Digital Visa Extension Round – June 2025

The digital visa extension does not automatically mean your meeting is cancelled.

If your office reopens for visa services by the date of your meeting, your meeting should still be happening normally despite the extension. However, if the office remains closed for visa services, it’s likely your meeting will be posponed.

Stay updated by checking announcements from the Homefront Command regarding daily security measures. Also, follow AIC and PIBA for the latest information about office operations and available services.

PIBA’s official FAQ: A visa department appointment was scheduled for me but was canceled during the operation due to the situation. What should I do?
Due to the situation, appointments were canceled in both the Registration and Visa Departments. Once offices resume full operations, visa matters will be handled individually. To reschedule, please email the relevant office.

Text messages (SMS) about the visa extension were sent on the morning of June 18th, only to visa holders who PIBA has their phone number registered. Even if you didn’t receive a text message, your visa extension still applies as long as you meet all the conditions: you were physically in Israel when the extension rolled out on June 17th, your visa was valid on June 12th and expires on or before September 30th, and you hold one of the relevant visa types.

Once PIBA offices return to normal operations, you should be able to obtain an updated visa sticker (for free), renew your ID, or extend your Intervisa (paid) – either by walk-in or by scheduling a new appointment.

AIC has contacted PIBA to request clear guidance on how visa holders can access urgent services and is currently awaiting a response.

Note: A new visa sticker or ID isn’t required if your visa was digitally extended. If your employer asks for proof, show them the text message you received or PIBA’s official announcement online.

Unfortunately, the visa extension only applies to people currently in Israel.

If your visa and intervisa are still valid, you will be able to re-enter Israel normally – either by air (once the airspace reopens), or through a land border crossing.

PIBA’s official FAQ: Foreign nationals with a valid visa and a valid reentry visa (inter-visa), currently outside of Israel — is their visa included in the general extension?
As stated in the Population and Immigration Authority’s announcement, the general extension does not apply to foreign nationals who were outside of Israel at the time it was granted. Upon returning to Israel, they can contact the Population Authority office nearest their residence to continue handling their status.

PIBA’s official FAQ: Foreign nationals whose center of life is in Israel and whose visa expired while abroad — how can they return to Israel?
According to the official notice, foreign nationals coming from countries that require a reentry visa (non-visa waiver countries) must apply for a visa/entry clearance through the Israeli consulate in their current location.
Alternatively, an Israeli partner can submit an invitation request at their local Population Authority office in Israel. If approved, the foreign partner can visit the Israeli consulate to receive a visa in their passport.

Visa exempt travelers, who are not required to obtain a visa in advance, must hold an ETA-IL approval in order to travel back to Israel without a valid visa.

Foreign nationals who were in the gradual process before leaving Israel and reentered on a B/2 tourist visa — how can they resume the process and return to their previous status?
Both partners — the Israeli and the foreign national — must schedule an appointment at their local Population Authority office. The request will be reviewed in accordance with the applicable procedures.

PIBA’s official FAQ: Foreign nationals with a valid visa who left Israel without arranging a reentry visa (inter-visa) — how can they return to Israel?
They must either obtain an ETA-IL approval or visit an Israeli consulate abroad to receive a reentry visa in their passport.

*AIC still seeks further clarity about this topic.

The current digital extension only covers visas that were still valid on or after June 12, 2025. If your visa expired before that date, it is not automatically extended.

AIC recommends contacting PIBA or your local visa office as soon as possible to clarify your status and ask how to restore or renew your visa.

The gradual process requires you to keep your center of life in Israel, which most PIBA offices interpret as staying abroad no more than 90 days per visa year.

However, at the start of the Iron Swords war (October 2023), PIBA clarified that longer stays abroad may be tolerated in some cases, depending on the reason and reviewed individually.

AIC advises staying within the 90-day limit if possible, to avoid risking your status.

PIBA’s official FAQ: Foreign nationals holding a visa based on a relationship with an Israeli citizen, whose center of life is in Israel, and who are currently abroad — will there be any leniency regarding the center of life due to the operation?
Each case will be examined individually, based on its specific circumstances.

PIBA’s official FAQ: Couples who cannot attend a Population Authority appointment together due to the Israeli partner’s active military service — can the foreign partner attend alone?
If it is confirmed that the Israeli partner is in active military service, the foreign partner may attend the appointment alone, with documentation proving the military service. The request will be handled according to standard procedures.