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Visa holders living in Israel often face great uncertainty around their rights in case of losing their visa or having a visa-gap. The concerns intensify when dealing with residency visas (e.g., A5 temporary resident visa), which provide additional social rights such as National Insurance coverage and public health services.
The internal processes at Bituach Leumi following the expiration of a residency visa lack public accessibility and transparency. To address this, AIC has contacted Bituach Leumi to elucidate the information and the disqualification procedures behind the scenes. This information that is brought to you by AIC for the first time, will help Israelis and their non-Israeli partners who live in Israel with a visa have a better understanding of their rights and possible consequences.
Important terminology for this article:
- “Qualifying visa” – a visa that entitles its holder to Bituach Leumi coverage, following a residency determination procedure. Read more about Bituach Leumi eligibility here.
- Expiry (of visa) – refers to the date recorded in digital governmental systems, determining the period until which the visa remains valid. The expiry date may differ from what’s written on the physical visa sticker in the passport (in case the visa was digitally extended or revoked).
45 Days Before Visa Expiry Date – Warning Letter
As many of you are already aware, 45 days before the expiry date of a qualifying visa, Bituach Leumi automatically sends a notification letter about the upcoming visa expiration, warning the insured individual about a termination of services in case the visa is not extended.
Although it looks threatening, this letter is sent automatically and does not mean that your visa or residency are at risk. This letter is merely sent by Bituach Leumi as a “service” to visa holders who may not have noticed that their status is nearing expiration.
When receiving this letter, make sure that you have a scheduled visa renewal meeting before your current visa expires. You do not need to contact Bituach Leumi or notify them of the upcoming meeting, as they will get the updated visa information automatically once it is renewed and updated on PIBA’s systems.
Visa Expiry Date – Grace Period
Legally, residents’ eligibility for Bituach Leumi services primarily depends on the existence of a valid qualifying visa. Without it, Bituach Leumi is prevented by law from including a person as an insured individual.
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