Student Visa (A/2)

Who Should Apply?

All international students studying in Israel in programs of one semester (at least three months) or longer must obtain an A/2 student visa for the duration of their studies. This applies to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows.

Please note that post-doctoral fellows who will be employed as part of their fellowship must apply for the B/1 work visa. For those on a Masa scholarship, please scroll down to learn how to apply for the Masa student visa.

About the Visa

The A/2 visa is valid for up to one year and must be renewed after one year in cases of longer programs.
Recipients of this visa are generally not permitted to work in Israel.
The A/2 visa can be issued with a multiple-entry permit, making it possible to leave Israel for a vacation and return without requiring a new visa.
It is mandatory for all students to secure their A/2 student visa before arriving in Israel.

Obtaining Your Student Visa

The A/2 student visa should be issued approximately two months prior to your arrival at Tel Aviv University (TAU). You must contact the local Israeli embassy or consulate in your country; specific regulations may apply.

In most cases, these are the required documents for issuing the student visa (please contact your local Israeli embassy/consulate to verify):

Passport or other travel document, valid for at least two years
A letter of acceptance from TAU; the letter should include information regarding the dates of your studies and scholarship/funding if awarded
For students under the age of 18, a notarized declaration signed by both parents
A visa application form (the form should be obtained from the Israeli consulate)
Two passport-sized photos
Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses (such as funding approvals, bank statement, etc.)
Birth certificate, verified by an apostille
Parents’ travel documents (passports)
Health insurance

Important: Even if the visa issued by the Israeli consulate will be marked a multiple entry permit, it is most likely NOT multiple entry. Please contact us after your arrival to Israel, and we will assist with obtaining the multiple entry permit.

Student Visa with Permission to Work in Israel

In certain cases, an A/2 student visa with permission to work can be obtained if the following applies:

The student must be enrolled in a Master’s (MA/MSc)/PhD/post-doctoral program at TAU
The student must be employed by TAU
The position is a part-time position
The position is a teaching or teaching-assistant position

If you already hold an A/2 student visa and wish to add a work permit, you will be required to obtain a new visa. If you are in Israel, please fill out the online form.

Note, it is not possible to obtain an A/2 student visa with work permit via the Israeli embassy/consulate abroad.

If you are NOT a student and wish to work, please see our B/1 work visa page.

Extending your student visa

For information on extending your student visa, whether from within Israel or abroad, please see here.

Masa Student Visa (A/2)

If you are completing studies at TAU on a Masa scholarship, you should apply for the Masa A/2 student visa. Please see the Masa A/2 visa webpage for more information, including on how to apply.