Israel Student Visa Process
Your step-by-step guide to the Israel student visa application: procedures, timelines, fees, and interview preparation.
Complete Guide to Israel Student Visa Process
Students in India apply through the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi and the Israeli consulates in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Israel has no embassy or consulate in Pakistan, and Pakistani passport holders need a visa. Ask your university which Israeli embassy or consulate to use.
First get admitted by an Israeli university. Then fill in the A/2 student visa form online, print it, and hand it in with your papers and all your passports at the IVP centre for your state. The IVP is the company that takes visa papers in India.
Understanding the Israel Student Visa
Know the visa types, eligibility criteria, and application timeline
A/2 Student Visa
This is the visa for international students. It is also your permit to stay in Israel while you study.
• For students at universities, colleges and yeshivas (Jewish religious schools) in Israel.
• Lasts up to one year at a time.
• You renew it in Israel each year, with proof of your grades.
• As a rule, you may not work on it. In some cases a student can get a work permit.
Important
To qualify for a Israel student visa, you must meet these requirements:
Admission
An acceptance letter from an Israeli university, college or yeshiva.
Tuition paid
The embassy asks for proof that you paid your tuition.
Money to live on
Bank statements that show you can pay for your stay.
Insurance
Health insurance for your stay in Israel.
The timing of your visa application is crucial for a smooth process.
New Students
Apply after you have your acceptance letter. For TAU, plan for the visa to be ready about two months before you arrive.
Continuing Students
Renew your visa inside Israel before it ends. At HUJI, start about four weeks before your visa ends.
Recommendation
Israel Student Visa Application Process
A sequential guide to applying for your student visa
- 1
Step 1: Get Accepted
Get admitted by an Israeli university, college or yeshiva.
Key points:
- Get an acceptance letter that shows your course, its length and your start date.
- Pay your tuition. The embassy asks for proof.
Ask the university to email the embassy early.
- 2
Step 2: Find Your Centre
Check which IVP centre serves your state.
Key points:
- Delhi and Kolkata serve the other states.
- Papers from Delhi and Kolkata go to the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi.
Mumbai serves Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Bengaluru serves Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- 3
Step 3: Fill In the Form
Fill in the A/2 form online on the IVP website.
Key points:
- Add your email and mobile number.
- Print the form after you submit it, and sign it.
Fill in the form on the website before you go to the centre.
- 4
Step 4: Get Your Papers Ready
Put your papers together by the A/2 checklist.
Key points:
- Two 5.5 cm by 5.5 cm photos.
- Bank statement for 4 months, insurance, housing proof and a flight booking.
An apostille is an official stamp from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that proves a paper is real.
- 5
Step 5: Hand In Your Papers
Go to the centre with your papers and the fee.
Key points:
- Bring all your passports.
- Parents of students under 18 must both sign in front of an embassy or consulate officer.
Bring cash. The centre takes cash only.
- 6
Step 6: Wait and Collect
Wait at least 3 weeks, counting working days only.
Key points:
- Track your application online.
- Collect your passport, or pay INR 650 for the courier.
The embassy may ask for more papers or an interview.
- 7
Step 7: Fly to Israel
Passport control gives you a blue entry slip (a small paper that shows your visa type and end date) at Ben Gurion Airport.
Key points:
- Show your acceptance letter at passport control if asked.
- Check that the blue slip says Student Visa (A/2) and has the same end date as your visa.
Keep the blue entry slip for your whole stay.
Your letter from the Israeli university is the most important paper for the visa.
Key Information Included:
- Your full name, as in your passport.
- The name of your course.
- How long the course lasts.
- Your start date.
- Any scholarship the university pays.
Important
You fill in the form online, but you still hand in your papers and passports in person.
Application Process:
- Choose the A/2 (Student) visa form on the IVP website.
- Pick your centre: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Kolkata.
- Read the list of papers before you start.
- After you submit, the form shows a reference number at the top.
- Print it, sign it and bring it with your papers.
Tip
Required Documents Checklist
Prepare all necessary documents for your visa application
Organize these documents well before your visa appointment. Keep originals and make copies of important documents.
Online visa form
Fill it in online, press submit, print it and sign it. Handwritten forms are not accepted. Add your email and mobile number.
All your passports
Your current passport and every old one. It must have at least 2 blank pages and be valid for at least 6 months (9 months is better).
Acceptance letter
An up-to-date letter from your Israeli university. It shows your course, how long it lasts and your start date.
Covering letter
A letter from you with your full details. If you work or study somewhere, add a no objection certificate (NOC), a letter from them saying they have no objection.
Bank statement
Your own bank statement for the last 4 months, up to date (the IVP checklist). Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for at least 3 months, so 4 months covers both.
Travel and health insurance
Both are needed for the whole stay.
These additional documents can strengthen your visa application:
Academic Documents
• CV and study papers: A copy of your CV and all your study papers. Show the original of your last degree when you hand them in.
• Scholarship letter: Only if the university pays a scholarship. Show the amount.
Financial Documents
• Bank statement: Your own statement for the last 4 months, up to date.
Personal Documents
• Birth certificate: Students in India: the original, with an apostille (an official stamp that proves a paper is real) from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). No apostille is needed if it can be checked online on a government website.
• Parents' no objection letters: Students in India: a NOC from both parents with copies of the first and last pages of their passports, or a note they sign with their Aadhaar card copy.
• Aadhaar and passport copies: Students from India: a copy of your Aadhaar card and of the first and last pages of your current passport.
Additional Documents
• Proof of where you will stay: A housing letter from the university, or a hotel booking for 1 month and a note you sign about where you will stay for the rest of the time.
• Flight booking: A flight reservation. Do not buy a confirmed ticket before your visa comes.
• Email from your university: Ask your Israeli university to email the embassy about your admission before you apply.
• If you are married: Your passport must show your spouse's name. Bring the original marriage certificate with an apostille, and a NOC from your spouse.
Your photo is a vital part of your visa application. Make sure it meets these specifications:
Two colour photos, 5.5 cm by 5.5 cm.
White background, not shiny.
Your face takes up 70 to 80% of the photo.
Taken in the last 6 months.
Common Photo Mistakes to Avoid:
A photo older than 6 months.
A hat, cap or hair over your face.
Staple marks on the photo.
Tip
Pro Tip: Document Organization
Print every page on A4 paper, one side only. Keep originals of your last degree with you to show at the counter.
Understanding Visa Fees
Complete breakdown of all costs associated with the Israel student visa application
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| A/2 student visa, option 1: no visa fee (needs approval from Israel's Ministry of Interior first) | INR 0 visa fee + INR 1,985 service fee = INR 1,985 |
| A/2 student visa, option 2: with a visa fee | INR 5,750 visa fee + INR 1,985 service fee = INR 7,735 |
| Visa extension inside Israel (yearly) | NIS 205 (Israeli new shekels), the fee for Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) students in January 2026 |
| Re-entry (multiple entry) permit inside Israel | NIS 205 each time, the fee for HUJI students in January 2026 |
Additional Potential Expenses:
Courier (optional)
INR 650 per passport if you want the IVP centre to send your passport back to you.
Form filling help (optional)
INR 390 per form if the IVP centre fills in the online form for you.
Travel and health insurance
The A/2 checklist in India asks for both. You can buy them at the IVP centre or bring your own.
Apostille on your birth certificate
An apostille is an official stamp that proves a paper is real. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) gives it. You do not need it if your birth certificate can be checked online on a government website.
Visa and service fee in India
Available payment methods:
- Cash only, at the IVP centre
The fees follow the US dollar to rupee rate and can change without notice.
Extension fee in Israel
Available payment methods:
- Online payment on the Israeli government website
- Cash or card at a PIBA office
Online payment needs a credit card owned by an Israeli citizen or resident. Your university can tell you how its students pay.
Refund Policy
Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused or withdrawn.
Important
Visa Fee FAQs
Visa Interview Preparation
Prepare for your Israel student visa interview with expert tips and guidance
- The embassy may ask you for more papers or call you for an interview.
- The embassy decides on every visa. The IVP centre only takes your papers and has no say in the result.
Tip
Important
Visa Timelines & Application Tracking
Understand processing times and how to track your Israel student visa application
Get your acceptance letter
Step 1
Your Israeli university admits you and emails the embassy.
Fill in the online form
Step 2
Fill it in on the IVP website, submit it, print it and sign it.
Hand in your papers
Step 3
Go to the IVP centre for your state with your papers, photos, all passports and cash for the fee.
Wait for the decision
At least 3 weeks (working days only)
The IVP centre sends your papers to the embassy or consulate on the next working day.
Important
Online Tracking System
You can follow your application online after you hand it in. SMS updates cost INR 195 if you choose them.
- Keep the receipt the IVP centre gives you.
- Use the tracking page for Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Kolkata on the IVP website.
- Enter your reference number, passport number and date of birth.
Tip
Check which centre serves your state
The IVP centres take papers only from the states on their list.
Ask your university to email the embassy
The university must email the embassy about your admission before you apply.
Get your apostille early
Your birth certificate (and marriage certificate, if married) may need an apostille from India's MEA.
Patience is Key
Helpful Resources & Official Links
Access official resources and additional guidance for your Israel student visa application
Embassy of Israel in New Delhi: student visas
The embassy's page for the A/2 student visa.
Visit Official WebsitePopulation and Immigration Authority (PIBA): student visa
Israel's immigration office, part of the Ministry of Interior. The rules for a new A/2 visa or a yearly extension in Israel.
Visit Official WebsiteIsraeli embassies and consulates
Find the Israeli embassy or consulate that serves your country.
Visit Official WebsiteA/2 student visa form for India
The online form and the full list of papers for the Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata centres.
Open the A/2 formIsrael Visa Application Centre (IVP)
Delhi helpline: +91-11-41576142, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00.
Contact the IVP centreHelp from Qogent
We help you put your papers in the right order before you go to the centre.
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