they elect otherwise; a returning resident has a five-year exemption on certain passive foreign-source income. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Israel: 10-year exemption of foreign-source income for new and veteran returning residents; 5-year relief for returning residents
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Becoming an Israeli resident for the first time
A person who becomes an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, is exempt from tax for ten years on foreign-source income from the sources in sections 2, 2A and 3, unless they elect otherwise; a returning resident has a five-year exemption on certain passive foreign-source income.
Taxed on
Income produced or accrued outside Israel, or from assets outside Israel, of an individual who became a resident for the first time or a veteran returning resident, for ten years from the date of becoming resident (section 14(a)). A returning resident (abroad six consecutive years or more) is exempt for five years on foreign pension, royalty, rent, interest and dividend income from assets acquired abroad after ceasing to be resident, and on interest and dividends from qualifying listed securities held in a bank account (section 14(c)); business income is excluded from the five-year relief.
Who it applies to
- Becoming an Israeli resident for the first time, or a veteran returning resident, meaning a person who became resident again after being a foreign resident for at least ten consecutive years (section 14(a)).
- Returning resident: became resident again after at least six consecutive years as a foreign resident (section 14(c)).
- The person may elect not to use the exemption for all or part of the income.
Exclusions
- Assets that reached the person exempt from tax under section 97(a)(5) from 1 January 2007 are not 'assets' for the exemption.
- The five-year returning-resident relief does not cover business income.
- The Minister of Finance, with Finance Committee approval, may extend the periods up to ten tax years for a significant investment made in Israel within two years.
Tax residence
The exemption runs from the date the person becomes a resident under the centre of life test. In a first adjustment year, a person who notifies the Tax Authority within 90 days of arrival is not treated as resident for that year, and the year counts toward the exemption period (section 14(b)).
Visas
Eligibility depends on tax residence history, not on the visa category; olim (new immigrants) also receive credit points over the first 54 months (section 35).
Other taxes
Israeli-source income of the same person is taxed on the ordinary resident scale.
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 3 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Entry visas for university or yeshiva students · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Consulate General in Los Angeles · checked 2026-10-12
- Apply for an entry visa for students or yeshiva pupils · Population and Immigration Authority, Israel · checked 2026-10-12
- Services of the consular section: visas · Embassy of Israel in Switzerland, Ministry of Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.