Due to an ongoing strike at the Foreign Ministry, you may have been informed that your local consulate cannot issue you a student visa. As a temporary solution and only if your local embassy has informed you it will not issue visas, we recommend that you arrive on a tourist visa and convert it to a student visa at the Interior Ministry in Israel.
Please note, this procedure is only necessary if you will study in Israel longer than 3 months as a tourist visa is valid for 3 months.
Please read the instructions below with great care. Please note that some of the required documents below can only be obtained in your home country, and these should be prepared before your visit to Israel.
Step 1: Prepare the following documents:
- Fill out the enclosed visa form– one for each family member (enclosed)
- Passport - ensure it is valid for 6 months beyond the duration of the requested visa
- Birth certificate – apostilled and translated to English and signed by notary
- Scan of passports / travel documents of parents
- Letter from a doctor confirming that you have no infectious illnesses
- Your letter of invitation to the Hebrew University / proof of studies
- Proof of health insurance (if not Israeli, must explicitly state that it covers COVID-19)
- Rental contract
- A bank statement from last 3 months / proof of finance capability
- Visa extension fee of 360 NIS by credit card (180 NIS for extension of visa and another 180 NIS for multiple entries visa)
- If under the age of 18: A letter from your parents confirming their permission to attend university abroad.
- Request a visa support letter prepared by the university sent by the International Office. (If you are a Rothberg Student please contact the Rothberg International School) – see step 3
TO DO SO, YOU MUST EMAIL THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE (INTVISAS@SAVION.HUJI.AC.IL), ENCLOSING A SCAN OF YOUR PASSPORT, VISA, AND PROOF OF STUDIES. You will have to bring the original letter to the Interior Ministry and can pick it up from our office after you arrive in Israel.
Step 2: Following your arrival in Israel, make an Appointment at the Ministry of Interior, located on Queen Shlomziyon St 1, Jerusalem.
You should make the appointment as soon as you arrive in Israel. To do so, fill out the form in the link HERE. Make sure to change the form’s language to English via the “earth” button on the top left. A representative will call/email you back and schedule a time for an appointment. This may take some time, up to 7 working days in some instances.
Step 3: Pick up the visa support letter from our office
The support letter will be ready for pick up at the International Office on Mount Scopus campus, Boyar Building, 5th floor. The letters will be waiting for you in a clear plastic box on the wall opposite room 523 (right next to the bathroom) – no need to enter any office.
Step 4: Visit the Interior Ministry with all the listed documentation for your appointment.
Ensure you have all the documentation ready before your visit. When you arrive, the ministry representative will paste the visa sticker in your passport, valid for a year.
A final message
Please keep in mind, this a temporary solution to allow students to arrive in Israel during the strike and the Interior Ministry does not ordinarily handle requests of this sort.
The situation is dynamic, and requirements may change.
We are also working to simplify this procedure and will update you as soon as we can on any change.
For further inquiries, and only after reading these instructions carefully, please contact Yehuda Hersh at intvisas@savion.huji.ac.il.
The International Office Team
Application for entry visa to Israel: For download click HERE