Entry to Israel of a Foreign Partner of an Israeli

This article includes information about touristic entry of partners of Israelis into Israel. It gives a general outlook on the entry policy to Israel and is updated as of July 2024. Please make sure you make adequate research and consult governmental officials to get the most updated and accurate information for your situation.

This post is relevant for citizens of countries who enjoy a visa-exempt travel to Israel. These foreign citizens must apply for ETA-IL before traveling to Israel (from August 2024), but normally don’t need to apply for a tourist visa (B2 visa) in advance. Please note that in particular cases, visa-exempt citizens may be required to apply for a tourist visa before traveling to Israel for a short visit.*

It is important to understand that, according to Israeli law, no foreign citizen has an automatic right to enter Israel. Israel and the Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), like many other countries, have broad discretion over the entry of foreign citizens, including those from visa-waiver countries and those with personal connections to Israeli citizens.

*For example, in cases of past deportation, past immigration violations, past suspicious border movements, etc.

Entry to Israel as a Partner of an Israeli for a Visit or Tourism

In general, foreign partners of Israelis are just like any other foreign citizen when it comes to the entry policy to Israel for a “Visit Stay”. A “Visit Stay” is a term that is defined in the Entry to Israel Regulations:

Translation:

A person asking to enter Israel for a visit, or for any other purpose that requires only a short stay in Israel, except for the purpose of work, paid or unpaid, will submit an application for a visa and a visit stay permit type B2 (tourist).

Following this regulation, people who plan to visit Israel for a short period (3 months or less) and then leave should be able to get a B2 tourist visa. Simply being in a relationship with an Israeli is not a reason for entry denial for foreign citizens visiting Israel as tourists.

However, being in a relationship with an Israeli might trigger other concerns, particularly the “fear of settling” indication, or in Hebrew: חשש להשתקעות. This concern, mentioned twice in procedure 6.4.0010, is one of the main reasons passengers are denied entry at the border. It is mostly applied to citizens of non-western countries, including those from South America, East Asia, Eastern Europe (primarily Russia and Ukraine), Africa, and similar regions.

Another factor considered is the age of the passenger and their stage in life. Border control personnel might ask about a passenger’s employment status, academic studies, or any other ties they have to their home country. If a passenger is in their 20s to early 30s, has no job, and lacks strong ties to their home country, they might be denied entry to Israel due to suspicion that they intend to settle in Israel.

This applies to all passengers but is especially relevant for partners of Israelis, as they are more likely to want to stay in Israel to be with their partner.

How to Avoid an Entry Denial When Arriving at Israel for a Visit?

• Always say the truth. Lying is actually another listed indication that tells border control to deny your entry. Being caught lying by border control, almost certainly means an entry denial and an entry ban for 5-10 years that is hard to remove. If asked, you can say that you are coming to visit your Israeli partner but make it very clear that it is just a visit for a limited time.
  
• Avoid suspicious border movements. Visiting Israel too frequently, leaving Israel and coming right back a short time later, spending long, consecutive time in Israel – all of these may trigger border control’s suspicion in your next visit. We suggest taking significant cool-off periods between visits, and of course always leave in time and never exceed your visa.
  
• Consider pre-arranging your visa. If you are coming to visit your Israeli partner, and you are a citizen of a non-western country and have never been to Israel before, it is highly advisable that your partner submits an application for a tourist visa for you, ahead of your arrival. Some PIBA offices may try to brush you off and say “It is not needed” (for citizens of countries that are on a visa-waiver program with Israel), and despite that, we still advise you to insist and get the tourist visa in advance.
  
• Prove that your center of life is elsewhere. If you don’t have a pre-arranged tourist visa, to avoid an entry denial, show that your center of life is elsewhere and that you have no intention to stay in Israel. The first and most obvious thing to have with you is a return flight ticket. If you are undergoing a further investigation, you can show a job contract or an apartment rent contract. You can show you are registered to academic studies, or even that you take care of family members who are abroad.
  
• In addition, it is advised to have a printed signed letter from your Israeli partner ready at hand. The letter should include the full name of the Israeli partner, their ID number, their phone number, and preferably a photocopy of the ID as well. It should indicate what is the relationship between you and them, where you are going to stay, when you are going to leave, and what is the purpose of the visit. Do not hand this paper right away unless specifically asked about something like it, or unless you’re taken into further investigation.

What happens if my entry was denied?

First of all, try to stay calm. The experience might be very unpleasant but freaking out/shouting/losing it is likely not going to help your case.

In case of an entry denial, PIBA will arrange a flight back for you. Depending on how soon your flight back is, PIBA may escort you to a not-very-welcoming waiting facility at the airport where you will be waiting for your flight. You should be handed a paper notifying you of the entry denial, and saying that you have 30 days to appeal the decision. Given that your flight back is likely to be only a few hours away, time is crucial if you want to overturn the decision while in Israel.

Once finalized, the entry denial decision can be overturned only with a judicial decision given in an appeal. Future entries to Israel will be blocked, unless a specific entry clearance (invitation or tourist visa) is granted in advance. That means that even if your entry was denied, an Israeli could still apply for a tourist visa for you in the future, via a tourist invitation process, or for a partner visa through the gradual process.

If you decided to appeal the entry denial decision, we highly recommend hiring an immigration lawyer to file an appeal to the PIBA Tribunal of Appeals. All appeals will have to be supported by an affidavit that requires a lawyer’s signature. The fee for submitting an appeal (as of 2024) is 729 NIS.

Please note that you can appeal the decision even if you weren’t handed any paper. Please note that PIBA is entitled to go on with the deportation process even if you filed an appeal, as long as there isn’t any tribunal decision that says otherwise.

These are the contact details of the refusals facility (מתקן יהלו”ם) at the airport:

• Address: רח’ שלדג 1, נתב”ג
• Email: hagira@piba.gov.il
• Tel: 074-7085660
• Fax: 08-6530013